LETHBRIDGE OWEN

A mysterious, virtuoso guitar-player is rescued and delivered by a sympathetic, butterfly-minded, country-girl with sweet ‘n’ secret desires of her own…

Is this the story of BUCKINGHAM NICKS, 1970? Oh, no! This fable is closer to home and set in the present day: It's the musical folk-tale of LETHBRIDGE OWEN, 2018.
Jimmy Owen and Kelly Lethbridge began to work and write in Brighton 2007-8 while in the coastal town of Brighton.At that time, guitarist Jimmy Owen was playing with an intense alt-rock act. The band were actively looking for a melodic vocalist and wanted to complete the line-up by finding their singer.

Jimmy discovered a chanteuse named Kelly Lethbridge singing an Audioslave song in front of a capacity audience at Brighton's biggest venue and knew, immediately, he had found who he was looking for. He dared invite Kelly to audition for the group. She “sang wholeheartedly”.

Jimmy and Kelly had a unique mindset about the sounds they developed together and were keen to create an immersive “West Coast” experience. After a good run, they moved to London to find a livelier folk/rock scene.

Kelly Lethbridge
Kelly Lethbridge wrote melodic, dark and distant pieces. She composed on piano and when she performed, she sung with a rare and libidinous passion.
When a friend heard her sing at the age of 14, she encouraged Kelly to start taking her voice more seriously and this is when her interested was sparked. Kelly was soon singing and performing at events and even became a talent-show heroine in her neighbourhood. She lived in the semi-isolated village of Teynham, on the beautiful Kent Downs. Here she began attending classes with notable singing teachers and continued to involve herself with bands and any musical projects she could be part of; her passion was evident now and from here on in, Kelly’s life would be consumed by music in every way possible.

Jimmy Owen
Jimmy Owen's father was a music aficionado so Jimmy was raised on a diet of bands from the Woodstock era and “anything good from Rachmaninoff to Zappa.”
Jimmy first sat at the piano aged about six and discovered he was a synaesthetic musician who could unravel musical patterns and “see” notes as a series of colours. “...it allowed me to identify and recreate any piece of music, I would listen to it maybe once or so… the sounds made sense you know?” he explains. This led him to win piano competitions at the tender age of 8 and gain a scholarship to the renowned School in the Sussex countryside.
At the age of sixteen, Jimmy saw a rock show at his school and was impressed by the expressiveness and energy of an electric guitar player. He immediately chose to exchange instruments and work with guitar instead of pursuing piano. He found a natural ally in this effort: Matt Gilmour (son of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour) —. Jimmy recalls, fondly, that David Gilmour taught him to play “Wish You Were Here” on the original instrument that Gilmour used to cut the track and one of the first guitars Jimmy recorded with was Gilmours own Red Strat in the family home. Many happy hours were spent at the Gilmour residence. There is no doubt that Gilmour's guidance and advice at this stage of Jimmy's musical development helped him achieve positive results.

LETHBRIDGE OWEN
Lethbridge Owen are a Folk/West Coast Tinged Rock/Pop band formed of Singer/Songwriters Kelly Louise Lethbridge and Jimmy Owen, who write in a traditional style. Reminiscent of artists ranging from Fleetwood Mac to Jimi Hendrix to Heart to Bonnie Raitt, with strong Pop elements, the songs are catchy, carefully crafted and memorable.
With the use of vintage gear for great guitar tone such as the 1970s echo plex and 1960s Marshall plexi sounds, this band create a big feel and ethereal quality. The addition of strong, melodic vocals make this eclectic set of songs something people will be moving and singing along to. Working with great musicians and engineers, their original material provides their audience with a refreshing sense of variety, emotion and great performances and musicianship.

Writing songs is an organic adventure for the duo, both contributing to the lyrics, melody, harmonic structures and of course, the vocals. The songs, created with care and a sense of craftsmanship, shine with lucid harmony. Kelly usually plays a central role and brings emotional fragility to the pieces, while Jimmy Thinks about the core and the spaces.
And with a couple of top-notch musicians to support their ambitions, their innate chemistry is truly captivating: The band drummer is Erik Stams Erik has over 20 years performing & recording experience and is a graduate of New York's High School of Music & Art. Bass-playing is by both the talented and always-in-demand Noah Nelson — also a seasoned session man and the international superstar and long time bassist for the legendary guitarist Eric Johnson, Chris Maresh.

The relaxed “Leaving Home” creates a nostalgic atmosphere without being explicitly dewy-eyed. There are some brilliantly mellow, pedal-steel moments before a gleaming stream of guitar tips out of the central-space like a sparkling cascade. And Kelly’s voice is deeply felt and suggests there's no looking back.

“Two Steps Forward” is a plucky and vibrant number that brings fresh air to country rock. With stimulating beats and a beautiful 'n' shining voice, this has a compelling chorus and, of course, excellent guitar technique. The songs summarises the struggles that the two have endured to achieve their ambitions, and it describes their fight for hope & success.
Lethbridge Owen hope to bring their “West-Coast neo-folk Rock” to music fans everywhere. Their self-financed album titled “Mind over Matter” is to be released in 2019 — and will include songs such as: “Leaving Home” and “Two Steps Forward” and their debut single “All we have is hope”

The expressive sounds of Lethbridge Owen hope to take the listeners on an emotional journey and are well worth catching live for a show not to be missed.
For fans of: Fleetwood Mac, Rita Coolidge, Wilson Phillips, First Aid Kit, Heart, Doobie Brothers, Eric Johnson Linda Ronstadt, Zac Brown Band, John Mayer.


TESTIMONIALS

“Put simply, Lethbridge Owen are arguably what ‘The Rumours’ line-up of Fleetwood Mac could have been if they hadn’t imploded. It's Superb!! love the little percussive pushes, pristine harmonies, Lovely production and intricate guitar work! it all flows!” - (Get Ready To Rock Radio - Pete Feenstra)
“WOW! You’ll go far. Great vocals and playing and of course, a great songs. Congrats”- (Marcus Malone - Malone/ Sibunn Band)
“Lethbridge Owen’s new music crosses genre boundaries with panache and class. Music that has echoes of Fleetwood Mac with a modern, vibrant application and is fully from the heart. Thoughtful, fresh and engaging this is music that everyone should give a chance. It will richly reward those that do.” - (Great Music Stories - featured artist for August - Guy Bellamy)
“Lethbridge Owen's always immaculate vocals, subtle and mature songwriting combined with stellar performances all round and with Jimmy Owen’s Fantastic tone and incredible guitar playing, Lethbridge Owen really is one to watch out formake this band a must see "
— John Dryland (Cargo Records)

Live Performance

Lethbridge Owen, comprising of singer Kelly Louise Lethbridge and guitarist/singer Jimmy Owen. Leaning more towards the West Coast type Rock/Pop sound, Jimmy’s incredible guitar playing was matched by Kelly’s strong vocals. They covered their two singles “Taking Over Me” and “Leaving Home” along with “Hope”, “The Great Healer”, “If Only” and the Lindsey Buckingham inspired “Nothing Sacred”. Kelly and Jimmy harmonise perfectly together, but it is Jimmy’s guitar playing that is the stand out feature of the duo. Ranging from a classical guitar style on some songs, to a full band sound, (by use of a loop pedal), on other songs. Certainly a group to watch out for.” - W21 Music