Dear X Factor, THIS is Real Music: Gentleman Starkey Reviewed by Kinks legend Dave Davies

Dear X Factor, THIS is Real Music: Gentleman Starkey Reviewed by Kinks legend Dave Davies

From pop princesses to sleazy rock n' roll, we've got 'em all on our new album, 'Emerging Icons In The Park'. Showcasing twenty-two tracks from real original musicians, it stands testament to the breadth of talent this nation really has.You won't find any of them on any TV shows that's for sure...

Consider it your pick n' mix bag of delightful musical treats- you might fancy some snazzy rainbow-coloured Jazzies, but that doesn't mean you want to forgo a lovely black liquorice bootlace. What we're getting at through this strange confectionary-based metaphor is that when it comes to us, you will not only find something to suit all tastes, but you might also find yourself enjoying something you may not have chosen straight away.

Gentleman Starkey are one of our acts to lend the light a little bit of shade. There are plenty of tracks that shine through their use of melody and sparkle, but that's not the place that these Gents tend to operate. They're about mucky musicianship, filthy riffing and downright sleazy rock n' roll... all in the most endearing and charismatic ways you can possibly imagine.

'Worlds Collide' brings the tempo down a notch; its stylised workings building quite a dramatic sense of atmosphere with a very subtle 80s-influenced edge. Boasting a vocal to make you weak at the knees and a striking creative identity to match, Gentleman Starkey really are a class act. As an exclusive album teaser, here is 'Worlds Collide' from their amazing London 2012 experience this summer:

As you can imagine, it's impossible for us to keep a band like this to ourselves, which is why we've been happy to show the guys off to Kaiser Chiefs, The Telegraph and the Olympic Park before now. With their inclusion on the new album, we wanted to get them some more feedback. Kinks legend Dave Davies was just the man for the job- and he was very impressed:

We love the song, so does Dave and so will you. We really should hear what it's about from the band themselves, don't you think?

-What was the inspiration behind the track and what is the song about?

Well I think the words are inspired by the film 'True Romance' and the music was written with film in mind... we wanted to create that wash and movement with the music that evokes images

-Where and when did you write this song?

About two years ago I wrote the guitar parts in my home studio and Joel wrote the words to go with it and then we kind of stuck it all together

-Who recorded the track for you- if a producer who else have they worked with?

A chap called Luke Joyce who recorded and produced our first EP 'Dead of the Modern'

-How do fans react to the track when you play it live?

We don't tend to play the track live to often as its quite gentle and we often like to play an upbeat and noisy set to get people moving

-What comes to mind when you hear the song played back?

Music to a film

-What does your song bring to the collective on the Emerging Icons album?

Hopefully some pop sensibility and hopefully people will like the mood of the track and the guitar vocal hooks.

You now have absolutely no excuse to not go and pre-order your copy of 'Emerging Icons In The Park'. Hit this link right NOW to buy the album- twenty-two tracks from an amazing line-up of unsigned and emerging artists for just £4.49. Like the man unable to pronounce his f's and t's, you can't say fairer than that.

@emergingicons

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