BILL RYDER JONES

Bill Ryder-Jones will return with his fifth album Iechyd Da on January 12th 2024. Iechyd Da is a record that is rooted in love, loss, pain, heartache and often a deep darkness, but also one that frequently ends up in places of profound beauty, hope and joy. “I love this album,” says Bill,“I haven’t been this proud of a record since A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart.”

His first new record in five years, Iechyd Da is also his most ambitious LP to date. Beautifully produced, rich in scope, at times joyous, grand and sweeping, at others heartbreaking, intimate and tender. “It’s my most produced record,” adds Ryder-Jones, who from his Yawn studios in West Kirby has recently been producing the likes of Mick Head, Gerry Love and Saint Saviour. “It’s basically me carrying on with myself again, but this time around I’m a bit more competent as a producer.”Lyrically, Ryder-Jones isalsoin potent form. At times he celebrates directness, being more open and honest than ever, while other moments are more complex and multi-faceted. He’s always able to seamlessly balance sadness with stunning beauty, and sly self-deprecation with palpable gentleness.

Today, Bill also shares the first cut from the new album, “This Can’t Go On”. Featuring strings froma 1978 Flashlight song, it captures Ryder-Jones out in the pitch black of night, walking the streets, feeling lost, empty, and “on my way to a breakdown” he says.The resulting song however, is a towering piece of music that is bold and expansive, existing in a seamless duality with some of Ryder-Jones’ most vulnerable, exposed and tender lyrics.