Rob Dunsford

Biog

Singer/songwriter Rob Dunsford is based in Mid Wales & Shropshire. A late-developer, Rob only started taking his music-making seriously in the past few years and has been pleasantly surprised by the warm reception his music has received.

Appearances at SolFest, Workhouse Festival and Sheep Music Festival in 2009 have exposed him to wider audiences and he hopes to play yet more festivals in 2010.

Early in 2009 Rob's music caught the attention of the Wonder Stuff's Miles Hunt who invited Rob to contribute three songs to a compilation album called 'Shared' which was released in the Summer of 2009 to great reviews from the industry and public alike.

Rob is currently taking time out from his busy gigging schedule to record his debut album.

A few photos

Upcoming gigs

11 Sep 2010 'Shared' at The Bridges

An afternoon/evening of great music featuring many artists from Miles Hunt's "Shared" project including myself, Matthew Derrick, Ian Prowse, Brentlee, Smoke Feathers, The Daughters, Timothy Parkes, Dirty Ray, Emma & The Professor and Miles & Erica.Kicks off at 3pm - I'm playing at 5.15pm.

24 Sep 2010 Horseshoe Inn, Bridges, RatlinghopeSupporting Dave Roberts

Latest news

Rob appearing on Townes Van Zandt tribute albumPosted on 05-09-2010

I'm chuffed to bits to announce that a cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Two Girls" I recorded a few months ago appears on an upcoming tribute album."The music of Townes Van Zandt is provocative, melanchol....

Shared Shared

Three of my songs appear on a wonderful compilation album called 'Shared' put together by Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls and featuring Wayne Hussey, Dirty Ray, Timothy Parkes, Matthew Derrick as well as Miles, Erica and myself.

"Riding the range"

"The music of Townes Van Zandt is provocative, melancholy, soulful and soul-searching. It aches, it tells stories. Townes wore his heart on his sleeve. His songs - and the effect he had on people - gave him a disparate band of followers around the world.

This compilation has been carefully created by fans and admirers of Townes Van Zandt. 99p from every sale goes to benefit the QE2 Activity Centre and all of the artists involved have contributed their track for free. Phil Oates from the Centre and singer songwriter Michael Weston King masterminded the project and invited the artists to contribute, the result is breathtaking and there's even a very rare Townes' tune – written by Michael too."

Dave Henderson, MOJO magazine

The Magic Numbers - Quicksilver Dreams of Maria
Michael Weston King - Marie
Danny And The Champions Of The World - For The Sake Of The Song
Dan Michaelson - I'll Be Here In The Morning
Peter Bruntnell - Second Lovers Song
Boo Hewerdine - Lungs
the Mighty Stef featuring Shane MacGowan - Waitin' Round To Die
Johnny Dowd And Billy Cote - No Place To Fall
Stan Ridgway And Peter Case - If I Was Washington
Jeb Loy Nichols - Flyin' Shoes
Shannon Lyon - If I needed you
Jason McNiff And Songdog - Mr Mudd and Mr Gold
Tom Ovans - Loretta
David Wrench And Henry Priestman - Snake Song
Jackie Leven - Townes At The Borderline
Danny Schmidt And Carrie Elkin - Rex's Blues
Rob Dunsford - Two Girls
Devon Sproule - Turnstyled, Junkpiled
Jeffrey Foucault - Nothin'
Townes Van Zandt and the Calvins - Riding The Range

Order your copy

You can order a copy directly from the Centre by sending a cheque or postal order for a minimum of £10 plus £2 p&p. You can pay more if you wish!

You can buy it more cheaply at Amazon & elsewhere but buying it direct from the Centre means that the QE2 Activity Centre gets a better return - and, lets face it, that is why all these fine artists have contributed their time & talents.

Cheques should be made payable to QE2 Activity Centre and sent to Riding the Range, QE2 Activity Centre, Manor Farm Country Park, Pylands Lane, Bursledon, Hampshire, SO31 1BH, UK.

First review!

"Riding The Range is the brainchild of two men: Phil Oates, the director of the QE2 Centre, and musician Michael Weston King, a masterful songwriter and performer in his own right whose song Riding The Range, as performed by Townes himself, gives title to the tribute. And both Oates and King deserve kudos, for their combined curatorial efforts have paid off in spades. Riding the Range contains a particularly strong mix of US and UK singer-songwriters and countryfolk troubadours, including new and newly-recast recordings from Cover Lay Down favorites Devon Sproule, Boo Hewerdine, Peter Case, Danny Schmidt, and Jeffrey Foucault. And though a number of the featured players were new to me, including Johnny Dowd, The Magic Numbers, and King himself, the resulting collection is consistently excellent, even breathtaking - no mean feat, considering the album's length and diversity."
www.coverlaydown.com

"Shared"

Listen to my sampler below

"Rob's songs truly are extensions of his personality. The three songs he chose to record for this album embody the same intelligence, humour and curious confessional nature that are immediately apparent when you sit down to share a pint with him. Mo & Bob Macauley had often rhapsodised to both Erica and I of Rob's performances at the Horseshoe Inn and when we finally saw him play we fully understood their enthusiasm.... I've seen him silence an audience far too many times to consider him anything less than a true songsmith"

Miles Hunt

The Waiting Song - Dirty Ray
Dashboard Therapy - Rob Dunsford
Witchcraft - Timothy Parkes
Oars In The Water - Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls
You're My Heaven - Matthew Derrick
Like A Child Again - Wayne Hussey
The Rain Song - Dirty Ray
Don't Go To The Other Side Of The World - Rob Dunsford
Looks Like Rain - Timothy Parkes
The Sum Of Us - Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls
Head Up, Chin Down - Matthew Derrick
Tower Of Strength - Wayne Hussey
The Mermaid's Song - Dirty Ray
Millionaire - Rob Dunsford
Holes - Timothy Parkes
We All Go Down Together - Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls
Not On My Cloud - Matthew Derrick
Trail Of Scarlett - Wayne Hussey