Shadowman - Shadowman [CD]

Format: CD
Catalogue No.: SMAN1CD
Barcode: 5053760153924
Release Date: 04 Sep 2026
Genre: Americana, Indie Folk / Rock

Shadowman is the self-titled debut album from the new trio of John J Presley, producer Ben Hillier and broadcaster Danielle Perry. 

John J Presley's purchase of a 70s Guild from the States was the starting point of this project... Months previous he had been working on new material with a focus on songwriting rather than tones and sounds and the addition of this new acoustic created a perfect match..  He took them to Ben Hillier to flesh out at his studio Agricultural Audio in Lewes. Together they found a spark and momentum and a collection of 10 songs were finished with their long time collaborator, and John J Presley's wife Danielle Perry. Instrumentalists Pete Wareham and Marcus Hamblett added extra colour and depth with their unique sax and brass textures. The album was engineered by Dan Crook.

The album sessions were fast and intuitive.. nothing went past the third take, and the panorama is wide - from crushing guitars to cinematic orchestration; New Orleans death march brass to motorik drum machines, layered vocal exchanges and moments of post-rock intensity. It tells stories of wedding singers, the intensity of the modern world and summer sun.

Notes
Ben Hillier is a record producer, mixer, songwriter, and musician with over 30 years of experience, having collaborated with a wide range of internationally acclaimed artists. His production credits include albums for Depeche Mode, Blur, Elbow, Doves, Graham Coxon and Howling Bells, while his mixing work spans artists such as Villagers, The Magic Numbers, and Editors, among many others.  In addition to his studio work, he co-wrote and produced the first five albums by Nadine Shah, and spent the past decade touring extensively with her as drummer and musical director.  

He has also played a significant role in studio development, building multiple recording spaces and co-founding Miloco’s “The Pool” studio in Bermondsey, where he was a partner for 17 years. He is currently based at Agricultural Audio in rural Sussex—a studio constructed from straw bales on a working farm, where he also runs the label of the same name.

Danielle Perry is a national radio broadcaster and part of the Mercury Music Prize panel. She studied orchestration and the relationship of sound and image for years, thus making this the perfect project.  

John J Presley is a celebrated artist whose three critically acclaimed albums have earned support from BBC 6 Music and Rolling Stone France, which named one of his records Album of the Week. Most recently, he received a Best Rock Album nomination across Germany, Austria and Switzerland alongside The Smile, Neil Young and Idles.

TRACKLIST:
A1 - You Are The Love 
A2 - Don't Assume
A3 - New York In Spring
A4 - FLOWERS
A5 - Wedding Singer
B1 - On Fire
B2 - Waiting On The Old Songs
B3 - Look At You Now
B4 - Blonde
B5 - Summer Sun