User:Nickhamil

Lewis Alexander Hamilton - Singer/Songwriter/Musician (born Sept 1993)

Lewis Hamilton was born in Perth, and currently lives in Malton, Yorkshire. He attended Morrisons Academy in Crieff, leaving there to study sound engineering at Perth College. He is a singer/songwriter, and in 2010 formed the Blues/Rock band Lewis Hamilton and the Boogie Brothers, along with his father Nick, and cousin, pianist Steve Hamilton (Billy Cobham Band, Eddie Reader). Steve left to due work commitments in Feb 2011 and the band was joined by drummer Ian (Santa) Wallace from Denny. Wallace left in June 2013 and his post was filled by Pete Rabjohns from Colinsburgh, and they now currently alternate between top session drummers Ian Beeston and George Handley.

The band's first album 'Gambling Machine' LHMGB2011 was released in February 2011 and hosted on-line by CDbaby. The album was recorded and produced at Sawmill Cottage Studios, the band's own purpose built log cabin, over a period of three months, and included such notable musicians as Steve Hamilton (Piano/Keys/Drums), Fraser Speirs (Harmonica), Donald Lang (Saxophone) and Owen Nicholson (Lap steel). The album was mastered and manufactured by Birnam CD in Perthshire. Fraser Speirs also supplied the Americana themed graphic for the cover. Track list : 1.Gambling Machine 2.Living in a Bad Dream  3.I Got to Know  4.The Getaway  5.Opposite Motion  6.Life on the Road  7.Phatitude  8.Woke up this Morning  9.Crying Shame  10.There You Are Now 'Gambling Machine won the Scottish New Music Award for 'Best jazz/Blues Recording' in 2012, and received critical acclaim and world-wide airplay.

Lewis Hamilton started his career as guest artist for Perth based Lazy Poker, then joined The Jamie Harper Band at just 16. After two years he left to follow his own path to become singer songwriter. He is also the latest addition to a dynasty of highly respected musicians. His uncle, the late Laurie Hamilton was one of the finest jazz guitarists in Scotland to emerge during the early sixties. He subsequently appeared as session man on numerous Grampian and STV shows, and worked with an extraordinary range of performers including Lulu and Frank Sinatra. He was one of the founding tutors for the Rock Music course at Perth College. Laurie's son and contributer to the 'Gambling Machine' project, Steve Hamilton, a Berklee graduate, is a major force in UK music today and has played piano with such notable names as Ray Charles, Percy Sledge, the SNJO, Bill Bruford's Earthworks and Billy Cobham

By June 2011 Lewis hamilton and the Boogie Brothers had reached the top of the Reverbnation Blues charts for Scotland, and the band were now averaging 100 live paid performances per year. Festival offers were coming in, and the band appeared at Shetland Blues Festival, Montrose Music Festival, Dundee Blues Bonanza, Arbroath Bell Rock Blues Festival and Callander Jazz and Blues Festival. In 2012 They released their second album 'Empty Roads' LHMER2012. All royalties from ‘Gambling Machine’ were reinvested in new equipment and the production of Empty Roads, which as accurately as possible recreates the extraordinary energy and virtuoso playing witnessed at any Boogie Brother's live performance. A baronial drawing room was used for recording, allowing the drum kit in particular to breathe, and lending a natural reverb that enhances the live feel to this album. The album was again and manufactured by Birnam CD in Perthshire. Track List : 1.Walking Out Your Door 2.Empty Roads  3.Drinking Game  4.Tear Me To The Bone  5.Like A Burning Tree  6.It Won't Be The Same  7.Candlelight And Sympathy  8.Sign Of Better Days  9.Granny Cool  10.The Stream The second album also received very good press  and sales on-line and at live events paid for the purchase of a crew-cab van, enabling the band to start regular and cost-effective touring throught the UK. 'Candlelight & Sympathy' from Empty Roads features on the soundtrack of the feature film 'Scar Tissue'. The title track was chosen to be the theme tune for a prime time BBC1 programme, 'THE MART'.

More Festival offers came in in their second year, including English events such as The Hebden Bridge Blues Festival (Main Stage), The Darlington R 'n B Festival and the Maryport Blues Festival. In september 2012 Lewis, his father Nick and Edinburgh based music journalist Duncan Beattie decided to release a compilation Cd to include the large number of working blues artists in (and from) Scotland. On The Lewis Hamilton Music label, 'Jock's Juke Joint Vols 1 - 3' based on the theme of a fictitious Scottish Juke Joint, has been broadcast on over 70 radio shows, including those in the UK, the USA, France, Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark. Reviews have appeared in Blues Revue (USA), Blues Matters (UK), Blues Magazine (Holland), Blues In Britain (UK), Wasser Prawda (Germany), R2 (UK) with more to come. Paul Jones from BBC Radio 2 aired the opening track of volume 1 and stated he was “eagerly looking forward to receiving this very significant album”. Jock's Juke Joint Volume 2 was nominated as best album of 2012 by the British Blues Awards while Volume 3 was chosen as the first ever album of the month by the Independent Blues Broadcasters' Association (IBBA) for April 2013.

The band's name was shortened to The Lewis Hamilton Band in 2013 by which time Lewis had performed over 250 live shows and had appeared on stage with such notable musicians as Aynsley Lister (for whom he filled in vocals due to Lister having a throat infection), Ryan McGarvey, Henrik Freischlader, Alan Nimmo and Ben Poole. In addition to his nomination in the British Blues Awards as young artist, he had received two preliminary nominations in their song-writing category. In July 2013 their third album 'Ghost Train' LHMGT2013 was released, and using the contact base built up on the success of their previous two albums and in particular the huge success of the Jock's Juke Joint trilogy, had reached a world-wide radio audience within weeks and has received universal critical acclaim and received airplay and a special mention from ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris on BBC R2.

The album including special guests Lyndon Anderson (Harmonica), Steve Hamilton (Keyboards), Rich Young (Keyboards) Ian Wallace (Drums), Pete Rabjohns (Drums), Bruce Mtchie (Brass). Track List : 1.Lonesome And Blue 2.Cheap cigars  3.Ghost Train  4.Trust In Me 5.By The Oak Tree 6.Whiskey Boogie  7.Down To The River 8.Head In The Sand  9.Breaking Heart  10.Sunrise  11.Journey Home

2014 saw the band playing in Europe, ending with a 9 date tour of Poland in November. Lewis was nominated yet again as BEST YOUNG ARTIST in 2015. In that year there were 3 more Euro-tours, including Slovenia, Belgium and The Netherlands. The fourth studio album 'Shipwrecked' LHMSW2015 was released in October 2015 with special guest Jim Harcus (Wang Dang Delta, GT's Boos band) featuring on 'Iceberg Blues' Shipwrecked, which was released in November 2015 has had stunning reviews, has been chosen as an ‘Album of the Month’ by the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association (IBBA) and has been played by Paul Jones on BBC R2, along with receiving airplay world-wide.

The track list is as follows: 1. Old Faces   4:54 2. Iceberg Blues  4:06 3. Head for the Hills  5:10 4. Long Way Home  3:36 5. Stormy Seas  4:28 6. Sticks and Stones  4:16 7. John The Revelator  5:00 8. Blame  3:47 9. Water's Edge  3:18

Ghost Train Press Extracts -

"A very surprising and varied CD which I value very highly. With this Lewis has delivered a professional CD that deserves much attention" Andre Wittebroek (Blues Magazine)

"Lewis Hamilton seems to be a flawless offspring of the North American roots of the blues." Steve Brown (Rocktimes.DE)

"While he has shown that he can hold his own with any guitarist on the scene, he is so much more. His work is soulful, evoking images in the mind of the listener that one would expect from a man twice his age." Bill Wilson (Reflections in Blue)

"Hot Blooded Caledonian Blues - could any music fan refuse?" Ian Rankin

"Ghost Train is a top album ... already in my personal top ten this year." Philip Vehaege (Keys and Chords)

"There are traces in his style of Henrik Freischlader – always looking for a fresh way of presenting the music and not afraid of taking a new direction ‘Ghost Train’ is an always interesting disc ... " John Hurd (3songsbonn.com)

The Lewis Hamilton Band Facebook page -

Lewis Hamilton Music also started and run the Thornhill Music Festival in Dumfriesshire, a multi-genre music event ocurring every May.