Shadowman, the new collaborative project from John J Presley, Ben Hillier and Danielle Perry, today share their new single ‘New York in Spring’, offering another glimpse into their forthcoming self-titled debut album, which arrives 4th September via Nica Records/Republic of Music.

Having made their live debut this June with two sold-out performances in London and Paris, the band today announce a headline show at Alphabet in Brighton on 21st October, with further dates to be announced soon. Tickets available here.

‘New York In Spring’ is the fourth track taken from the forthcoming album and introduces another side of the band and the breadth of the long player.

Following the atmospheric ‘Flowers’, the brooding groove ridden ‘Don’t Assume’ and the post-rock build-ups of ‘You Are The Love’, ‘New York in Spring’ illustrates Presley’s might as a storyteller. The Quietus once described Presley as a ‘..natural born raconteur’ and this latest single highlights that while leaning into the alt-folk genre.

John J Prelsey said the track ‘New York In Spring’ is “a tale of triumph over adversity. Early and mid century tales of war and murder, but above all else hope. History repeating itself time and time again. I wish people would learn from the past”.

Driven by a shared creative vision, the UK trio makes music instinctively, moving seamlessly between crushing guitars and walls of sound, cinematic orchestration, New Orleans brass sections, motorik drum machines, classical piano, layered vocals, and slow-building post-rock. Delicate tales of loss and hope sit alongside death-march brass and expansive, uncompromising arrangements, creating a record that feels both varied and cohesive.

Talking about their debut album, John explains: “Shadowman, both as a collective and the resulting album, started as an experiment. After one particular tour, I bought a new acoustic guitar and started to write the bones of these songs with a real focus on songwriting rather than the tones and sounds, as I had before.
This guitar (a 70s Guild) almost seemed to arrive ready to play them… Sometimes that happens with a new instrument. Weeks of writing followed, and I then took them to Ben Hillier to pad out with drums and track at his studio, Agricultural Audio. My longtime collaborator and wife Danielle Perry joined us for those, and we carved them into the Shadowman album with engineer Dan Crook”.

Ben adds, “John came to the studio with some of his new demos. I’ve always loved his singing, and I was blown away by the songs – the space and freedom in there – and by Danielle’s voice. I never knew she could sing! The sessions were fast, reactive – trying to grab the first inspiration. Always in the first three takes. Dan Crook captured everything on 2″ tape from the first note we played. Pete Wareham and Marcus Hamblett added extra colour and depth with their unique sax and brass textures. Then, to finish the production, we had to nurture that fresh energy. Careful not to straighten out the creases or lose the detail. Never flatten the dynamic or over-elaborate”.
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Ben Hillier is a record producer, mixer, songwriter, and musician with over 30 years of experience, having collaborated with a wide range of internationally acclaimed artists. His production credits include albums for Depeche Mode, Blur, Elbow, Doves, Graham Coxon and Howling Bells, while his mixing work spans artists such as Villagers, The Magic Numbers, and Editors, among many others. In addition to his studio work, he co-wrote and produced the first five albums by Nadine Shah, and spent the past decade touring extensively with her as drummer and musical director.
He has also played a significant role in studio development, building multiple recording spaces and co-founding Miloco’s “The Pool” studio in Bermondsey, where he was a partner for 17 years. He is currently based at Agricultural Audio in rural Sussex—a studio constructed from straw bales on a working farm, where he also runs the label of the same name.

Danielle Perry is a national radio broadcaster and part of the Mercury Music Prize panel. She studied orchestration and the relationship of sound and image for years, thus making this the perfect project.

John J Presley is a celebrated artist whose three critically acclaimed albums have earned support from BBC 6 Music and Rolling Stone France, which named one of his records Album of the Week. Most recently, he received a Best Rock Album nomination across Germany, Austria and Switzerland alongside The Smile, Neil Young and Idles.

‘SHADOWMAN’ TRACKLISTING
1. You Are The Love
2. Don’t Assume
3. New York in Spring
4. Flowers
5. Wedding Singer
6. On Fire
7. Waiting on the Old Songs
8. Look at You Now
9. Blonde (Demo Mix)
10. Summer Sun