Located on the bustling and vibrant Oldham Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter the Castle Hotel welcomes new act King Harvest & The Weight for their first appearance in Manchester on 19 June.
Their debut album Maps is due for release the next day, on 20 June, and is a 14-track power pop record with a folk sensibility and layered song writing. Unstuck in particular possesses all these qualities with its lush vocals, groove-laden rhythm section and hints of piano, all coming together to make a complete package of easy listening pop music.
KH&TW are a trio spearheaded by Halifax-born musician Ben Adey – accompanied by Olly Smith and Justin Edley – who describes the album as “a high energy, good times record”. It’s clear Maps, released via Harbour Songs Records, is an album for the summer sunshine with the tour itself spanning June and July, starting in London and winding up in Dublin.
With praise from the likes of Danny Dolan from the Virgin Marys and influence from legends like Queen, Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder, Ben Adey is certainly a musician and songwriter with his foot firmly planted in the acclaimed side of music. In today’s saturated music landscape, this trio are a breath of fresh air for now, and seem to contain an attitude of ambition and serious creative endeavour.
Flying the flag for a live sound Maps was recorded “in the darkest depths of West Yorkshire” in 2015, in a tradition of live takes and limited editing where possible – rare at a time when the technology to overdub, edit and snip is overwhelmingly distracting.
If you go down to the Castle on the 19 June, listen to their set, buy the album the following day, and make notes of the changes in sound and quality. I seriously doubt the list of alterations will be long, which is always a sign of a good and tight outfit.
Connor Ryan
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