El Hula homecoming
Ex-pat Jollands returns with alter-ego album and solo songs
Compelling ex-pat singer-songwriter Blair Jollands returns home briefly to perform a run of solo shows nationwide to celebrate the release of his latest El Hula project Hide No More.
Fresh off the back of his UK and European tour, the London-based musician is homeward bound for an end of summer jaunt around New Zealand this April, performing intimate shows in Christchurch, Auckland, Kumeu, Warkworth, Napier, Raglan and Cambridge.
Better still we have two double passes to the Cambridge show as reader prizes.
Since leaving our shores over 20 years ago, Jollands has carved out a highly successful career in the UK as a composer and sound designer, with his soundtracks for Shackleton, Pride, Alien vs Predator, Netflix series Bodies and Sky Atlantic series Fortitude, earning him international recognition with a string of Emmy, Golden Globe and Bafta nominations to his name.
A unique talent described as having a ‘ country and eastern sound’, Jollands alternates recording albums under his given name and his alter ego El Hula. His musical style is comprised of an eclectic blend of soul-blues, country-folk, altpop and everything inbetween, revealing a boldly diverse artist whose creativity is unhindered by traditional musical confines.
Jollands’ award-winning sonic design skills, penchant for cinematic compositions, and ear for lush instrumentation have drawn comparisons with luminaries such as Nick Cave, Scott Walker, Lana Del Rey, Beck and Rufus Wainwright.
Over the years he’s received much praise from the likes of NME, Guardian, Uncut, ArtRocker, Elsewhere and more, with a back-catalogue of hard to resist songs and stunning visuals that communicate a paradoxical mix of elegant melancholia and soulful optimism.
Having won the admiration of both David Bowie and Boy George, the latter having released previous El Hula material on his More Protein label, he has also worked with pop superstars Madonna and Rhianna, jammed with music icon Grace Jones and pedalsteel great James ‘ Sparks’ Sinclair (Johnny Cash), and collaborated with renowned record producer Gordon Raphael (The Strokes).
After a hiatus of several years during which Jollands released a number of albums under his own name, 2023 marked the return of El Hula when Hide No More was released via MARS Worldwide and Glowb Records, Jollands’ own company and hub for most of his creative ventures.
Jollands once again teamed up with Gordon Raphael to deliver four charming tracks, all recorded and filmed in a live performance studio setting at the legendary Dean Street Studios in Soho, London with Jollands on vocals and guitars and a superb line-up of highly accomplished musicians: Jonny Hillier on bass, vocalists Frankie David and Reniece Thomas, Gabrielle Pibretti (Stormzy) on baritone sax, jazz legend Filippo Galli on drums and Pete Fussey on guitar.
Says Jollands: “After recording several studio LPs spanning the pandemic which required remote recording sessions and multi-tracks being built bit by bit, I really wanted to bring everyone together in the same room and reignite that extra special electrical energy that only a live performance can generate, and capture it on record. Plus we were able to film it on Multicam and you can see everyone is in the zone.
“The results are a vibe and it’s a recording model I’ll continue using moving forward.”
Make sure you take the opportunity to witness the outstanding musicianship on offer with these shows. Round up your friends and whānau and step into the superb soundscape of a live Blair Jollands performance this April, it’s a total vibe!