Most musicians boast of exploding onto their local scene in a glittering blaze of media hype and spontaneous applause. The unassuming, unusual and enigmatic T.E. Yates, however, snuck in through an open window.
His name was not on the top line of event posters but rather a discreet artist signature in the bottom corner; his first gig flyers and album covers were ones he designed for other bands, not himself. He’s performed in front of huge crowds but always as a hired hand or supporting player, a multi-instrumentalist in the shadows – mandolin, banjo, harmonica, even musical saw – you may have heard him on the tracks of other artists without even knowing it. But now T.E. Yates has stepped out of the shadows, taking center-stage with a formidable backing band (both onstage and on record) comprising members of Victorian Dad, The Bedlam Six, Ottersgear, Gorilla Riot, and Honeyfeet.
@teyates [rotatingtweets screen_name=’teyates’]Even when performing solo the man doesn’t travel light, his weird and wonderful drawings regularly making an appearance between songs, baffling and delighting audiences in equal measures.
His debut album “Silver Coins And White Feathers” is by turns moving, catchy and ambitious, brimming with influences from all across the genre spectrum, the subject matter ranging from astronomy to the Suffrage movement – a real treat for music lovers of all persuasions.
“Nick Drake’s ‘Hazy Jane’ with a touch of Roy Orbison”
– BBC Radio Manchester
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/T.E.Yates.Official
https://twitter.com/teyates
https://soundcloud.com/t-e-yates
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6vfksH96y3ZbDe6SLRX6mT
https://teyates.bandcamp.com
https://vimeo.com/user24745797
https://debtrecords.net
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrn1R2iL89k&index=1&list=PL–NzcS5ylP3JYe2k6gDEcqZQVsszD-Lp
