New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Mancunian transplant and LA rocker Mark Loughman's new single, "Manc Grey Sky", the third single off his acclaimed LP Bleedin' Aura, brings the listener on a journey to a different place. Carried by Loughman's edgy vocals that offer more than hint of his deep affection for 70's glam rock, "Manc Grey Sky" smolders with LA's best studio talent. With drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty) building the rhythms, Billy Morrison (Royal Machines, Billy Idol) handling lead guitar and bassist Grant Fitzpatrick (The Cult,
Cherie Currie) packing the low end, the tune weaves its way from a droning and forboding ballad to a Suffragette City-esque 12-bar boogie as clearer skies emerge.
The video for "Manc Grey Sky", filmed at the legendary Sunset Sound where the track was recorded and co-produced by Loughman and Warren Huart (Aerosmith, The Fray), features behind the scene footage of the song as it was being created and mixed. 'Manc Grey Sky' sets the stage with Loughman playing a somber riff on his guitar as a young girl asks, "Daddy why isn't the sky blue like it is in California?"
"It has been said that in order understand the light you've got to experience the darkness," explains Loughman, who himself left his home city of Manchester, England en route to
America fifteen years ago. He landed in New York City with a bus ticket, his guitar and a few demo tapes in hand and after taking a Greyhound to Los Angeles, never looked back. Loughman was driven by the hope of arriving at a better place, inspired by escaping from a tough reality. Despite landing in Hollywood's lap of luxury, he has never forgotten the "stone in his shoe" of growing up in Manchester. His struggles in the past serve him to this day, and remain a huge influence on his work. This is particularly evident in "Manc Grey Sky.
The recording was done at Los Angeles' Sunset Sound, the inimitable sonic temple where The
Doors recorded Strange Days and The
Rolling Stones recorded
Exile on Main Street years ago. In keeping with his love for '70s rock music and his love of analogue equipment, Loughman relied heavily on BAE Audio's 312's and 1073's microphone pre-amps throughout his signal chain, helping imbue the very same vintage sound he grew up with.
Despite a forboding and unsettling start, "Manc Grey Sky" ultimately sees Loughman finding solace in the California sunshine: "I just like living in the sun, well doesn't everyone, there's just no other place like home."
The video for "Manc Grey Sky" is now streaming on Youtube. Bleedin' Aura is out now on Spitfire
Music and available at https://www.markloughman.com. For more information or review samples, please contact Jackie
Smiley at Hummingbird Media.
