SHADOWS AND SHADES
DAVID REID and his band The Contrast have released eight critically acclaimed albums since 2001. Steven Van Zandt once described the as “One of the best bands on the planet - and England too.”
In 2014, Reid co-formed ReidGraves with activist and poet Ron Graves, combining pop and experimental music with songs and spoken word. The duo have released three albums.
Both projects receive regular airplay around the world, including many songs by The Contrast featured as ‘Coolest song in the World’ on Little Steven’s Underground Garage show and Sirius channels.
David was born in Glasgow and, although his family relocated to the south of England, he remains very much a Scot.
David’s latest solo project is SHADOWS AND SHADES - a set of 14 acoustic and electric guitar instrumentals that channel surf, country, folk, jazz and cinematic influences. Each track, written and performed by David on a single guitar, was recorded with no overdubs or loops.
As David elaborates: “When I write I have always loved to try and make my guitar do ‘everything’. not in a flashy, virtuoso sense, but rather using the instrument to make a complete arrangement with all the necessary elements. For my various bands and project, I would write this way, then deconstruct, rationalise and arrange before handing over some of the parts, development and creative responsibilities to other players. But this set of 14 tracks are in their original form – just me.
“I usually prefer to let my work speak for itself with no explanation – but as these are instrumentals, they have no words of their own. I might have called the set ‘Lost Themes’, but the brilliant John Carpenter – one of my influences – apropriately beat me to that title.
