This is a version of my original song, called ‘Wildflowers’ which we performed on 8th March 2025, when we took part in The Duke of Wellington’s (Welly’s) project to film various live acts performing original and traditional material on The Welly Pub stage in Shoreham, Sussex, UK. This song is on ‘The Wood Wide Web’ album, with lush string arrangements provided by Simon Yapp (vioin, viola) and Sarah Davidson (cello) https://ianroland.bandcamp.com/album/the-wood-wide-web

On 8th March 2025, we took part in The Duke of Wellington’s (Welly’s) project to film various live acts performing original and traditional material on The Welly Pub stage in Shoreham, Sussex, UK. The aim was to capture a snapshot of the local creativity occurring in 2025 for posterity, and in order to secure Arts funding for further events. The Welly worked in collaboration with Shoreham company YouGig, in the creation of a DVD and online audio-visual footage, that represented an eclectic spectrum of the talent that exists in our immediate environment and to recognise the support artists give to free entertainment, and how this sustains one of the UK’s few remaining homegrown, grassroots industries. This is one of the songs we played, called ‘Lodestone’.

I am thrilled to be in the March 2025 edition of Hassocks Life Magazine, talking about my music. Here’s a photo of me outside Proper Cafe in Hassocks High Street, before being interviewed by Deidre Huston. I am playing a gig at Proper Cafe on 4th April from 7pm.

‘Craving’ was recorded last year as part of the ‘Living In Sound’ EP and is just out today.

In my very early years, growing up in South London, my big sisters used to take me to Crystal Palace Park to see the huge model dinosaurs there. It was a mix of trepidation and excitement to seek out the prehistoric animals amidst the Park’s trees and the grey, rainy skies of the Borough of Bromley. I knew the park as Crystal Park, a magical park, and it features in this song, which is about the enduring power of love that can sometimes haunt us, like a toxic drug, but also sustain and uplift us, if we give it enough space. 

Available wherever you stream your music.
Download from ianroland.bandcamp.com/track/craving

As promised, the ‘Living in Sound’ T-shirt and EP, on CD, is now available at gigs in 2025. The EP on CD includes three singles PLUS a new track, called ‘Craving’, which will be released digitally in February 2025. Is it possible to have the physical track before the digital track is available? Yes, in these crazy times it is!!

Thanks to the magic of all involved…
Dave Coomber – bass
James Chapman – drums
Mishkin Fitzgerald – piano, backing vocals
Simon Yapp – violin, viola
Recorded at Brighton Road Recording Studios by Jake Skinner
Mastered at Subvert Central Mastering by Bob Macciochi
Artwork by Simon Heard, Sinage Design

We had a fantastic night on Friday, 22nd Nov 2024, playing at The Players Theatre in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex for HURSTfolk 2024 Festival.

Here’s a clip of us playing ‘Living in Sound’, which is one of the singles we released this year. More videos from the night are up on my YouTube channel.

Next gigs coming up are:

Fri 6th Dec 2024 (doors 7pm) Arundel Folk Club, The Victoria Institute, 10 Tarrant Street, Arundel BN18 9DG

Thurs 12th Dec 2024 (7.30pm) The Princess Royal, Guildford Road, Runfold, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 1NX

Sat 21st Dec 2024 (5pm) St Cosmas & St Damian Church, 119 Keymer Rd, Keymer, Hassocks BN6 8QL – part of a Xmas Concert with Poni Mitchell

And the next one as a trio, with James Chapman on drums, is…

Sun 19th Jan 2025 (4pm) Sunday Sessions at The Neptune Inn, 10 Victoria Terrace, Hove BN3 2WB

Thank you, Andrew Frolish, of Americana UK, for premiering the video for ‘The Beacon’…https://americana-uk.com/video-premiere-ian-roland-the-beacon

“Check out Ian Roland’s third single of 2024.  ‘The Beacon’ is another beautiful tune, mirroring the gorgeous landscapes of which Roland sings.  His words show a real connection between Roland and the natural world, an affinity and respect that he transmits effectively to the listener.  Roland’s pure singing voice is central to ‘The Beacon’ and his range and melody are particularly impressive when he hits the high notes in the chorus.  There are subtle changes of pace and a full sound, thanks to Roland’s gifted collaborators, particularly Simon Yapp on violin and viola and Mishkin Fitzgerald, who delivers piano, keyboards and backing vocals.  Dave Coomber on bass and James Chapman on drums complete the line-up and add compelling rhythms.”

‘The Beacon’ is my third single release this year.  Download/Stream now on Bandcamp: https://ianroland.bandcamp.com/track/the-beacon
Digital Stores Release Date: Thursday 31st October 2024

About ‘The Beacon’
A homage to the Adonis Blue Butterfly and the landscape of the South Downs National Park, near Hassocks, UK, this song celebrates the essential beauty of nature, the web of which sustains all life, including our own. We need to preserve it. It was way back in 1970 when Joni Mitchell sang, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot”, and since then we have had 50+ years of scientific evidence highlighting the destruction the fossil-fuel industry causes. It takes a huge amount of money to try to divert our attention away from this issue, but it is inescapable and will affect us all, no matter how many billions of dollars may have been invested in media disinformation, political influence, division and unrest, to try to muddy the waters.

Credits
Ian Roland – vocals, guitar
Dave Coomber – bass
James Chapman – drums
Mishkin Fitzgerald – piano, backing vocals
Simon Yapp – violin, viola

Song by Ian Roland
Recorded at Brighton Road Recording Studios by Jake Skinner
Mastered at Subvert Central Mastering by Bob Macciochi

Thank you to Rebecca Valentine, who wrote this article about me and my music for Brighton Blog ‘The First Scoop Is The Finest’ . The blog includes some rare photos of me as a teenager playing some of my first gigs when I had massive hair, back in the 80’s : D
https://thefirstscoopisthefinest.squarespace.com/blog-2-1/introducing-ian-roland-jayx9-x4dxr

‘Lodestone’ is my second single release this year.  Download/Stream now on Bandcamp: https://ianroland.bandcamp.com/track/lodestone
Digital Stores Release Date: Friday 26th July 2024

About ‘Lodestone’
Inspired by the sound of local church bells heard echoing across a Sussex village, this song points to the enduring purity of music as a uniting force that rings true in all of us. Music helps grow and sustain us. It helps grow and sustain communities. Music helps form shared identities and helps us appreciate difference. Music accompanies us through all the distinct stages of our lives. The sound of church bells rolling across the South Downs on a Sunday morning transcends the restrictive, the prescriptive, the contained, and allows our hearts to beat free for a moment.

In memory of Gavin Macleod, founder of the Greyhound Acoustic Gathering at the Greyhound Pub, Keymer.

Credits
Ian Roland – vocals, guitar
Dave Coomber – bass
James Chapman – drums
Mishkin Fitzgerald – piano, backing vocals
Simon Yapp – violin, viola

Song by Ian Roland
Recorded at Brighton Road Recording Studios by Jake Skinner
Mastered at Subvert Central Mastering by Bob Macciochi