Bernard Butler
+ Teenage Waitress
Bernard Butler has been noted as one of Britain's most original and influential musicians. In 1989 he formed Suede releasing the Mercury winning No.1 debut “Suede” and the era-defining “Dog Man Star”, a sprawling concept of rare ambition. His collaboration with David McAlmont on the anthemic ”Yes" provided an intriguing footprint across Britpop’s otherwise jingoist landscape culminating in 2 albums and a sell out at London's Roundhouse in 2015.
He released two solo albums on Creation, the acclaimed "People Move On" yielding the hit single "Stay", and "Friends and Lovers” and a Brit nomination before moving into a celebrated period as producer and songwriter including seminal releases by The Libertines, Tricky, Black Kids, Kate Nash, Nerina Pallot, Teleman, The Cribs, James Morrison, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Texas, Mark Eitzel, Mull Historical Society, Sam Lee, Oscar Lang and Paloma Faith.
In 2005 he began a collaboration with Duffy spawning her five million-selling, Grammy and Brit Award winning debut Rockferry, whilst Butler won the Producer's Award at the 2009 BRIT Awards.
He has played guitar live or on records by Pet Shop Boys, Bryan Ferry, Roy Orbison, Bert Jansch, The Libertines, Neneh Cherry, Robert Plant and Ben Watt with whom he toured extensively. Butler's group Trans released a series of EPs featuring tracks grown out of improvisational recordings made at Butler's own Studio 355.
Butler acts as proud Patron to the Bert Jansch Foundation, hosts a radio show "BB & The King" on Boogaloo Radio, and is a Lecturer at BIMM London developing students through their BA in Songwriting. He composed the original score to BBC Horizons documentary "Back From The Dead" and collaborated in songwriting camps and sessions for Warner-Chappell Publishing. He conducts audience-led PreProduction events around the country for the Musicians Union and is a Patron of the Music Venue Trust.
He is currently working on a new collaboration alongside his first solo material in 20 years.
Teenage Waitress
In Ash's own words Teenage Waitress is "a collection of short stories set to what I hope are some instantly hummable tunes. Then once a song feels pretty enough, I'll drown it all out with fuzzy, obnoxious guitars and synths that sound a bit poorly. And as for the Waitress? Well, that's the eavesdropping listener!"