JON C BUTLER RELEASES NEW ALBUM 'UNIVERSAL STRANGER'

Singer-songwriter JON C BUTLER (aka John Butler) has been writing, recording and releasing albums since his band Diesel Park West released their hugely influential debut Shakespeare Alabama some 25 years ago.

The album received tremendous critical acclaim, and the band's sparkling Rickenbacker-jangling, West Coast rock was favourably compared to The Byrds, The Kinks, The Stones and Bruce Springsteen. However, it was Jon's song writing in particular that received the highest accolades with comparisons made to Ray Davies, Marriott-Lane, Pete Townshend and Neil Young.

Although this early acclaim didn't turn into noticeable success, the band played on, and Jon's song writing and burgeoning solo career continued unabated. After all, a writer writes - it's just what they do.

With eight critically acclaimed Diesel Park West studio albums, three John Butler solo albums & numerous collaborative releases behind him, Universal Stranger is actually a debut album! It's the first to be released under the name Jon C Butler - the new moniker should arrest any further confusion between Jon and his Australian namesake.

Universal Stranger is Jon at his very best. The 11 new songs sound clear and fearless. Produced by Paul Sampson (The La's, Primitives, Catatonia, David McAlmont), his ear-friendly production principles offer up glorious twists and turns and keep things lovingly awkward. Played loud or quiet, on headphones or hi-fi, Universal Stranger is an album where repeat listening is a joy.

"As I was writing and recording the songs for Universal Stranger, a subconscious lyrical theme running throughout the album eventually revealed itself. It was a big ask - to somehow make our private peace resonate elsewhere and try to get where we all could, and even should, be. I know it’s a truism, but apart from a handful of people who we really know & understand, we are all strangers to each other - even though we’re probably closer in the basics than it feels. We’re all primarily driven by the same fundamental need to breathe, survive and make some sense of our life" [Jon C Butler]

Universal Stranger is available from 28 July 2017 digitally and as a limited edition double-CD. Bonus CD, A Backward Glance, is a 10-song retrospective album - Jon’s personal selection of songs he’s written and released over the years.

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