Lose Your Way (album)

Last updated

Lose Your Way
Love Amongst Ruin Lose Your Way album artwork.jpg
Studio album by
Released29 June 2015 (2015-06-29)
Recorded2011–2012 at Moles Studios (Bath, Somerset), Old Laundry (Winchester, Hampshire)
Genre Alternative rock, hard rock
Label Ancient B Records
Producer Dan Austin
Love Amongst Ruin chronology
Love Amongst Ruin
(2010)
Lose Your Way
(2015)
Singles from Love Amongst Ruin
  1. "Lose Your Way"
    Released: 11 May 2015
  2. "Modern War Song"
    Released: 24 July 2015
  3. "So Close"
    Released: 6 November 2015

Lose Your Way is the second studio album by the British rock band Love Amongst Ruin. It was released by Ancient B Records on 29 June 2015 and has been described as "an album from an artist over the hump, head high to the future and all engines gunning".[ citation needed ]

Contents

Background

Writing and recording

Writing for Love Amongst Ruin's second album began midway through the tour supporting their self-titled debut album in January 2011. [1] Just prior to the end of the tour the following June, frontman Steve Hewitt revealed that the band had written nine songs and planned to begin recording in September 2011. [2] In November, Hewitt revealed that the band had been recording at Moles Studio in Bath, the location of the majority of recording for the band's debut album. [3] Writing was completed in March 2012 and recordings continued at Moles Studio, with Hewitt and guitarists Donald Ross Skinner and Steve Hove handling playing duties, with Paul Corkett engineering. [4] Corkett later put Hewitt and Skinner in touch with producer Dan Austin, [4] a frequent production partner of Gil Norton. [5] Austin was given a trial run at producing the title track, which he "nailed" and was asked to produce the whole album.[ citation needed ] The entire process was completed in two-and-a-half months. [6]

Perry Bamonte featured on bass on the album after being announced as having joined the band in September 2012. [7] Early composition "Oh God" was recorded for the album, after having been performed live at the London Scala in June 2010 and prepared for an EP in 2012, [8] which failed to see release. A cover of Six by Seven's "So Close" was recorded for the album, [9] prior to Hewitt joining the said band in 2013.[ citation needed ] Despite initially not wishing to record a cover, Hewitt and Austin felt the track fitted the vibe of the album and set out "to make it the song it never really was". [9] Former member Laurie Ross returned to provide cello and programming for the album. Hewitt recalled that the troublesome vocal melody for "Menace Ballad" was completed by local Bath musician Nick Walker. [5]

Themes

Of the album's title and title track, Hewitt said "it’s how your perceptions change as you go through life. Do you actually know where you’re fucking going? It’s trying to explain life’s difficult path". [10] Hewitt also revealed that he consciously made a decision to write about experiences outside the personal nature prevalent on the debut album, saying "it's a difficult thing to do and a huge departure mentally and it's something I find exciting. There are still personal songs on the record, but it's more about the human condition rather than what's being inflicted by others". [11] Closing track "Oh God" was written by Hewitt as a reaction to the shock of hearing the news of the death of his friend Stuart Cable in 2010. [8] "Modern War Song" deals with the subject of Western imperialism and how "revolting soldiers are treated when their service finishes after signing up and fighting for their country". [8] [12] Hewitt revealed that there isn't a constant theme running through the album, instead "the album is more of a soundscape". [5]

Delay and release

Lose Your Way was put on the back burner after guitarist Steve Hove quit the band shortly before a comeback show at the London Barfly on 10 September 2012. [13] Hewitt subsequently joined Six by Seven for its Love and Peace and Sympathy album and tour in 2013 and produced records by former Love Amongst Ruin opening bands Lys and Spiral 69. [14] The Lose Your Way album title and track list were revealed in April 2015,[ citation needed ]> with a release date of 29 June 2015. [6] The release of the album was preceded by the "Lose Your Way" EP on 11 May 2015 and was followed by the "Modern War Song" and "So Close" EPs respectively on 24 July and 6 November. [15] [16] [17] By April 2021, the album had gone silver. [18]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
CDStartsStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
GigslutzStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [20]
GIGSoupStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [22]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Powermetal.deStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Renowned for Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [25]
Shout 4 MusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [26]
Sound of BritStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [27]

NME gave the album 7/10, saying that the album was "lovely, but ruinous". [23] Cryptic Rock gave the album full marks and said Hewitt had achieved a "smorgasbord" and "cornucopia of sound". [28] Kerrang! awarded the album 4/5, saying Hewitt's ejection from Placebo "may well have been a blessing in disguise". [22]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lose Your Way" Steve Hewitt & Donald Ross Skinner 3:20
2."Modern War Song"Steve Hewitt & Steve Hove4:54
3."Watch Myself"Steve Hewitt & Donald Ross Skinner4:34
4."Swan Killer"Steve Hewitt & Steve Hove3:12
5."Paper Tigers"Steve Hewitt & Steve Hove4:06
6."So Close" Chris Olley, James Flower, Chris Davis, Paul Douglas4:30
7."Menace Ballad"Steve Hewitt & Donald Ross Skinner4:19
8."Oh God"Steve Hewitt6:01

iTunes bonus tracks [29]

No.TitleLength
9."Lose Your Way Revision"6:14
10."Swan Killer Revision"6:27

Personnel

Production

Tour

Love Amongst Ruin performing in London, November 2015. Love Amongst Ruin live in London 2, November 2015.jpg
Love Amongst Ruin performing in London, November 2015.

On 3 September 2015, Love Amongst Ruin announced a European tour to support Lose Your Way. [30] The tour included the band's debut shows in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Norway and Sweden. [31] Gizz Butt (guitar) and Ravi Kesavaram (drums) were brought in to support the core lineup of Hewitt, Skinner and Bamonte. [32] An instrumental version of the off-album track "Amy's Prayer" was used as the band's walk-on music.

DateCityCountryVenue
Europe
24 November 2015 London United Kingdom Barfly
26 November 2015 Hamburg Germany Rock Café
27 November 2015 Krefeld Kulturfabrik
29 November 2015 Frankfurt Das Bett
1 December 2015 Vienna Austria Viper Room
2 December 2015 Ljubljana Slovenia Channel Zero
3 December 2015 Zagreb Croatia Vintage Industrial Bar
4 December 2015 Milan Italy Lo-Fi
6 December 2015 Dresden GermanyReithalle
7 December 2015 Berlin Privatclub
9 December 2015 Oslo Norway John Dee Live Club
10 December 2015 Stockholm Sweden Pet Sounds
13 December 2015 Cologne GermanyUnderground
14 December 2015 Paris France Flèche d’Or

Cancelled dates

DateCityCountryVenue R
30 November 2015 Munich GermanyBackstage1
11 December 2015 Copenhagen Denmark Beta1

1 Cancelled due to circumstances beyond the band's control.

EPs

Related Research Articles

<i>Wild Mood Swings</i> 1996 studio album by the Cure

Wild Mood Swings is the tenth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 6 May 1996 by Fiction Records. The album charted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, staying on chart for six weeks, and charted at number 12 in the US Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Placebo (band)</span> British rock band

Placebo is a British alternative rock band, formed in London in 1994 by vocalist–guitarist Brian Molko and bassist–guitarist Stefan Olsdal. Drummer Robert Schultzberg joined in late 1994, but left in 1996 shortly after the release of the band's eponymous debut album due to conflicts with Molko, and was replaced the same year by Steve Hewitt. Molko was born in Belgium and Olsdal and Schultzberg in Sweden; remaining members Molko and Olsdal both grew up in Luxembourg before separately relocating to London and are both British citizens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeah Yeah Yeahs</span> American indie rock band

Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O, guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist David Pajo, who joined as a touring member in 2009 and replaced Imaad Wasif, who had previously held the role. According to an interview that aired during ABC's Live from Central Park SummerStage series, the band's name was taken from modern New York City vernacular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Hawley</span> English musician (born 1967)

Richard Willis Hawley is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. After his first band Treebound Story broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. After that group broke up in 2000, he joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker, for a short time. As a solo musician, Hawley has released eight studio albums. He has been nominated for a Mercury prize twice and once for a Brit Award. He has collaborated with Lisa Marie Presley, Shakespears Sister, Arctic Monkeys, Manic Street Preachers, Elbow, Duane Eddy and Paul Weller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Hewitt</span> Musical artist

Steven James Hewitt is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the frontman of his own band, Love Amongst Ruin. Hewitt is best known for his tenure as the drummer for Placebo between September 1996 and October 2007. He plays drums and guitar left-handed.

Perry Archangelo Bamonte is an English musician and artist, best known as a multi-instrumentalist for The Cure from 1990 to 2005, and again since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wombats</span> English indie rock band

The Wombats are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, consisting of Matthew Murphy, Tord Øverland Knudsen, and Dan Haggis. They have artist services deals with AWAL and Warner Music Australia. They have sold over 1 million albums worldwide. They created several EPs before releasing their first full album, Girls, Boys and Marsupials (2006), which was released only in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton Faulkner</span> Musical artist

Sam Newton Battenberg Faulkner is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Reigate, Surrey. He is known for his percussive style of guitar playing. In 2007 Faulkner's debut studio album Hand Built by Robots was certified double platinum in the United Kingdom. The album topped the UK Albums Chart in August 2007. It was promoted by three singles, "Dream Catch Me", "I Need Something" and "Teardrop". "Dream Catch Me" reached number seven on the UK Singles Charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passion Pit</span> American electropop band

Passion Pit is an American indie pop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, formed in 2007 by band members Michael Angelakos, Ian Hultquist (Guitar/Synth), Ayad Al Adhamy (synth), Thom Plasse (bass), and Adam Levinsky (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boxer Rebellion (band)</span> British band

The Boxer Rebellion is an international indie band formed in London, United Kingdom in 2001, consisting of Tennessee-native Nathan Nicholson and Englishmen Andrew Smith, Adam Harrison, and Piers Hewitt (drums). They have so far released an eponymous EP, six studio albums, Exits (2005), Union (2009), The Cold Still (2011), Promises (2013), Ocean by Ocean (2016) and Ghost Alive (2018), as well as a compilation album, B-Sides & Rarities Collection, Vol. 1 & 2 (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Big Pink</span> English rock band

The Big Pink are an English electronic rock band from London, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Robertson "Robbie" Furze, Akiko Matsuura and Charlie Barker. Initially a duo, they signed to independent record label 4AD in 2009 and won the NME Philip Hall Radar Award for best new act. To date, they have released five singles, with their debut album A Brief History of Love released in September 2009 and its follow-up, Future This released in January 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Amongst Ruin</span>

Love Amongst Ruin are an English rock supergroup, led by Steve Hewitt after his tenure as the drummer for Placebo. The band released their self-titled debut album in September 2010 and second album Lose Your Way was released in June 2015.

<i>Love Amongst Ruin</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Love Amongst Ruin

Love Amongst Ruin is the self-titled debut studio album by Love Amongst Ruin. It was released on 13 September 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So Sad (Fade)</span> 2010 single by Love Amongst Ruin

"So Sad (Fade)" is the debut single by British rock band Love Amongst Ruin. The single was released on 30 August 2010 on Ancient B Records.

Donald Skinner is a guitarist, songwriter and producer primarily known for his work with Julian Cope. Skinner is commonly known by the name Donald Ross Skinner with the addition of the middle name of Ross attributed to him by Cope after Glenn Ross Campbell, the pedal steel player from The Misunderstood. He is currently a guitarist for Love Amongst Ruin and DC Fontana.

<i>Acoustic</i> (Love Amongst Ruin album) 2011 studio album by Love Amongst Ruin

Acoustic is an album by British rock band Love Amongst Ruin and features acoustic versions of eight tracks released on the band's debut album. It was released on 5 December 2011.

Paul Corkett is a British record producer, engineer and arranger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soft Play</span> English punk rock band

Soft Play, formerly known as Slaves, are an English punk rock duo originally from Royal Tunbridge Wells. The duo consists of Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trampolene (band)</span> Welsh rock band

Trampolene are a Welsh alternative rock / indie punk band originally from Swansea. They are Jack Jones, Wayne Thomas and Kyle "Mr" Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Snuts</span> Scottish indie rock band

The Snuts are a Scottish indie rock band formed in 2015, originating from West Lothian, Scotland. They have performed across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The band consists of Jack Cochrane, Joe McGillveray (guitar), Callum '29' Wilson (bass) and Jordan 'Joko' Mackay (drums) and was formed when the members were in school.

References

  1. "Q&A: Love Amongst Ruin". completemusicupdate.com. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  2. Rich Chamberlain. "Steve Hewitt: I was 'absolutely s****ing my pants' about fronting new band". musicradar.com. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  3. "Love Amongst Ruin". stpaulslifestyle.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Love Amongst Ruin : A Talk With Steve Hewitt". Backseat Mafia. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "From The Horse's Mouth: Steve Hewitt (Love Amongst Ruin) on Lose Your Way | Ghettoblaster Magazine". ghettoblastermagazine.com. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  6. 1 2 "INTERVIEW: Steve Hewitt (Love Amongst Ruin)". Gigslutz. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  7. "Working hard, rehearsing hard. We can... – Love Amongst Ruin – Facebook". facebook.com. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 aaamusic. "Love Amongst Ruin @ Scala". aaamusic.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Q&A: Take Aim with Steve Hewitt of Love Amongst Ruin". Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  10. "Love Amongst Ruin unveil Lose Your Way". TeamRock. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  11. "Home | Arena Music". arena.com. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  12. "INTERVIEW: STEVE HEWITT from 'LOVE AMONGST RUIN' talks new album + tour – Love Amongst Ruin released their brilliant second album "LOSE YOUR WAY" in June, it received 9/10 from XS Noize. Mark Millar recently caught up with front" . Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  13. "ANNOUNCEMENT: Unfortunately we've had to... – Love Amongst Ruin – Facebook". facebook.com. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  14. Scene Not Herd. "Scene Not Herd: SNH Interviews...S I X . B Y S E V E N". scenenotherd.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  15. "iTunes – Music – Lose Your Way – Single by Love Amongst Ruin". iTunes. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  16. "Modern War Song – EP by Love Amongst Ruin". iTunes. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  17. "So Close – Single by Love Amongst Ruin on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  18. "We went silver!!! Thank you so, so much, to every single person who has purchased a copy of this album! Honestly cannot believe it made a silver! 🤘". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  19. Sebastian Meyer (26 June 2015). "Love Amongst Ruin – Lose Your Way". CDstarts.de. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  20. "ALBUM: Love Amongst Ruin – 'Lose Your Way' – Gigslutz". Gigslutz. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  21. "ALBUM REVIEW : Love Amongst Ruin – 'Lose Your Way'". GIGsoup. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  22. 1 2 "Timeline Photos – Love Amongst Ruin | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  23. 1 2 "NME Reviews - 9 Great Albums That May Have Passed You By This Week - NME.COM". NME.COM. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  24. "Review – LOVE AMONGST RUIN – Lose Your Way – POWERMETAL.de". powermetal.de. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  25. "Renowned for Sound – Album Review: Love Amongst Ruin – Lose Your Way". Renowned for Sound. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  26. "Love Amongst Ruin – Lose Your Way". shout4music.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  27. "Review : Love Amongst Ruin – Lose Your Way". Sound Of Britain. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  28. "Love Amongst Ruin – Lose Your Way (Album Review)" . Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  29. "iTunes – Music – Lose Your Way by Love Amongst Ruin". iTunes. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  30. "We are very pleased to announce the... – Love Amongst Ruin | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  31. "Schubert Music Publishing". www.schubertmusic.com. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  32. "LOVE AMONGST RUIN – Du 14/12/2015 19:30 au 15/12/2015 01:00 – LOVE AMONGST RUIN". Archived from the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.