Young British troubadour Connor Selby has revealed that he will be joining the Grammy nominated powerhouse singer Beth Hart on her upcoming UK and Ireland tour. The tour will be calling through Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle, London and Manchester. Tickets are available HERE.
Talking about the upcoming shows, Connor says, “Beth Hart is someone I’ve been following for many years, having first heard about her through her work with Joe Bonamassa. I saw them play together at Hampton Court Palace as a teenager and I was blown away by her voice and the way her personality comes across in her music. A true force of nature. I’m very grateful to be opening up for her on her tour.”
The announcement coincides with his UK Blues Award nominations for “Acoustic Act of the Year”, “Instrumentalist of the Year”, “Blues Vocalist of the Year” and “Blues Artist of the Year” 2023. One of the brightest talents on the UK blues scene. He has already been voted “Young Artist of the Year” at the UK Blues Awards for the last three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022). He has an impressive venue checklist, including Wembley Stadium, where he opened for The Who in July 2019 and has since gone on to play BST Hyde Park, London, on a bill with Pearl Jam, Stereophonics and Johnny Marr in the summer of 2022. The album was originally self-released in 2021 and is getting re-released with extra love ad four new bonus songs by Provogue.
Selby will be releasing ‘Connor Selby (Deluxe Edition)’ on 3rd March via Provogue. The album features four brand-new bonus tracks including the recent videos for “I Shouldn’t Care” and “The Deep End (lyric video).” There’s a timeless melancholic quality to his music. Relatable in its honesty and openness, he draws from anxiety and vulnerability but delivers it with a world-worn elegance.
Raised in an Essex village, he has trodden a path less travelled. From early years in Connecticut, USA, as a young child to Dubai, UAE, aged ten to fourteen, and Essex either side, with those young eyes soaked up the travels and the changes passing him by. One thing that kept with him was his burgeoning love of American roots music. “I got interested in not just the music itself but the history and everything around it,” he says. “I wanted to learn and listen as much as I could. I think it’s important for someone who isn’t from that cultural background to treat it with the respect it deserves. You can’t separate the music from its historical context.” “I love the directness, the simplicity and earthiness of it,” he adds. “I’ve also always been attracted to the authoritative quality of the music. As a kid and teenager, I was quite shy and not very self-assured, so I think it was a place for me to find a sense of power.”
The sky is the limit for Selby, who, along with awards, has picked up numerous plays on BBC Radio 2. It’s easy to see why with his soulful blend of blues and his emotionally introspective songwriting, which sits alongside his impressive armoury of guitar playing. The songs on ‘Connor Selby’ are little vignettes of the different styles of music that inspire him.
Tour dates
03 Feb – Planet Rock Winter’s End Festival, Trecco Bay, Wales
25 Feb – The Jazz Café, London w/P.P. Arnold
26 Feb – The Jazz Café, London w/P.P. Arnold
03 Mar – Vicar Street, Dublin w/Beth Hart
05 Mar – Ulster Hall, Belfast w/Beth Hart
07 Mar – SEC Centre, Glasgow w/Beth Hart
09 Mar – Symphony Hall, Birmingham w/Beth Hart
11 Mar – City Hall, Sheffield w/Beth Hart
13 Mar – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester w/Beth Hart
15 Mar – City Hall, Newcastle w/Beth Hart
17 Mar – Palladium, London w/Beth Hart
18 Mar – Palladium, London w/Beth Hart
21 Mar – Dome, Brighton w/Beth Hart
