THE ALARM AND GENE LOVES JEZEBEL GUITARIST JAMES STEVENSON TO RELEASE SOLO ALBUM IN JUNE

James Stevenson will release the long awaited and highly anticipated follow up to the critically acclaimed ’Everything’s Getting Closer To Being Over‘ (2017) on Pink Gun on July 9, 2021

James Stevenson has been a band member of Chelsea, Generation X, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Cult and The Alarm plus has done countless sessions over his 44 year career that started in punk rock in 1977. He has played on hundreds of commercially released recordings. 

He currently plays with Legendary David Bowie bandmates, producer/bass player Tony Visconti and drummer Woody Woodmansey with Glenn Gregory on vocals in Holy Holy www.holyholy.co.uk

He Also plays guitar (and sometimes bass) in The Alarm and the punk rock supergroup The International Swingers with Clem Burke, Gary Twinn and Glen Matlock.

James has also been a member of Gene Loves Jezebel since 1985.

Check out the album teaser below:

The Other Side Of The World is James’s second solo album. His first, the highly critically acclaimed Everything’s Getting Closer To Being Over, was released five years ago.

The title track is about James’ brother David’s fight against the terminal illness Picks Disease.

“Not many people have heard of the disease – it’s a really nasty one. The first lockdown was hard for us all but losing my brother in the middle of it truly broke my heart. The other side of the world is a reference to him living in Australia and also, because it’s a neurological brain disorder, that he was on the other side of the world mentally.” Says James

James recorded the album remotely – first recording all the guitars and bass and lead vocals in his own studio to a drum machine, then sending them to Alarm drummer Smiley who add drums in his studio and finally to Peter Walsh (Simple Minds, Peter Gabriel, Scott Walker) who added keyboards and mixed the record in his studio.

“It was a long process – but it may be the way the world is going to go” says James.

Guest musicians include Henry Badowski (saxophone), Jessica Lee Morgan (backing vocals), Terry Edwards (saxophone), Elizabeth Westwood and Tracie Hunter (backing vocals), Mike Peters (Harmonica), Rana Rains (female voice) and Harriet Stubbs (Piano)

All the songs were written by James except Take A Little Love which he co-wrote with Adam Masterson and Point It To Your Head written by his friend and Rich Kids guitarist the late Steve New. “I loved Steve” says James “Point It To your Head was a song he wrote that I always loved but it was never released – so I recorded a version of it as a tribute to Steve”.

“The instrumental New York 10023 is about a crazy night I had with model Paula Hamilton in New York in the mid 80’s” adds James.

James says: “Journalist Mick Mercer once sited me as having played in 72% of all known bands! and it does feel like that sometimes. It can be a bit of a juggling act” he laughs, “I love playing in bands but creating your own record is fantastic too, though I do have 72% etched on my personal guitar picks!”

The Other Side Of The World Full track listing:

1 Baby Come On (James Stevenson)

2 Gotta Find That Feeling (James Stevenson)

3 When You’re Feeling Sad And Lonely (James Stevenson)

4 Ugly/Beautiful (James Stevenson)

5 I’m Getting Over You Now (James Stevenson)

6 New York 10023 (James Stevenson)

7 In The Nighttime (James Stevenson)

8 Take A Little Love (James Stevenson/Adam Masterson)

9 Point It To Your Head (Steve New)

10 The Other Side Of The World (James Stevenson)

11 Just Like I Do (James Stevenson)