
THE 'HOLLOWNECK TROUBADOUR'
To say that Alex Roberts has many strings to his bow would be a metaphor forgiven for the fact that it helps to conjure his presence as a musical magician, in which a variety of instruments seamlessly pop into set, beautifully played and adored. Whether it’s the finger-style, lap-steel, or bouzouki, it is played with a sincerity borne of years of graft, craft, and of a man who seems to straddle multiple time boundaries.
His lyrics offer a fusion of cultural pertinence, generated by an acute appreciation for our earth and ancestry, and a raw gift for storytelling. His songs are enriched by travel and immersive living experiences, from off-grid living in the wilds of rural France, to Tipi dwelling in Dorset, allowing music to guide his path across multiple continents, the result is an oasis of mini ‘odysseys’ in which each song feels like it has been specially harvested for our appreciation. Through years of devotion and study Alex not only turns life into song, but enables us to see that song provides life with its heartbeat.
Alex has been actively engaged in a number of progressive musical and educational initiatives, from Billy Bragg’s ‘Jail Guitar Doors’ - supporting rehabilitation with music in young offenders institutes, to music therapy with disabled people. He is a founding member of the Far Flung Collective - a Scottish/English band inspired by landscape, culture and diversity within the British Isles. Alex’s music has been featured on film and television, he also composes music for film.
He has most recently collaborated with adept Double-Bassist and long-time musical comrade Graeme Ross on a new album: ‘Meridians & Superpowers’. Released in February 2023 on the Mottow Soundz record label, it is a body of work illustrative of their deep musical connection and mastery of their art.
With titles bestowed upon him such as ‘the Bard of Dorset’ and ‘Hollowneck Troubadour’ (after his award winning lap-steel guitar album ‘Waiting on the Sun Again’ - 2012), nine studio albums and clocking up to 100 shows a year, Alex continues to respond to his calling as a troubadour.
‘Alex’s music comes from the heart & will touch your heart. His songs weave stories, & the music wraps them up in magic.
Be prepared to be swept away’
Wimborne Folk Festival
‘This is the best kind of music for me, beautifully written and wonderfully executed’
Mark Chadwick - The Levellers
‘Superb musicianship and great songs - he should definitely be on anybody's 'to see' list wherever he performs. A true gem’
Kashmir Stage, Isle of Wight Festival
'Alex plays bloody wonderfully!'
John Renbourn
'A firm favourite!'
Larmer Tree Festival
