William The Conqueror ready to ‘invade’ Leeds

The UK tour starts this month and will see the band appear at the Lending Room on Wednesday, May 8.

William the Conqueror is the band put together by songwriter Ruarri Joseph, alongside his close musical conspirators Harry Harding (drums) and Naomi Holmes (bass) in the winter of 2015.

‘Bleeding on the Soundtrack’ is the second album from the band, following the debut ‘Proud Distributor of the Peace’ (2017).

In creating William The Conqueror, Joseph has found a vehicle to exorcise demons and a freedom to draw on a personal history that he’d unconsciously skirted as a solo artist. The trio’s live performances have a boundless energy and rawness that has been captured on the record with the help of producer Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Laura Marling, The Jayhawks).

Lifted from the new album is recent single ‘Looking for the Cure’, a song about redemption. It is raw, laid-bare song-writing but with an acerbic wit and an overall cathartic effect that turns a dark experience into something more hopeful, even joyous. As frontman Ruarri Joseph expands:

“’Looking for the Cure’ started out as a mournful ballad about witnessing the process of recovery from addiction. The tragedy of searching for something that doesn’t exist. Then it dawned on me that if you’re looking, at least it means you’re alive to do so, and that’s a cure in itself.”

Mirrored in the song’s contrary message of joy is the bold, driven musicality of William The Conqueror. Ex-Atlantic singer songwriter Ruarri Joseph (guitar/vocals) is joined by Naomi Holmes (bass/vocals) and Harry Harding (drums/vocals) to deliver a brand of Americana that bleeds into heavier southern rock, with touches of blues and influences in the youthful sounds of grunge and indie-rock. ‘Looking for the Cure’ was recorded at Real World Studios, Wiltshire and produced by Ethan Johns.