Shadowman, the new collaborative project from John J Presley, Ben Hillier and Danielle Perry, have recently announced the release of their self-titled debut album, arriving on 4th September via Nica Records/Republic of Music.
Today, the Shadowman shares ‘You Are The Love‘, the latest glimpse into the forthcoming album and, in many ways, the song that unlocked the project. They explain: “‘You Are The Love’ was the pivotal point of this whole Shadowman project. An original idea laid down by John J Presley late one night through sleep deprivation. He then took it to the studio where him and Ben mapped it out and found a thrilling and enigmatic energy to the track.
From delicate, sparse, vulnerable vocals and tales of city lights, oblivion and lack of rest to powerful, intense guitar and drum build ups make this track a heady mix of all the atmospherics from the forthcoming album. It’s a late-night record. For certain”
Previous singles ‘Flowers‘ and ‘Don’t Assume‘ have received continued support at BBC 6 Music from Iggy Pop, Guy Garvey, Chris Hawkins, Steve Lamacq and John Kennedy on Radio X.
Driven by a shared creative vision, Shadowman makes music instinctively, blending crushing guitars, cinematic orchestration, death-march brass, motorik drum machines, layered vocals, and slow-building post-rock into a sound that is both expansive and uncompromising.
John explains: “Shadowman, both as a collective and the resulting album, started as an experiment. After one particular tour, I bought a new acoustic guitar and started to write the bones of these songs with a real focus on songwriting rather than the tones and sounds, as I had before.
This guitar (a 70s Guild) almost seemed to arrive ready to play them… Sometimes that happens with a new instrument. Weeks of writing followed, and I then took them to Ben Hillier to pad out with drums and track at his studio, Agricultural Audio. My longtime collaborator and wife Danielle Perry joined us for those, and we carved them into the Shadowman album with engineer Dan Crook”.
Ben adds, “John came to the studio with some of his new demos. I’ve always loved his singing, and I was blown away by these Shadowman songs – the space and freedom in there – and by Danielle’s voice. I never knew she could sing! The sessions were fast, reactive – trying to grab the first inspiration. Always in the first three takes. Dan Crook captured everything on 2″ tape from the first note we played. Pete Wareham and Marcus Hamblett added extra colour and depth with their unique sax and brass textures. Then, to finish the production, we had to nurture that fresh energy. Careful not to straighten out the creases or lose the detail. Never flatten the dynamic or over-elaborate”.
Shadowman marked their live debut this June with two sold-out performances in London and Paris. Further live dates will be announced soon.
Ben Hillier is a record producer, mixer, songwriter, and musician with over 30 years of experience, having collaborated with a wide range of internationally acclaimed artists. His production credits include albums for Depeche Mode, Blur, Elbow, Doves, Graham Coxon and Howling Bells, while his mixing work spans artists such as Villagers, The Magic Numbers, and Editors, among many others. In addition to his studio work, he co-wrote and produced the first five albums by Nadine Shah, and spent the past decade touring extensively with her as drummer and musical director.
He has also played a significant role in studio development, building multiple recording spaces and co-founding Miloco’s “The Pool” studio in Bermondsey, where he was a partner for 17 years. He is currently based at Agricultural Audio in rural Sussex—a studio constructed from straw bales on a working farm, where he also runs the label of the same name.
Danielle Perry is a national radio broadcaster and part of the Mercury Music Prize panel. She studied orchestration and the relationship of sound and image for years, thus making this the perfect project.
John J Presley is a celebrated artist whose three critically acclaimed albums have earned support from BBC 6 Music and Rolling Stone France, which named one of his records Album of the Week. Most recently, he received a Best Rock Album nomination across Germany, Austria and Switzerland alongside The Smile, Neil Young and Idles.
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