Let Jon Allen be your guide as he introduces you to the dark underbelly of 18th century London with his brand new album‘Seven Dials’. The acclaimed folk, blues and Americana singer-songwriter presents a time capsule of an album in which each song captures a different snapshot of the experiences of ordinary Londoners during that era. Back then, the Seven Dialsarea was far removed from the vibrant city rush that it now has: instead it was one of the most deprived parts of the capital. Listen HERE.
The singles that have previewed the album each show the filmic world-building that Jon achieves throughout. They have explored the desperation and risk-taking of someone simply battling for day-to-day survival (‘Nine Lives’); the fear of being haunted by recriminations from inescapable troubles (‘The Shadow’); the dangers of being part of the illicit black market sugar trade of the time (‘White Gold’); brave defiance when the odds are stacked against you (‘Down With The Tide’); and drinking on the tightrope between escapism, hedonism and self-destruction (‘Midnight Oil’).
Now the full album extends his poetic narrative, taking in tales of underworld criminality, striving for a better future, and maintaining a semblance of hope at a time when all optimism seems to have been extinguished. The album’s title track and new focus song sees Jon’s gritty, whisky-soaked vocal set to a melancholic ‘70s Elton John-style piano ballad. Its lyrics capture a nostalgia for a time that might otherwise be best forgotten. But that’s human nature – our memories of moments lost to history inevitably focus on the positives and forget about the negatives.
As Jon explains, “I wrote this from the point of view of two characters reflecting on a time when they lived untamed in the moment, careless and bold, amidst the chaos of Seven Dials, Covent Garden. A place of contradictions – gritty and exciting but also dangerous and destructive.”
The title track encapsulates precisely what the entire album achieves. The stories and characters that Jon depicts are rooted in time, but their experiences and emotions have striking parallels in the present day. The record is also remarkable for Jon’s creative independence, with him having produced, performed and written everything that we hear.
In addition to its digital release, ‘Seven Dials’ is available HERE on vinyl and CD formats.
Influenced by the likes of Van Morrison, Free and The Faces, Jon Allen has carved out a distinguished career. His career highlights have included performing at Glastonbury and on ‘Later… with Jools Holland’, collaborating with Sir Paul McCartney and Mark Knopfler, and amassing over 40 million streams. The release of ‘Seven Dials’ now represents the most ambitious and fully realised project of his journey to date.
Jon Allen will celebrate the release of ‘Seven Dials’ by hitting the road with his band The Luna Kings: Randall Breneman (guitar), Phil Brickell (bass) and Adam Skinner (drums). Remaining tickets for the shows, listed below, are available HERE.
MAY
16th – Cardiff, Acapela Studio
24th – London, Bush Hall
29th – Haarlem, Patronaat (SOLD OUT)
30th – Rotterdam, Rotown
31st – Utrecht, Tivoli (LAST TICKETS)
JUNE
1st – Groningen, De Oosterpoort (LAST TICKETS)
5th – Odense, Dexter
19th – Barnoldswick, Music and Arts Centre (SOLD OUT)
20th – Newcastle, The Cluny
AUGUST
31st – The Hague, Once In A Blue Moon Festival
