Will Lawton

Will Lawton (born 24 June 1974) is an English singer-songwriter, pianist, hang player,[1] and music therapist. He has been the song-writing force behind three EPs and four albums. He is active in the west country live music scene and regularly writes and records.

Will Lawton
Will Lawton performing at Abbey House, Malmesbury in March 2019
Background information
Born (1974-06-24) 24 June 1974
OriginSomerset, England
GenresIndie Rock, Cross-over Jazz, Folk,
Occupation(s)Singer songwriter, Music therapist
InstrumentsVocals, Piano, Hang
Years active2000–present
LabelsMad Ron Records, Will Lawton Music, Supermarine Music
Associated actsOrangutan, The Zennor Project, Brontosaurus, The Home Fires, Will Lawton & Weasel Howlett
Websitewww.willlawtonmusic.co.uk

Music career

Lawton began his musical career after forming Orangutan with guitarist and drummer Joe Holweger and recording the Surprised Coconut EP[2] in west London. In 2001, Lawton with Neil Muttock on guitar formed The Zennor Project with band members Tracy Jane Sullivan, Peter Van Pletzen and Ashley Moffatt and released the Twist EP. Lawton, Holweger and Muttock reconvened and went on to release two albums, The Monkey and the Whale by Brontosaurus in 2006, and Ember by Orangutan in 2008

In 2012, Lawton performed with The Heavy. He went onto record a solo project, The Wood Room Session at Real World Studios.  He formed The Home Fires[3] with Neil Muttock and Nikki Capp and performed at Priddy Folk Festival and Purbeck Folk Festival in 2012. Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, the band recorded This Too Shall Pass at Real World Studios, which featured musicians Phillip Henry (dobro), Hannah Martin (violin and vocals) and Bethany Porter (cello and vocals).

Lawton started working with drummer Weasel Howlett in 2015[4] and the duo went onto write and record Fossils of the Mind[5] at Real World Studios. The album was released in 2017,[6] with a vinyl release the following year after a successful crowdfunding campaign through Kickstarter.[7] As of 2019, the band are active and regularly joined by Buddy Fonzarelli on bass guitar,[8] Ami Kaelyn on guitar and vocals and Harki Popli on tabla. They recorded a live session in March 2019 in the library at Abbey House in Malmesbury and plan to release this new music in early 2020. Lawton currently performs solo, with his band and works as a music therapist. To accommodate the growing number of current band members, the band currently perform as 'Will Lawton and the Alchemists' and re-released 'Fossils of the Mind' under this name in 2020.

In April 2020, Will collaborated with a group of poets that he had never met after issuing an appeal for original poetry written during the time that the UK was in lockdown. He composed, recorded and co-produced 'Salt of the Earth' which was co-produced, mixed and mastered by Patrick Phillips. Each poem is embedded in meditative piano and ambient soundscapes and will be released digitally in May 2020.

Discography[9]

Will Lawton
  • Salt of the Earth, Vol. 1 (Lockdown), 2020
  • The Wood Room Sessions, 2012

Will Lawton and the Alchemists
  • Abbey House Session, 2020
  • Fossils of the Mind, 2017 (originally released as Will Lawton & Weasel Howlett)

The Home Fires
  • This Too Shall Pass, 2013

Orangutan
  • Ember, 2008
  • Surprised Cococnut (EP), 2000

Brontosaurus
  • The Monkey and The Whale, 2006

The Zennor Project
  • Twist (EP), 2001

References
  1. arlingtonartsblog (2016-01-19). "Pianos, performance and Peter Gabriel: an interview with Will Lawton". arlington-arts.com. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  2. "discography". Will Lawton Music. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  3. "Will Lawton". Malmesbury Acoustic Sessions. 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  4. "Will Lawton and Weasel Howlett – The Boondocks Festival". Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  5. jason. "Album review: WILL LAWTON & WEASEL HOWLETT – Fossils Of The Mind". Get Ready to ROCK! News | Reviews | Interviews | Radio. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  6. Gigride (2018-03-07). "Catching up with Will Lawton". Medium. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  7. "Fossils Of The Mind: Will Lawton & Weasel Howlett (Vinyl LP)". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  8. Worrow, Author Darren (2019-01-27). "Will Lawton & Weasel Howlett – 8th February @ The Cause, Chippenham". Devizine. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  9. "discography". Will Lawton Music. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
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