Recorded in Frome & Shepton Mallet, England by Nathan Lewis Williams and Brian Cooling
Vocals and instrumentation by Brian Cooling (except Keith Barclay on bass for title track)
Mixed by Brian Cooling
Mastered by R. Lipin
All music and lyrics composed by Brian Cooling except “Human” by Jamie Hartman and Rory Graham.
Cover art by Brian Cooling
© Brian Cooling Stuart 2017
“Grounded” was the result of a chance meeting with Nathan Lewis Williams whilst waiting for an open mic to start. I had songs to record and he knew how to record them.
Recording began in February 2017 in a garage which had been properly converted into a recording studio. Three songs were recorded that day.
The album comprises a few new songs, a few older ones and a cover of ‘Human’ by Rag’n’Bone Man. The album is predominantly acoustic and, as per usual, crosses several musical genres.
“Apple in my Eye” is the first track on the album, Grounded. I was thinking about how certain ideas and motifs have wormed their way into human culture and the apple certainly has its place to play. Of course, where I live in Somerest, England, cider is a potent beverage often enjoyed in pubs, homes, picnics, gutters, etc, whereas in North America apple cider is little more than thick apple juice to be relished by children and grannies. |
“Who Are You?” is a personal song like many that I do. I must have been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan at the time but then he’s always been a strong influence. I wanted something light and simple that captured the essence of two people trying to get to know each other away from all the clutter”. |