Kit Downes - Wandering Star
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Forced into the fast lane with a Mercury Prize nomination for his debut album Golden, pianist KIT DOWNES has survived the glare of the media spotlight, and the harsh realities of growing up in public.
Back with Light From Old Stars, his third and most assured album to date, Andy Robson discovers it’s an unlikely mix of interstellar inspiration and earthy blues that reveals an artist capable of keeping his feet on the ground, while looking up to the stars
“I considered getting out of music. It was the hardest experience I ever had.” Don’t get Kit Downes wrong. He does appreciate what his trio’s 2010 nomination for the Mercury Music Prize did for him. “We got so many gigs from that nomination. I’m incredibly grateful for having had that opportunity: it was a unique chance for a lot of people to get hold of your work.” But as he notes, “one thing about a lot of people hearing your music is that you get a lot of feedback.”
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