Douglas Hinton

Écossais 100% pur malt, Douglas Hinton distille dans sa musique un lyrisme âpre et rugueux qui évoque un paysage chahuté entre les Highlands et les docks de Liverpool. Chez ce Brestois de coeur, la rébellion n’est jamais loin. La faute à son éducation entre ces terres insoumises : il passe les premières années de sa vie dans le Merseyside puis s’en va plus tard découvrir Glasgow et ses racines maternelles.
Sa première approche de la musique se fait en écumant la collection de disques de ses parents. On y trouve pêle-mêle : Bob Dylan, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy et the Who. Mais l’étincelle qui fait prendre la mèche, sa première claque musicale reste les Sex Pistols.
« Au départ je fais du bruit, puis je maîtrise les accords du blues. »Cette nouvelle passion balaye Michael Jackson et les nombreuses heures de moonwalk du jeune britannique. Son style s’apaise lorsqu’il découvre Nick Drake, Tom Waits, Johnny Cash, ou encore Brian Wilson. Dans un courant neofolk newyorkais, sur les traces de Neil Young, Bert Jansch, Loudon Wainwright III, Douglas se forge une musique ciselée et subtile.
À partir de 2011, il commence à immortaliser sa folk moderne dans de multiples EP et albums. En 2012, Douglas croise le chemin d’Enzo Clark à Brest, l’alchimie est immédiate, ils se promettent de faire un jour de la musique ensemble. Et en 2015, lorsqu’Enzo fonde son project studio / label, The Queen Is Dead Records, Douglas débarque chez lui avec ses tempêtes et ses chansons. Responsable des arrangements et de la production, Enzo appose alors sa patte personnelle au projet. De cette rencontre naît l’album « Start Anew », disponible maintenant sur The Queen Is Dead Records.

https://douglashinton.bandcamp.com/

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A Scottish musician based in France, Douglas Hinton plays acoustic folk-rock music.
He regularly plays live in bars and small venues in the city of Brest (in the Brittany region of north-west France). Growing up in the small town of Callander in central Scotland, Douglas Hinton’s first exposure to music came via his parents’ extensive collection of classic albums by artists like Bob Dylan, AC/DC, Thin Lizzy and The Who. Later on, a family friend introduced him to The Sex Pistols, and that was when he decided to learn how to play the guitar.

Having joined or formed several Rock bands at school and university, a major turning point in Douglas’ musical life came when he moved to Brest in 2000. Developing a taste for singer-songwriters such as Tom Waits and Nick Drake, the young musician embarked on a solo career, writing and performing the songs which would eventually form the basis of his self-released 2012 debut album “Mind Medicine”.

Opening with the folk rock groove of “Two Kinds Of People”, the autobiographical “Mind Medicine” takes the listener on a musical journey through acoustic folk (“Just My Luck”), blues (“Soldier On”), and even gospel (“Judgement Day”). Album closer “Down The Road” brings proceedings to an energetic conclusion, its country rock rhythm reminiscent of early Johnny Cash.

Since the release of “Mind Medicine” Douglas has played regular gigs in the Brest area, and been invited onto local TV and radio programmes. His next aim is to reach a wider audience in France and elsewhere… May 2014 saw the release of 2 new solo albums ("Rise Up" and "Dream World"), showcasing Douglas' stripped-back acoustic sound. Douglas Hinton regularly performs live in Brittany, and occasionally plays in other regions of France (and in his native Scotland/UK too).

In 2015 his longtime friend (and "The Queen Is Dead Records" label founder) Enzo Clark suggested working together on a new album project. With Enzo producing and arranging, the creative duo put all their energy into crafting "Start Anew".

The album "Start Anew" is out now on The Queen Is Dead Records.

https://douglashinton.bandcamp.com/