New album out 12th June 2020 "Human Traffic"!

Richard Davies and the Dissidents have a new album "Human Traffic" out on Bucketfull of Brains on the 12th June 2020... I might have given some of that away with the title!?

I knew Rich back when I was a teenager, although not to speak to. We were both cut from the same cloth. We wore similar clothes and had grown up with influences like Hanoi Rocks and Johnny Thunders. I moved away that summer and our paths never crossed. I was aware of his band Tiny Monroe and nearly auditioned for a later line-up, a story for another time. I then supported his band The Snakes in London in 2008.

I got to know him properly back in Wiltshire years later and one of the first things he said to me was that he wanted to do a record and I should come and play on bass for him. Again we lost touch for a short time and I found myself joining a very casual but fun Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute with him. Fast forward to 2017 and he'd started the album sessions with local studio legend Nick Beere and Chris Cannon (ex-Mega City 4). Initially the wealth of musicianship in the band meant I was going to be in the live band but not the studio. However within a couple of sessions I was invited down and wound up playing bass on everything. We spent 2 1/2 years recording in what was easily the most relaxed studio setting I have ever been a part of. Rich sold it to me as "Iggy Pop meets the Stones with some very commercial catchy guitar pop songs". I think we delivered that. It's also my first co-production credit, although I would be quick to acknowledge the talents of Nick and Rich in this area.

The sessions were predominately the four of us, although ex-Case Hardin keyboard player joined for a session and we were lucky enough to get in the band. We also had some great vocal support from Milly Carmichael, Amanda Cramsie-Smith and Jake Cramsie-Smith. I'm very proud of the album. It harks back to the sound of those early days of me as a musician and the bands that I liked, whilst having a modern freshness to it. I hope it does well. It's already picked up 4 stars in RNR Magazine. Do check it out!