Recording my NEW album

Alistair Griffin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:31:41 -0000

Recording a new album in Vancouver, watch the madness unfold......Keep upto date on http://www.twitter.com/alistairgriffin or http://www.myspace.com/alistairgriffinonline .....Griff

Cascada - Hold Your Hands Up

Alistair Griffin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:24:08 -0000

Hi,

Just a quick word to say I have a song I co-wrote on the new Cascada album, called 'Hold Your Hands Up'. The first single, Evakuate The Dancefloor went straight to number 1 this week in the UK and I have my fingers crossed for the album. So dance, trance and clubland lovers go and buy this record. Our song is a little different but check it out and I hope you enjoy it.

cheers

Alistair

Hallelujah by Alistair Griffin

Alistair Griffin — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:11:40 -0000

Updates to playlist: Alistair Griffin

Alistair Griffin — Sun, 24 May 2009 10:10:28 -0000

I HAVE LIVED (Oakwood Recording) by Alistair Griffin

Alistair Griffin — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:42:12 -0000

Satellites by Alistair Griffin

Alistair Griffin — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:23:37 -0000

Plans by Alistair Griffin

Alistair Griffin — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:19:23 -0000

Blinding Lights by Alistair Griffin

Alistair Griffin — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:14:11 -0000

Naked by Alistair Griffin

Alistair Griffin — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:24:13 -0000

Latest from the Evening Gazette

Alistair Griffin — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:56:24 -0000

Distributed with permission from - Dave Robson, Evening Gazette.

A FAMILIAR face and a talented newcomer are teaming up for a national music tour.

And both have more than a love of music in common - they're massive Boro fans too.

Dave Robson spoke to Alistair Griffin about hitting the solo comeback trail as support to up and coming band Ivyrise, whose lead guitarist Cro told of his Teesside roots.

HOLDING your nerve in front of 30,000 people is something Paul Cronin can claim to have done at least twice.

Boro fan Paul - whose band Ivyrise is embarking on a nationwide tour - twice stepped up at the Riverside Stadium to take penalties in the old half-time schools shootout.

Twice he shot, twice he scored for Redcar's Scared Heart School, prompting "a retro Jan Fjortoft-style celebration," he recalls.

But now, he's set his sights on a successful music career, with a tour kicking-off at Stockton's Arc - the same venue which staged a concert that changed his life.

Headlining that concert was Ash - the group which will headline this year's Middlesbrough Music Live.

Known as Cro, the 25-year-old Teessider recalls: "When I was 18, Ash played The Arc and it was fantastic.

"I sneaked backstage and got talking to Tim Wheeler for about three hours.

"After that conversation, I was sure I wanted to do music."

Born at the former Middlesbrough General Hospital - a stone's throw from Boro's old ground, Ayresome Park - Cro had already started toying with music, having sneaked possession of a guitar given to his brother Michael as a birthday present.

Educated at St Paulinus' School, Guisborough, Sacred Heart and Prior Pursglove College, football was an early love for Cro, who played for Great Ayton's junior teams.

But music was becoming his passion and, inspired by the Stone Roses, Oasis and, of course, Ash, Cro decided to study computer science at Warwick University - mainly because he thought a uni's music scene would be a good way to start.

Within months, he'd teamed up with Ben Falinski to form the hub of the band that, in 2004, became Ivyrise.

He said: "I put an ad in the university's paper. Most people described themselves as 'rock guitarist seeking band' but I put 'pop guitarist' and Ben picked up on that.

"We do rock with a pop feel. Pop is nothing to be afraid of - it's short for popular and if we can be popular, then it's happy days for us."

After internet interest in the lads' tunes, they went out to Paris to write and record.

Since then, they've moved to London and been signed by North Yorkshire-based indie label Stage Records.

And next month, at the same venue where Cro saw Ash, Ivyrise - now a four piece - start their first national tour.

But even the buzz of music will struggle to match Cro's happy memories as a Boro fan.

He said: "It was great scoring the penalties at the Riverside - bottom left, both times. I met Roary too!

"And as a fan, it has to be the UEFA Cup Final in Eindhoven. I went out on my own because no-one in London would go with me, but when I got there, I met loads of people I knew.

"It was a fantastic experience - until the match kicked-off."

* Ivyrise, with Alistair Griffin as support, release their first single, Tips, this month, and start a nine-date national tour on Saturday May 17 at The Arc, Stockton.

REVITALISED Alistair Griffin will be performing in Edinburgh rather than watching this year's Eurovision Song Contest - and he couldn't be happier about it.

As he relaunches his solo career, the North Yorkshire singer-songwriter is going back on the road again as support to new band Ivyrise.

But he can be forgiven for having one eye on the Eurosong fest, having helped pick the Maltese entry.

As the Gazette reported in December, the 30-year-old Boro fan, by a quirk of fate, got drafted onto the jury to select Malta's Song for Europe.

The ultimate winner - Morena's Vodka Song - wasn't perhaps Alistair's personal favourite but, nonetheless, he's partly to blame!

He smiled: "Ah yes, The Vodka Song - it certainly has the gimmick factor. Russians and alcoholics will love it."

But for Griffin, it's all about going back on tour and getting feedback in a new batch of songs which, he hopes, will rekindle interest in a solo career which, in 2004, bagged him a top five hit.

And despite having played to huge audiences in his Fame Academy days, Alistair has no qualms about being support to a new band.

He said: "It's a good place to start again. I've gone a bit off the radar, just doing the odd gig every now and again, so it's good to be touring properly.

"To venture back into proper gigging, in proper venues, is a good thing to do."

Alistair promises a selection of new songs, including a couple never heard before.

And in the background, his song-writing abilities continue to attract attention.

He's pitching songs for Beyonce, with one, Angel By My Side, in the running to be on her next album.

And an old favourite, that top five smash Bring It On, is to be used for a Canon camera commercial in South Korea.

He explained: "The MySpace site was getting a lot of interest from the Far East so we set up a Chinese version and it was picked up on in South Korea. Bizarre but true!"

Another of his songs, Naked, has even racked up more than 250,000 hits on YouTube after a fan put it to a montage of clips from the TV show Skins.

The BBC has also shown interest in a comedy sketch pilot based on an old website character, Big Dave.

And on the footy front, Boro fan Alistair says the team's FA Cup failure against eventual finalists Cardiff City was hard to take, especially as his old Fame Academy pal James Fox has written and recorded the Bluebirds' cup final song.

He said: "James came to the game at the Riverside and I had to restrain him. That game was an abomination."

But it's the music he's pinning his hopes ..ing at The Arc in Stockton with Ivyrise.

He said: "I hadn't heard of Ivyrise to be honest. They're a pretty new band in terms of widespread coverage but I really like their stuff.

"I've been to a gig, thought they were good and I've now heard their material, which isn't dissimilar to my stuff - indie with a pop edge to it.

"And Cro's a big Boro fan, which can't be bad!

"It'll be great to be back touring and, hopefully, things will go on from here."

The online version can be found at: http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2008/04/21/music-duo-link-up-for-national-tour-84229-20801064/