We were introduced to Roo Panes by a listener and I’m so very thankful for it. After listening to Know Me Well & Sing for the Wind the hairs on the back of my neck lifted, always a good sign. Roo, when talking about his music says “I want to give my listener something. I want it to have substance. I want it to resonate”…he ticks all those boxes for us!
Still a relative newcomer he has been attracting a lot of attention on youtube where his videos have been clocking up some very respectable hits. With a full EP ‘Know Me Well’ due anytime soon this is a name you will want to watch for.
It is however back in the UK where the source of Roo’s lyrics lies. A Dorset boy by birth, Roo also spent many family holidays in the awe-inspiring landscape of the Lakeland fells. And like many of his favourite romantic poets before him he effortlessly infuses this sense of beauty, landscape and space into his songs.
The Troubadour in London marked Roo’s first gig proper. Home to so many great performers before him, in fact where Bob Dylan made his London debut, it was not without problems. Splitting his thumb during the first song caused a young lady to faint and have to be carried out. But play on you must and with word spreading his second gig with the eclectic promoters Communion supporting Ben Howard was thankfully trouble free. Tired of the coach commutes back and forth to Dorset – two guitars, a mandolin and bag of clothes start to get heavy after a while – Roo moved to London in 2011 and it was at this point, inspired by Johnny Flynn before him, he wrote to Burberry. The rest they say is history and it is now hard to miss Roo on the backs of magazines and billboards scattered across the UK as the new face of the fashion label. Featured also as the composer of the music for their Autumn Winter campaign, Roo began to expand his sound with the addition of strings, harmoniums and all manner of acoustic rarities. Two EPs are currently being made and feature many of the musical friends Roo has met along the way. The first ‘Know Me Well’ will be released on December 17th on CRC Music and will be launched at the beautiful St Pancras Old Church on the same day.
Gig Dates
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Independent Artist Movement
Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London
Thursday, 15 November 2012
Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London