Long Shadows

2016 release, the sixth solo studio album from multiple Brit and Grammy award winner John Illsley. After cutting his teeth as bass player and one of the founding members of Dire Straits, Illsley has also released a steady stream of solo material, an output that, although never rushed, has been critically acclaimed. Undertaking lead vocal, acoustic guitar and bass duties on all of the album's eight tracks, Illsley's unmistakable sound, approach to arrangement and song writing is paired with his faultless lyrical storytelling. A departure from the previous album's themes of personal trials and tribulations, Illsley comments that the lyrical content pertains to "the obvious political and social elements which have always concerned me." Illsley enlisted a roster of top friends and musicians for this release, including Simon Johnson (Lana Del Rey, James Morrison) on electric guitar and Guy Fletcher performing keyboard duties, as well as co-producing the album with Illsley. The Mark Knopfler owned British Grove Studios along with Room with a View Studio and A Bay Studios were used to record and produce the record, with Illsley's children Jess and Dee Dee Illsley also contributed backing vocals.