artwork

Bluebird at the Bluecoat and other creative catch-ups!

Hello!

The last few months for me has been very creative/collaboratively swayed and I’ve had a lot of fun in the process…

Here is a bitesize update of some selective things I’ve been involved in and more will follow!

The most recent venture for me is happening this Saturday at Bluecoat Liverpool.  I entered a songwriting competition a few months ago that was being run by Monkey Mind Productions in Nashville.  After putting forward 3 of my songs I was picked as a finalist for a masterclass and songwriting feedback session taking place at Bluecoat under the banner ‘Bluebird at the Bluecoat’.  We are given the opportunity to perform a song for the visiting Nashville songwriters/industry professionals and Bob Harris.  I’m very excited (and a teeny bit nervous….:) but good nerves for sure).  More to come on this……!

Check out the details here..  http://monkeymindproductions.net/the-bluebird-at-the-bluecoat/

BIG CLOUD:  Earlier this month I went to visit Big Cloud Productions to be interviewed and perform songs for their excellent podcast.  The man in charge is Steve Stroud.  We had a great time., he asked some really interesting questions and we chatted guitar and music geek for at least a couple of hours and over about 4 cups of coffee 🙂 We also discovered we were playing music in New England at the same time a few years ago!    I managed to squeeze in 7 songs.  Here is the vid for this, enjoy:

ROOTS & FUSION:  In the below link you can hear my latest session with Roots & Fusion.  Always a pleasure to work with Rick and Aaron.  Great session from June this year! (2015)

Roots & Fusion no.330, 17/6/15, from Todd Rundgren to Michael Brook via Jo Bywater in session by Roots & Fusion on Mixcloud

BREAK THE MAN: July saw the finished album that I had the pleasure of playing guitar, harmonica and backing vocals on, as well as designing the cover. This was ‘Break the Man by Kwalaparla’. A Western theme featuring gallows and heartbreak. Here’s a fab and deserved review by FATEA Mag.

http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/2015/KwalaParla.html

Coming up next week is my time to visit Bay TV in Liverpool and play some songs in their studio! More updates and links on that when it’s done and out.

I’ll be back with more updates as they come in and to fill in the blanks from the last couple of months 🙂

Bye for now.

Jo x

Christmas Come Home – 19th Dec – preorder now!

All is revealed!  Bells and Glockenspiels…naturally…

The release date for my new Christmas song ‘Christmas Come Home’ is 19th Dec.  It will be available as digital download from Amazon/iTunes/Spotify/CDBaby.

Pre-order now

It was mixed and mastered by Russell Cottier.  The song is featured with some other great original artists on the festive compilation by Searching For Dandelions – A Searching for Dandelions Christmas vol. 3.

Enjoy! 🙂

Jo x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silicon Dreams

A few months ago I was approached for my design skills to create a logo/s for the UK vintage computer event Silicon Dreams.

Here is one variation of the result..

Silicon Dreams Logo

Silicon Dreams Logo

Silicon Dreams is taking place on 5-7 JULY 2013 @ SNIBSTON DISCOVERY MUSEUM, ASHBY ROAD, COALVILLE, LEICESTERSHIRE LE67 3LN.

They have things to see and entertainment packed in there so be prepared to have your senses tantalised!

Find out more @ www.silicondreams.org.uk

New artwork and gig updates

This morning I finished my latest job as a freelance designer.  I was asked to design a logo for Liverpool  Independent promotion company Scarlet Tone. The company is run by Matt Swift, Singer/songwriter and at the moment manifests as a monthly run music night.  If you want to know more details head to the PAGE.

These artistic specimens are what I came up with.  As ever it was a pleasure to work with Matt who I have also gigged with many times!

Earlier this month I also finished my design for The Cake Kitschen, Liverpool.   A bespoke cake and cupcake business run by Jo Shelbourne.   The idea was to come up with a pin-up style likeness of the woman herself.  This started off as a pencil sketch and I am very happy with the result!

Logo Design

For quotes for any type of artwork please message me.  I love doing this stuff and it makes me happy when people are happy with it.  Have a look at my ARTPAGE for more of what I do. Whether you’re a business, a band or you want a bespoke present for someone.

Now onto the MUSIC!!!

I have some great gigs and radio sessions coming up this year: These are they so far…..

1st April:  The Lomax, Liverpool

10th May: Cherry Reds, Birmingham

11th May:  The Spring Gardens, Bristol Mark Venus Music presents…..

12th May:  Songs From the Shed session

12th May:  Marlows, Bristol Mark Venus Music presents…….

15th – 22nd May:  IPO Festival Liverpool (dates tbc)

9th June: Burscough Wharf, Ormskirk (Adam Christopher Music)

7th July:  Festival of Firsts, Wirral

11th July:  Icarus Club @ The Pelton Arms, Greenwich, London

14th Sept: Session on ‘Roots and Fusion’ PURE FM

15th Nov:  Picnic Club @ Fuel, Withington

I am also looking into recording a new vid for one of my tunes and plan to write my next albums worth of songs before the year is out!

Take care

Jo x

Threshold Festival and LSMedia

A great weekend was had as I reminisce with a very welcomed cup of coffee in Oomo, Smithdown Rd….

This weekend was Threshold Festival, held in the Baltic Triangle of Liverpool.  I had the pleasure of performing for Mellowtone on Thursday night for the festival press launch, my artwork prints were on display all weekend in the Blade Factory and I also performed a gig I loved in the cafe of the Nordic Church on Saturday early eve.  Both gigs had great audiences and reminded me of the plus points of the Liverpool music scene.  Much like last year it was a perfect setting for seeing artists all in the same places, ones that I don’t really see much because everyone is usually out gigging in different places.  There’s a great spirit and energy and there’s nothing like having a long list of bands to go see whilst swanning around with beers in hand.

Threshold had to do a quick re-shuffle this year as the arranged venue of the CUC had announced its closing. When all is said and done, to manifest something of this size in such a last minute effort is an acheivement and a half.  Hats off to Kaya, Chris and the rest of the festival crew.  I hope it returns next year!

As for this week….I will be heading to LSU on Wednesday to perform live in session for Mr Ian D Hall’s radio show on ICON.  Good times!

Jo x

Art Magic

Just a quick update as to the artwork I have been working on over the last couple of months.  I finished my illustrations for the childrens book by my good friend Victoria Bragg. This is called ‘The Boy with Wings’. I completed my parents Christmas present painting…finally! and at the end of the year I was commissioned to paint a picture for another Christmas present. Done and Done!

There are other things in the pipeline and I will also be uploading my Radio Merseyside interview over the next week or so. For further details about my artwork please visit ARTWORK.

Jo x

 

Festives, newness, Southern Comfort and Lime

As my final mail of 2011 I mainly wanted to say thank you to everyone who has supported and enjoyed what I’ve been upto creatively this year whether it be music or art. Cheers! And thanks to those I’ve shared the gigs with. It’s been a great and varied year. My favourite!

2011 started off with my album released and ready to gig. I spent the year sending messages to magazines, reviewers and radio shows and got a significant amount of positive feedback. All the reviews i’ve had so far are on my website and I’ve had some great local help from Seven Streets, LSU, Liverpool Acoustic, Radio Merseyside, Nerve and this month Good Vibrations gave me my final review of the year.
Nationally I had positive reviews from FATEA, R2, MU Mag, The Girls Are and Americana.  In terms of radio I had a fab experience on ICON Radio,  KVFM and  ‘Folkscene’ on BBC Radio Merseyside after being invited by Mr Stan Ambrose. As his only guest I had the whole show and had my entire album played. Definately a moment of pride and acheivement. There’s has also been great support coming my way from Bob’s Folk Show to the South!

Over the last 12 months my gigs were a little chocolate box of mixture.  December culminated in two great gigs, the penultimate in LLanberis, Wales after which I went mountain biking in Snowdonia and the final gig of the year at Sound Women in Huddersfield, which was preceded by a traffic-laden, 4 hour journey from Liverpool!

Work – wise I’ve spent an incredible time building up my guitar students and also taken on more commissions art-wise. The most recent two being illustrations for a childrens book and a painting for a present I’m half way through for a customer in USA.

My plans for 2012 are of the writing kind. New music for the new year and the forming of a tour, possibly Europe. I’ll definitely be gigging as ever around the UK. Plans for the capital city are afoot. 31st Jan I will be playing live in session on Bob’s Folk Show. http://www.radiowey.co.uk

My album Cycle Grace Pulse Break is for sale at http://www.cdbaby.com.jobywater2
My blog and updates are as ever to be found at http://www.jobywater.com

The shows I’ve done and art I’ve created will very soon be on the site!

Again, many thanks and I wish everyone the best for the end of 2011 and most definitely 2012!

See you there

Jo x

Mountains, biking, Radio Merseyside

Fresh from a weekend doing some fantastic experiencing of the Welsh mountains I’m still not aching like I thought I would.

Sunday night I spent the night in the Heights Hotel Llanberis after gigging there, waking up in Snowdonia was pretty amazing. Veggie breakfast and then onto a seriously hilly but very beautiful mountain bike ride. At one point the sound of a Jet seeming to be in the air actually manifest infront of our faces and shot down the valley, Top Gun stylee 🙂 good fun. A walk onto Devils Kitchen ensued. Beautiful. At one point I nearly skidded off the road on the way back because a confused sheep couldn’t decide whether it needed to run infront of my speeding wheels or not…….

The last couple of weeks have brought me some good radio experiences. I was invited to be interviewed for Folkscene on Radio Merseyside by local Harp legend Stan Ambrose. This aired last Thursday and tonight. I will be putting it up here at some point soon.

I also recently received this link for my KVFM session.

 

My last gig of the year is coming up on Friday 16th Dec at Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield. Sound Women. The day before my birthday 🙂

I’ve also just finalised some illustrations I’ve been doing for a children’s book. There will be some examples up here very very soon I’m sure!  A completely new experience was had, I learned much and hoping to do more illustration-type wor.

December excitement!

x

Radio and Snowdonia giggage

Hey all,

Last week was a great experience for me having the opportunity to perform live on Mr Ian D Halls radio show at Liverpool University Station.  I had the priviledge of playing 2 of my own tunes and having a little chat with the man himself in his championing of Liverpool music, both old and new.  Ian gave me a great album review earlier on in the year for LSM so it was a pleasure.  A very hospitable experience was had. Part of the show was that I choose an influential song.  After having 2 months to make this decision I still managed to show up at the station with 8 CDs in my bag…..finally resting on ‘Indifference’ by Pearl Jam.  It was a toughy!  I then went on to play a set at CUC for Ronan Boyles night. A satisfyinly musical day.  This coming Friday (2nd Dec) I shall be heading to KVFM to play on the Christmas edition of the Orange Show with Alicia Rose and a whole host of local musos.  Should be a good one.

The last few months have been decidedly art-based and with my art and guitar tuition ventures starting to take off all is looking good.  Bring on my birthday, Christmas and the New Year!  I also became an Auntie for the first time in November. Happy Days 🙂

Next gig is at Heights Hotel, Llanberis Wales on 11th Dec, then Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield 16th Dec.

Jo x

Art Adventures

Last week I was commissioned to paint a birthday present for one of my guitar students parents. For me it was the perfect request of a painting in my style with a bit of a brief of what they wanted the vibe and the intent of the picture to be. After studying a few family photos and letting my imagination have an extreme wonder this is what I came up with.  The result being some very happy customers….happy days.

The rest of my artwork can be found here

I also do illustration, logo design, merch, posters etc…many things creative. For those looking for an original present and like what you see drop me a message and we can talk more…

Jo x