In October 2008, Ian Henderson released his second record Superglue. He is a contemporary South African acoustic pop artist with an international sound, a little less bluesy than John Mayer a little more light-hearted than David Gray. But the territory is the same: soulful, deeply personal songs, catchy melodies, passionate delivery.
Recorded under the hand of Swedish producer Ola Sonmark in South Africa, Sweden and Norway in late 2007 and early 2008, this record is the outcome of an international collaboration involving musicians from as far afield as Paraguay, Australia, Germany and the US – including even an orchestra in rural Sweden. The relationship with Sonmark was the result of an experimental project in virtual recording early in 2007, when Henderson began to see the possibilities in working with foreign musicians long-distance.
“Many of these songs are quite melancholic deep down… I just really wanted the music to be uplifting.” A testimony to great musicianship, the disjointed process is invisible – the album always sounding tight and organic. “Working with Scandinavians just felt right. They’re so musically sensitive and that really breathed life into the songs. The sea, the mountains… it all has so much presence down here in Cape Town – it’s impossible not to feel it. I think moving here has really brought some space and lightness into the music I’ve been writing.”
It’s an accomplished, confident record full of heart, from a songwriter who’s come of age. Henderson’s SAMA-nominated debut album, Freefall, was critically well-regarded: the SA Rock Digest – South Africa’s web-based industry-insider publication – rated Freefall one of their top-five album picks of 2003; the music video for lead single Beautiful Life won a silver medal in the South African National TV & Film association’s Q-Awards. Several cuts from the album featured as the sound track to the hit-TV series Going Nowhere Slowly as well as several other video and TV productions. The music has also appeared on several compilation albums internationally.
The first two singles off the new record, Over Now and This Angel Town, have been daytime play-listed on most national and regional radio stations throughout South Africa for the last two months, and have charted on Highveld, KFM and OFM. Three music videos are also playing on national and satellite channels.
Critical recognition for the record has started flowing in. Bruce Denver of The Citizen says, “Superglue, from the start, suggests that the singer-songwriter is primed for mainstream acclaim… There’s no flab at all on this album – just further reason, as you wander down the tracklisting, to close your eyes and immerse yourself in a listening experience you won’t have the privilege of coming across too often.”
For further information and tour dates please visit www.ianhenderson.com.
