PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Fortuna is the brand-new album from blues roots rock guitarist Bex Marshall. The album is released on CD and digital by Dixiefrog Records on Friday 1 March 2024. Pre-order the CD HERE. Pre-save digital HERE.
The first single “5am,” released Friday 5 January 2024, is available to stream and buy HERE.
Watch the official “5am” music video:
“5am” has a melancholy feel, a bluesy ballad starting with soft electric spreads. Bex’s vocal is late-night and resigned. The track is full of charismatic regret and her guitar playing is prominent, poignant, and emotive throughout. The song tells the story of a drunken late-night fight with a lover, culminating in a drunken white flag of emotional guitar peaks. It’s slightly influenced by Gary Moore hat-doffing, to finish, no rock n roll endings akin to a melodic 5am pass-out. It makes for addictive listening.”
Bex Marshall has a superabundance of smarts and an edgy spirit to go along with her surety of purpose. She conjures a vocal melting pot of heartache with powerful gritty soul and unique guitar skills which have been labelled by other guitarists as “the goal.”
The long-awaited studio album Fortuna is a ten-track blues tapestry that bulges to the edges with addictive hooks and storylines. Bex is a writer of notability, she pushes the boundaries of blues and weaves the genre in and out of blues, funk, rock, and Americana.
Bex steps forward with this record as a leading female guitarist, producing her powerful, self-penned album with soaring lead lines, technical ragtime, and ballsy slide-playing.
It’s been ten years since Bex Marshall’s last release. During this time, Bex has experienced a busy touring schedule, independently breaking into several international markets. Fortuna is an intense culmination of focus and personal release over the last few years.
The album is available to pre-order on CD here – https://rocknhall.bandcamp.com/album/bex-marshall-fortuna. The album is also available to pre-save digitally here – https://dixiefrog.lnk.to/Fortuna
Bex was able to stand still for a moment and draw in local London talented friends including Richie Stevens on drums (Tina Turner, Simply Red, George Clinton), Toby Baker on keyboards (BB King, Eric Clapton, Alexander O’Neil, Sinead O Connor), B.J Cole on Dobro (Elton John, Coldplay, Sting, Shania Twain, Robbie Williams), New York’s Robert Eugene Daniels on bass (RIP “Red Bass”) Aurora Mannola on bass, London’s gospel Queen Shola Adegoroye, and legendary Danny Bryan on percussion (Taj Mahal).
After a week-long intense recording session at Snakepit Studios in North London, Fortuna was created. It’s an album of soulful rock blues, with funky undertones with touches of gospel and roots. The album was engineered, co-produced and mastered by Nick Hunt (Dave Stewart, Boy George, Placebo, George Clinton) who Bex has worked with on her previous album House of Mercy.
“I have been influenced by multiple artists,” says Bex. “For me, it never stops. Songwriters, vocalists, and guitarists – you name it!
“I grew up listening to Tina Turner. Vocally, she was my heroine. Her tone, soul, and vocal range was so versatile. Other influences include Eric Clapton’s cool guitar style, John Lee Hooker’s back porch flavour, Freddie King’s sting, Hose Feliciano’s flair, Janis Joplin’s ragtime, and Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s songwriting. I was lucky as my uncle had a stunning vinyl collection, and I was able to absorb all these relevant box-ticking blues-rock greats.”
“She’s mastered the art of making new material sound like it’s been found in long-forgotten vaults,” says Net Rhythms. Bex holds a songwriting retreat twice a year in Cyprus and believes that “bad songwriting is affecting the quality of our suffering.”
The album’s lyrical content touches on the all too familiar addictions of life, from love to liquor, changes in society and bitter regret. The album features nine original tracks, one being an instrumental and one cover.
“The album is where I am today musically and philosophically and reflective of the performer I am now,” says Bex. “I wanted to take the hard lumps out of life and present them back in a different light, sometimes with humour, sarcasm, or resilience but always with a shed load of tenacity. I wanted to make a record with iconic guitar sounds, heavenly funky keyboards, roots infected vocal lines with the funk in the trunk. The album is the most upbeat offering from me to date and I want to produce a show of high-energy blues-rock euphoria to reignite people’s mojos.”
During lockdown, Bex’s good friend and bass player “Red Bass” (aka Robert Eugene Daniels) was living in London with us and after a few months sadly passed away. She was lucky enough to capture some of his bass lines in Snakepit Studios. Bex recorded demos for the album and finally used them in five of the 10 album tracks. “Red was a unique musician,” reflects Bex. “I was honoured to play music with him for over 20 years. We even shared the same birthday.”
The final track of the record is called “When It’s Gone” It’s a poignant song although written several years earlier, BJ Cole (Tiny Dancer, Coldplay) plays dobro on this track as a tribute to “Red.”
TOUR DATES 2024
Tickets: www.bexmarshall.com/tour-dates
Mon 26 Feb – Midnight Special Blues Club, Camberley UK BAND
Sat 9 March – St Marys Sessions, Dorking UK BAND
Wed 13 March – Clutha, Glasgow BAND
Friday 15 March – Howlin Wolf, Glasgow BAND
Mon 18 March – Plaquemine Lock SOLO
Tues 19 March – The Wrotham Arms, Broadstairs Kent UK BAND
Sat 23 March – Tenne Oederan, Germany BAND
Sun 24 March – Bílina, Czech, SOLO
Mon 25 March – Černošice, Czech SOLO
Tue 26 March – Bruntál, Czech SOLO
Wed 27 March – Rožnov, Czech SOLO
Thu 28 March – Brno-SP, Czech SOLO
Wed 17 April – Hotel La Campagnola – DUO CH
Fri 18 April – Nidaba Theatre Milan Italy DUO
Sat 19 April – Hollywood Bar Lugano CH DUO
Sun 20 April – Strampalato Brescia – Italy DUO
Thurs 5 Sept – Spirit of 66, Belgium BAND
Sun 8 Sept – Darlington R n B Festival BAND
Sat 13 Sept – Blues at the Bay Stockton on Tees UK BAND
Fri 25 Oct – Blues Route Helmond Netherlands BAND
