Matt Henshaw Sings ... 'Higher & Higher' by Jackie Wilson

One year ago I played for the last time in Leicester, the city in which I now live, but spend hardly any of my time, so be the schedule of a full-time independent touring musician ! 300 shows, yeah, that's right over 300(!) and 4 top 40 releases on Peace, Love & Tea Records ... nowhere near minimum wage for the hours I put in, but mentally, physically and spiritually enriched from the journey ... and who need money anyway ?!



"Your Love is Lifting Me Higher & Higher", so I sing with the De Montfort University Pentecostal Gospel Choir, EAGA boys and girls, brothers and sisters, I love them so. And the words are true, I wouldn't be able to do anything I do if it wasn't for you, and I'm grateful for that. So extremely grateful.

I love singing these songs, I only sings songs that I like, otherwise, what is the point ? Keep listening, keep spreading the love, and keep it real, so real, look, feel and touch. #BeliefIsAll

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx



Matt Henshaw Sings ...
My Girl
Wonderful World
Blackbird
The Mighty Quinn

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'YOUR EYES ARE MADE OF GOLD' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/your-eyes-are-made-of-gold-ep/id904335049
https://play.spotify.com/user/11100320251/playlist/7CJI4WcomJKYozyujcN4hK
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'ALWAYS IN THE WAY' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/always-in-the-way-ep/id875188981
https://play.spotify.com/user/ilsonowl/playlist/2tHGjyz7EpEZpvgc8HpuRm
DEBUT 'IT AIN'T EASY/MY LIFE - EP' !!!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
'EASIER' OUT NOW !!!
'Easier' Official Video - https://goo.gl/ynTayr
iTunes - https://goo.gl/9r5341
Spotify - https://goo.gl/OTLXaV
GooglePlay - https://goo.gl/JVvd5r

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Lew Bear

Mr Lewis Robinson, or Lew Bear, hails from Northamptonshire and is one of the most lovable friendly giants I have come across on my national and international travels, I've got a long list of recommendations on their way, hoping to shine some light on some of the Beautiful Souls I've shared a stage with in the last year.

I'll be honest and admit that Lew posting this video yesterday morning was the thing that triggered me to start with this folksy gospel troubador from Eddie Stobart country ...



... so now you know, I am susceptible to flattery and anyone wishing to forward the Peace, Love & Tea Movement further ... but it's not just that, Lew's ideals and way of songwriting through research of family and local history, fixation on the English folk tradition and a sharer of my own love of gospel music as the love, the light and the truth. Top Man, big voice, growing everytime we cross paths and a gentile guitar playing style that betrays his mighty physique.

With this in mind, I was touched the last time I saw Lew perform, as he was visible onstage, performing a new song about his family lineage in which he discovered that his great great great aunt was the first woman in Northamptonshire to fall in love with a black man, and for this heinous activity she was ran out of town tarred and feathered, and with no-one speaking of it again, until the story was passed down via Lew's aunt's sister, his grandmother. A beautiful, melancholy yarn emerges full of regret and lessons from the past we all must learn and move on.

If you've ever driven through the Northamptonshire countryside you'll know it is a truly inspirational place, however nowhere is adverse to travesty, and Lew's great paradoxical melting pot of musical numbers is a great blessing for us all.

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx

'Like' and follow 'Matt Henshaw Recommends ...' on facebook ...

Martin Luke Brown ... again ..., Josh Wheatley, Casino Empire, Elizabeth Cornish, The Strangler Figs, Sky Valley Mistress, Jesse Wright, Siobhan Mazzei, Georgie Rose, Tapestry, The De Montfort University Gospel Choir, By The Rivers, Martin Luke Brown, Joy Mumford, Three Girl Rhumba, MotorMouf, Samuel Idwal, Abandon Her, Stef Baker, Emily Carr, Becky Edwards, James Byron, Mahalia, Mia & The Moon, Rosa-Leigh, AJA, Kate Rendell, Esther Van Leuven, East Midlands Girls, Ones to Watch for 2014, The Bobcats, Savanna Bones, Mattayoux, Matt Zara, The Simpletones, Charlotte Carpenter, Leah Sinead, Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'YOUR EYES ARE MADE OF GOLD' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/your-eyes-are-made-of-gold-ep/id904335049
https://play.spotify.com/user/11100320251/playlist/7CJI4WcomJKYozyujcN4hK
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'ALWAYS IN THE WAY' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/always-in-the-way-ep/id875188981
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/always-in-the-way-ep
https://play.spotify.com/user/ilsonowl/playlist/2tHGjyz7EpEZpvgc8HpuRm
DEBUT 'IT AIN'T EASY/MY LIFE - EP' !!!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Siobhan Mazzei

Ever-present in Leicester City, Siobhan Mazzei - pronounced "Matt Say" as "Matt says she's pretty good" - has garnered a reputation as one of the very best. The first guest we invited on to Tea and Toast with Matt Henshaw & Stu Crown, she was described by our third guest, photographer Rob Gurney, as "spell-binding", and he isn't far wrong, you'll be drawn in, be mellowed out and have your melon twisted all at once.

I find it most important when recommending other artists you should go out and listen to, that they should care about what they do. And if you're lucky enough to meet Siobhan, or affectionately "Shed" to her friends, you'll find this instantly, she's a passionate, talented and wonderful young lady. And if you hold her debut album 'Waiting Awake' in your hand you can feel the bundles and bags of effort that has gone into every aspect of it's production.

And luckily Miss. Siobhan Mazzei will be performing with me on Friday night, opening up my Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade at The Cookie, as we launch and toast the 'Always in the Way' EP into the world. It's gonna be one cracking little night. Myself, Siobhan, Abandon Her, Georgie Rose, and special guest doing a bit of compering and what he does, Mr Motormouf too !

Get yourself down !! Peace, Love & Tea, MHx

Georgie Rose
Tapestry
The De Montfort University Gospel Choir
By The Rivers
Martin Luke Brown
Joy Mumford
Three Girl Rhumba
MotorMouf
Samuel Idwal
Abandon Her
Stef Baker
Emily Carr
Becky Edwards
Mahalia
Mia & The Moon
Rosa-Leigh
AJA
Kate Rendell
Esther Van Leuven
East Midlands Girls
Ones to Watch for 2014
The Bobcats
Savanna Bones
Mattayoux
Matt Zara
The Simpletones
Charlotte Carpenter
Leah Sinead
Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
DOWNLOAD & STREAM 'ALWAYS IN THE WAY' NOW !!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/always-in-the-way-ep/id875188981
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/always-in-the-way-ep
https://play.spotify.com/user/ilsonowl/playlist/2tHGjyz7EpEZpvgc8HpuRm
DEBUT 'IT AIN'T EASY/MY LIFE - EP' !!!
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... GEORGIE

I love this girl. She's a Queen, she's a star and she has a presence that soars and shines beyond your average girl with a guitar. Talk to her on any night of the week and without saying very much, in fact saying very little, you'll know she's passionate, driven and has a wealth of musical knowledge and talent that far surpasses your average songstress.

Without drawing too many parallels to myself I like it that you can go to shows in Nottingham and Georgie will be there, checking out who's hot and who's not, and making recommendations of who you should see next, unless of course, like myself in Leicester, we're busy elsewhere Spreading The Love !

I mentioned on this week's Tea and Toast with Matt Henshaw & Stu Crown podcast that Georgie reminds of a female composite of Elvis Presley in his majestic prime and Bob Dylan at Isle Of Wight. And that's no lie. I know she's a big Elvis fan, and we share a love of the old school classics, good songwriting and delivery are in her second nature.

By all accounts and all reports I've heard back, Georgie Rose was the standout act of this year's Dot To Dot Festival, and I'm not surprised.

Hence why I'm so excited that she is playing as my first non-Leicestershire artist at Matt Henshaw's Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade at The Cookie this month ! Not far to travel but it's funny how East Midlanders seem to believe there's a whole world of difference between the 4 major cities and handful of of beautiful larger towns we have in this area.

I hope there becomes more of a cross-contamination of music around these parts and everyone gets behind one another, I've been around and believe me, there are some gems lurking around the corner in Notts, Derbyshire, Leicester, Lincoln, Northampton, etc. you only need to peek outside and you'll find something you like.

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx

PS. she's bringing this lot with her, gonna make some beautiful noise ! I, for one, can't wait !!

Tapestry
The De Montfort University Gospel Choir
By The Rivers
Martin Luke Brown
Joy Mumford
Three Girl Rhumba
MotorMouf
Samuel Idwal
Abandon Her
Stef Baker
Emily Carr
Becky Edwards
Mahalia
Mia & The Moon
Rosa-Leigh
AJA
Kate Rendell
Esther Van Leuven
East Midlands Girls
Ones to Watch for 2014
The Bobcats
Savanna Bones
Mattayoux
Matt Zara
The Simpletones
Charlotte Carpenter
Leah Sinead
Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw's Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade Going Underground THIS FRIDAY !!!

If you're in or around Leicester, or you don't mind the travel, there's only one place to be this Friday Night ! The Cookie for my biggest party in Leicester City yet !!!

Featuring these fantastic peoples ...

Martin Luke Brown

Mia and the Moon

Samuel Idwal

DMU Gospel Choir

... it's a real not-to-be-missed kind of thing !!!

Get yourselves along, I'm definitely gonna be there ! Spread The Love, MHx


Photo by Digital-Mechanic ...

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... The De Montfort University Gospel Choir

Hallelujah, Salutations & Good Morning, Good Afternoon to you !

Since I've been in Leicester City, living, loving and making music, it's been impossible to avoid being enveloped by the great array of different cultures that and frequencies vibrating around the city. Hanging out with those of Krishna consciousness one week and in the Buddhist temple the next, it's been horizon expanding, but one group I have gravitated towards, due to a deep love of the music, imagery and sense of communion, is the gospel churches. Namely the DMU gospel choir, or to use it's full name "the Emmanu'-EL Apostolic Gospel Academy".

I've never mixed with such a happy group of people, devoted to their music, faith and one another. Getting to know one or two of the brothers and sisters has been a blessing and hearing them sing as often as I possibly can has been absolutely fantastic. It's easy to see why they been invited to sing for the Queen, with Kasabian and at a whole host of events in Leicester and beyond, they've popped up on the BBC and lifted hearts and souls round the country.

Mixing the African, Caribbean, British and student populations, the choir does so much from the community, university and charities in the area. I know they're looking at working on a release and bigger events in the future, and I'm hoping to build a stronger relationship with the group. Good Souls !

Extremely pleasing it is to me then to tell you that they'll be bringing their voices to Matt Henshaw Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade @ The Cookie this Friday night (Friday 16th May, 2014). I'm excited they'll be joining me, Sam, Martin and Mia & The Moon for what is sure to be a really, really great night of music !! See you there !

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx

Here they are by the clock tower, outnumbering me even when I'm doubled ...

More Matt Henshaw Recommends ...
By The Rivers
Martin Luke Brown
Joy Mumford
Three Girl Rhumba
MotorMouf
Samuel Idwal
Abandon Her
Stef Baker
Emily Carr
Becky Edwards
James Byron
Mahalia
Mia & The Moon
Rosa-Leigh
AJA
Kate Rendell
Esther Van Leuven
East Midlands Girls
Ones to Watch for 2014
The Bobcats
Savanna Bones
Mattayoux
Matt Zara
The Simpletones
Charlotte Carpenter
Leah Sinead
Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Martin Luke Brown

So all this week I've been in Nottingham and treating you to some top acts I've seen, but today, right in the middle of the week I thought I'd introduce to you this cheeky chappy from Leicester ... Martin Luke Brown.

He's a handsome boy, got a smile that could break a thousand hearts, magnificent hair no matter how he wears it, one of the most pleasant guys around and he plays the piano like it ain't no thang ... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit envious. And the piano isn't all he plays, he's a real Stevie Wonder type multi-instrumentalist.

He's been hiding out a little recently since we met last summer, and since I've seen him play a couple of times, an couldn't help but tap my feet. So I'm extremely pleased to say he's going to be doing a bit of a hometown comeback show at my Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade night at the Cookie, joining myself, Samuel Idwal and Mia & The Moon, before he launches his brand new video and goes of doing sessions for the BBC and some major festivals and summer dates.

Last time I bumped into him he'd just finished, or was in the middle of a string of dates in schools for the charity D.A.R.E, that raises drug and alcohol awareness amongst children, a cause quite close to my heart, as you may know, as a former drinker and someone who started in school, we need to end the glamorisation of drinking culture amongst the youth, or perhaps more importantly, stop making life so dreary for our under 18s that reaching the legal drinking age or getting a fake ID or nicking booze from your parents is something to look forward to and be excited about.

Addiction and binging shouldn't be a taboo but should be masqueraded for the negative consequence of a sick poorly run society where inequality and a mundane life of chasing pennies a work shifts is the path for far too many. Spread The Love, Change The World, Less Booze, More Juice, Less Drugs, More Fruit ... maybe it sounds overly simplistic but I believe that the majority of the worlds problems could be solved explicitly or implicitly by the growth and consumption of more fruit and vegetables.

Anyway, keep your eye on the wunderkind - Martin Luke Brown - he's up to something, I'm not sure what, but he's definitely going somewhere ...

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx


Try another Matt Henshaw Recommends ...
Joy Mumford
Three Girl Rhumba
MotorMouf
Samuel Idwal
Abandon Her
Stef Baker
Emily Carr
Becky Edwards
James Byron
Mahalia
Mia & The Moon
Rosa-Leigh
AJA
Kate Rendell
Esther Van Leuven
East Midlands Girls
Ones to Watch for 2014
The Bobcats
Savanna Bones
Mattayoux
Matt Zara
The Simpletones
Charlotte Carpenter
Leah Sinead
Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Joy Mumford

Matt Henshaw here recommending again, up in Nottingham and feeling like I should share, spread and sincerely sprinkle out some love because it feels like the right thing to do. I've already suggested this week that you check out the hip-hop vocal trickery of Mr MotorMouf, and the upbeat soulful indie noise of Three Girl Rhumba. And last night I had the great pleasure of catching up with Miss Joy Mumford. Genuinely wonderful, beautiful and incredible and a great credit to the fair city of Nottingham.

It was nice to chat and catch up with Joy in Rescue Rooms last night, a place I realised I'd not been in for almost 6 years ! And then when she took to the stage I instantly wanted to put her together with my good friend Mahalia but aside from the delicate soulful lilt in her performance and style there's something more mature about what she does, and it only comes with having a few more years on her side. A real Tina Turner experienced way with her natural ability on the stage.

The band of Matt, Glenn and Simeon were really kicking too. Expertly slipping into song after song and tight as any band I've seen, they could easily slot in behind Joy, Mahalia or Beyonce, and I'm a man who's not ashamed to say I went to see Beyonce last year, and it was quite the show. Groovy bass lines, not a single beat missed on the drums, and Matt is a whizz with a pedal box armed with a Gretsch and a tele, he knows what he is doing. Very smooth !

And, and, and, her debut EP is called 'Cake & Tea', she definitely ticks every single box as far as I'm concerned, and I see a lot of other artists floating the country as I do, and I like a lot, but I genuinely could listen to Joy all night and look forward to seeing her on some big stages, she'll definitely be heading down to Leicester to play at Matt Henshaw's Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade before the year is out, that's for sure !

Spread The Love !
Peace, Love & Tea, MHx

And here's a picture that I took of her whilst she was workin' on doin' her thing ! Spellbinding !!

Enjoyed Joy? Check out some more Matt Henshaw Recommends ...
Three Girl Rhumba
MotorMouf
Samuel Idwal
Abandon Her
Stef Baker
Emily Carr
Becky Edwards
James Byron
Mahalia
Mia & The Moon
Rosa-Leigh
AJA
Kate Rendell
Esther Van Leuven
East Midlands Girls
Ones to Watch for 2014
The Bobcats
Savanna Bones
Mattayoux
Matt Zara
The Simpletones
Charlotte Carpenter
Leah Sinead
Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Three Girl Rhumba

A long tie ago, around 2007/2008 I wrote a blog under my former guise of Matt from Censored I wrote a blog called 'Matt Censord Recommends ...' I wrote about a few people and bands that now are bordering on household names, Dog Is Dead, Jake Bugg and The Swiines, Twisted Wheel and George Moran, formerly of The Crooks, now guitarist for Miles Kane, and a little known Nottingham band called The Jonny Dodds, they you were young sloppy, naive and had a knack for falling over more so than The Cribs or The Vines ...

Well, now after seeing them last night at The Golden Fleece with Motormouf they're older, wiser, a lot slicker, and they're calling themselves Three Girl Rhumba, and make an excellent noise !

They still sound a little like The Cribs but they've clearly lived a little and seen a lot more of the country, delved into music a bit further than the mid-noughties indie dirge, and walked a path through The Talking Heads, Wire, classic songwriting, and to my delight, taken in a little blues, soul and gospel music. And of any straight up indie indie band, they're the first I've seen in a long time that instantly marked themselves out as heading for the mainstage of any festival near you very soon.

So pleased to see the lads again, and it was a real blast from the past, from when they played at my old band's Club SOS nights in Nottingham, it made me think I need to put on a show at Rock City, maybe even Nottingham Arena if we make the right kind of waves, Three Girl Rhumba, Matt Henshaw and Dog Is Dead, a real Nottingham ball, and quite the shindig, I'm sure you'd buy a ticket, right?

Catch them live now whilst the cost of a show is somewhere between Free and a fiver and you won't be disappointed !

They've done a free EP for Record Store Day this year, and it's mega, songs like Lemon Cush you'll have in your head from one day to the next ...

Try some more Matt Henshaw Recommends ...
MotorMouf
Samuel Idwal
Abandon Her
Stef Baker
Emily Carr
Becky Edwards
James Byron
Mahalia
Mia & The Moon
Rosa-Leigh
AJA
Kate Rendell
Esther Van Leuven
East Midlands Girls
Ones to Watch for 2014
The Bobcats
Savanna Bones
Mattayoux
Matt Zara
The Simpletones
Charlotte Carpenter
Leah Sinead
Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Hello & Welcome to May Everybody !

Post by Matt Henshaw.

Loads more festival announcements to come and spring in my step as we go into summer, Spread The Love !

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx

Matt Henshaw Sings ...
Wonderful World
Blackbird
The Mighty Quinn

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Samuel Idwal

Ladies, gents and everyone else surfing the cyberweb. Here's Samuel Idwal. Playing here at Charlotte Carpenter's Tea Party and in a photograph taken by one of Leicestershire finest, Mr. Philip J Vernon. This was when I first saw Sam playing down at the Cookie, and what a mesmerising set of melodies he provided too !

A fabulous talent and great supporter of East Midlands Music, Leicester will be sad to see him leave at the end of next month, but his mark and impression will be left, on me at the very least, but I'm sure I'm not in a minority.

Delicately finger picking and caressing his way through a folk ballad or strumming up a storm in a quasi-sea shanty, Sam Jones takes his stage name Samuel Idwal from his grandad, and his music has a quaint English quality that, while far from making it au fait, sounds fresh engaging and endearing.

Having released two EPs and heading down to London very soon, for business, and pleasure I'm sure. I'm glad to be having him play one of his final shows in the city of Leicester, if not his final one, you'd have to ask him. Friday 16th May he'll be joining me at The Cookie for the third instalment of Matt Henshaw's Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade. I'm looking forward to it, and I hope some of you are too, and if you're on the other side of the world, channel some positive vibrations over, we'll be sure to feel them !

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx

PS. If you enjoyed this recommendation be sure to try some more ...
Abandon Her
Stef Baker
Emily Carr
Becky Edwards
James Byron
Mahalia
Mia & The Moon
Rosa-Leigh
AJA
Kate Rendell
Esther Van Leuven
East Midlands Girls
Ones to Watch for 2014
The Bobcats
Savanna Bones
Mattayoux
Matt Zara
The Simpletones
Charlotte Carpenter
Leah Sinead
Matt Henshaw Recommends ...

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

It Ain't Easy / My Life Available to Download & Stream NOW !

Before the madness of Summer and the Festival season starts I'm going to take a little time to sit back and think about all I have done in the last year. It's now just over a year since I left my job working at The University of Leicester, and even though I didn't start playing out with my acoustic guitar until July it's feels like the last twelve months have been building up steadily, and for that, I Thank You All ! Stay Cool & Spread The Love, MHx

I was able to release my debut single on my mum's birthday this year !

Get your copy of 'It Ain't Easy / My Life' Now from all good online digital retailers ...



Available now on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, bandcamp etc. etc.

7" Vinyl
A - It Ain't Easy
AA - My Life

CD
1 - It Ain't Easy
2 - My Life
3 - Play The Game
4 - In The Presence Of The Lord

Digital Download (available March 5th)
1 - It Ain't Easy
2 - My Life
3 - Play The Game
4 - In The Presence Of The Lord
Bonus 1 - My Life (Acoustic)
Bonus 2 - Play The Game (Acoustic)
Bonus 3 - In The Presence Of The Lord (Acoustic)



Also ...

I'm so pleased to now have the complete set of all four songs from my debut record out there on YouTube, from the excellent Little & Large team ... sit back, relax, watch and, hopefully, Enjoy !



Many thanks to Nik Robinson and Simon Lubowski, MHx

---===DOWNLOAD LINKS===---
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/id814589358
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aint-Easy-My-Life-EP/dp/B00I8ZDJZC/
https://play.spotify.com/album/733AAcf7c2KcZ75SUFlpi3
http://matthenshaw.bandcamp.com/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.emusic.com/album/matt-henshaw/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep/14753983/
http://www.7digital.com/artist/matt-henshaw/release/it-aint-easy-my-life
http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep
http://www.napster.co.uk/artist/matt-henshaw/album/it-aint-easy-my-life-ep

Matt Henshaw's Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade Tonight in Leicester !!

SEE YOU ALL THERE !!!

Peace, Love & Tea, MHx

Matt Henshaw's Acoustic Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade Part II @ The Cookie, Leicester

One week away and I'm hosting my second night at The Cookie Jar in Leicester, very excited I am too, we're going for it on the third Friday of the month, every month, until Christmas, and maybe beyond !

This month I'm hosting a bevvy of beautiful ladies, a harem as such, but this is more by accident than design, but what a happy accident ! So for your pleasure, and mine as well, we have ...

Kate Rendell

Becky Edwards

Emily Carr

... and myself of course, trying really hard to follow my very own Supremes ! I need to really up my Marvin Gaye A-Game !! See you then Leicester folk !!



Here's me and James Byron sharing some love last time around ... this picture pretty much sums up the good feeling in the air for a solid 5 hours of great music and positives vibrations !!

Spread The Love ! MHx

Matt Henshaw's Acoustic Rhythm'n'Gospel Cavalcade Launch Night !

Friday 21st March ! Next week at The Cookie Jar / The Crumblin' Cookie in Leicester !!



Support from Matt Henshaw Recommends ... acts including ...

James Byron

Rosa-Leigh

Matt Zara

An absolute stellar line-up I'm sure you'll agree ! Plus Soul & Gospel DJs, good food and drink, non-alcoholic cocktails and tea included of course !

Check the event on Facebook and tell me that you're coming if you're coming ...

Post by Matt Henshaw.

Matt Henshaw Recommends ... Mahalia

Quickly before we get into it, look up the wonderful Mahalia's namesake, Mahalia Jackson and enjoy some of the sweetest sounding American gospel ... now, Mahalia, she's great !

One of the Midlands most promising talents, I'm so glad I've had the pleasure of seeing her perform a number of times and shared a stage. There's a real air of wonder in the room whenever she takes to the stage. It's a family affair, and when you're in the room you feel part of the family too.

Down at The Cookie Jar in Leicester I've seen some fantastic acts and Mahalia is right up there as one of the best. I've a bent for soulful stuff as you all well know and for a girl of such a young age she carries such a maturity and brings an effervescence that is so endearing. If you like good music, the pleasure and enjoyment you get from it is always multiplied infinitely by the feeling that those making it are having such a great time.

I'm so pleased to have been asked to join the stable of acts that are hosting regular nights at The Cookie Jar, Charlotte Carpenter, Alessi's Ark, Mahalia and myself will be bringing some of the best live, soulful and acoustic acts to the heart of Leicester city right through until Christmas ... I'm starting with my single launch on Friday 21st of this month, see you there !

Mahalia's next night - Mahalia Presents - is coming up this Saturday and if you're around you definitely get yourself down there ...

Get yourself a FREE Mahalia Download NOW ...

Matt Henshaw to Play Leicester Music Festival ...

East Midlanders, if you'd like to see me join Billy Ocean, Soul II Soul, Aswad, The Real Thing and the rest at this year's Leicester Music Festival at the Tigers' Stadium on Welford Road click here and write your name, my name and some other stuff in the corresponding boxes ... Much Appreciated, MHx



Peace, Love & Tea,
MHx

It Ain't Easy / My Life OUT March 5th ...

Come one, come all and Enjoy Life with Me !

March 5th is mum's birthday and that is when you'll be able to get It Ain't Easy / My Life on iTunes, Amazon, etc. so I'm sure you've all got your credit/debit card details ready for that.  But as a special treat for th next week or so you can download 'It Ain't Easy' for FREE and do me a favour by getting me further along in the Hard Rock Rising 2014 competition ... you've got until the 17th so go to Facebook now, unfortunately it only works if you're on there ... Thanks in advance !



You can still listen to what I've put out there for free on YouTube, there's plenty more videos to come too !
Also, SoundCloud seems to keep on getting busier ...
 

---

Festivals 2014 !

Extra early year bonanza of good news.  I've been conformed to play a handful of small festival so far this year for the summer.  I'll be at Accidental Festival in Shoreditch and OSFEST in Derbyshire at the end of May and Y Not Festival in August in the Derbyshire Dales.

I'm also in the running to play at the Leicester Music Festival so go over there and put your name down and my name to live in holy matrimony in cyber space forever and ever.  Thanks !
 

---

Mini-Tour of the East Midlands
Almost over before we launch the single in March ...

January
Saturday 11th - Twenty Ten, Matlock
Tuesday 14th - Pepper Rocks, Nottingham
Friday 17th - The Musician, Leicester
Saturday 18th - The Donkey, Leicester
Sunday 19th - Brew Dog, Nottingham
Saturday 25th - The Cookie Jar, Leicester
Friday 31st - The Old Bell, Derby
February
Saturday 1st - The Apiary, Castle Donington
Friday 7th - The Musician, Leicester
Saturday 8th - The Bell Jar, Sheffield
Thursday 13th - The Dog & Gun, Syston
Saturday 15th - The Shed, Leicester
Friday 28th - Leukemia funraiser @ Platinum HQ, Leicester 


 

---

Matt Henshaw's Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade

Another bit of excitement to let you in on is my own very special night in Leicester City.  Matt Henshaw's Rhythm & Gospel Cavalcade @ The Cookie Jar in Leicester will start with my single launch party on Friday 21st March and happen every third Friday of the month thereafter !  Good times to be had, yeah ?
 

---

Other Stuff ...

Tippy The Cat has got himself 1000 followers on Facebook and a growing number on Twitter.



Also, keep your eye on the blogs, still need to bring more to the new feature 'Things I Like' !!!
And, always remember to keep clicking Follow, Like, Share, ReTweet and Share again, just for good measure.

Peace, Love & Tea !
MHx
http://www.MattHenshaw.com 
 

Stop Me Girl - Matt Henshaw Live on Trent Sound Nottingham Lace with Jason Loftus

Good evening good evening,

Finally I've been uploading my recent sessions to YouTube ...

Here's the first single solitary slice from the Trent Sound session, Stop Me Girl, one you may not have heard before, but I'm quite pleased with it.



Spread The Love ! Share, share, share !

Matt Henshaw x

Matt Henshaw Biography 2013

Matt Henshaw’s biography is already complex at the age of 26, which gives his song-writing a depth and maturity that could only have come with experience; suffering for his art and travelling a journey that has shaped and honed his skills – and it shows. Having paid his dues, he is still on his way up…and the best is yet to come.

This soul-loving, tea-drinking gardener is a singer/songwriter of some repute from Ilkeston, between Nottingham and Derby, who is now living in Leicester and taking the local music scene there by storm. His penchant for acoustic sets and original songs showcases his love of guitar and vocal – based soul & blues, demonstrating his influences of Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Steve Marriott and Sam Cooke, and earning him the description of ‘an old soul in a young body’. He has named his unique sound Acoustic Rhythm and Gospel, creating a new music genre and inspiring his audiences to follow the man and his music. Widely respected by his peers and well known to the gig-going audiences in the Midlands, he is now travelling the length and breadth of the UK looking to broaden his appeal, continue the journey that has taken him this far, make his mark on the national music scene, and see where the ride takes him.

His recent decision to perform as a solo artist, stripping back his unique sound to just an acoustic guitar and his superbly mellifluous voice, has already generated much interest and he can be found most evenings on a stage doing what he was born to do, guitar in hand, working his particular brand of magic; his beautiful soulful voice and ethereal guitar weaving a spell over a gathering with self-penned songs so resonant with emotion and meaning they would cause an angel to weep, leaving his audience spellbound and wanting more. This rapidly growing interest has strengthened his resolve to make himself prominent on the UK music scene, and his web-based activities on popular social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter growing his following to promote himself and his music are now paying dividends, with fans across the globe wanting more.

His superlative voice and stage presence has already won him critical acclaim from respected publications such as the NME and The Guardian; he has been featured on BBC Introducing numerous times, appears regularly on independent radio stations throughout the Midlands, and opened the main stage for Dizzy Rascal at Lovebox Festival in London after winning the NME Breakthrough Act in 2010. He was previously a founder member of Censored, a band who garnered much critical acclaim and fame throughout the Midlands, and who supported Snow Patrol, Ocean Colour Scene and We Are Scientists, also playing the Isle Of Wight & Reading and Leeds Festivals. More recently, he has collaborated with numerous artists in and around his home patch to create a unique sound with the Derby-based MC Reggiimental, which has been dubbed B-Boy Soul and which generated the widely-acclaimed album ‘Coming Around’- the most under-rated album release of this year. He has also teamed up with a former bandmate, under the name of Satsuma Elephants, to generate psychedelic rock with soulful undertones; an eclectic mix which demonstrates how successfully he can slip from genre to genre, and even create new ones, without losing integrity and which showcases his appeal to his many appreciative fans.