Ali Whitton is a most interesting new Kiwi artist, and he is excited about his debut album, Between the Forest and the Stars, out in April next year.

The first single from it, Quiet My Heart has just dropped a few weeks ago. The title is the soothing mantra core of the song, putting in perspective the trauma of a difficult relationship breakdown.

The song has an air of peace and transcendence, and with its acoustic guitar accompaniment is a Folk song suffused with the Blues.

Whitton is by no means a new musician. He was born in New Zealand (with a twin brother) when his British father was employed working with the steel mill workers at Glenbrook in Franklin, New Zealand

They were back soon in the UK, where Ali grew up in the rural countryside of North Yorkshire. A New Zealander by birth and he speaks with a mild Yorkshire accent.

Whitton feels he came into music as a form of artistic experience later in life than is usual from his peers. He recalls the very first form of encouragement at age 7 was a negative one from a primary school teacher who told him he did not have musical ear and therefore not to bother with it.

Not the first time he would hear that comment and to this day he is still a little self-conscious about his voice.

His mother did perform in local Folk clubs, but the biggest impetus for songwriting came from his father’s poetry writing when addressing the issues and emotions of previous relationships.

This is the spark that ignited the passion and he came to learn the guitar a few years later. All self-taught, no learning off YouTube videos as many have done in recent times.

He attended Leeds University, but he studied mathematics, although he did end up with a degree in music technology.

It was at Leeds that he did start performing, playing finger-pick guitar gleaned from listening to records.

Bands like the Kaiser Chiefs were attracting attention in the area. The Gang of Four and Soft Cell are also Leeds alumni.

What are his main influences?  Bob Dylan and James Taylor most obviously come to the fore.

Inspiration from Damien Rice (especially the O album), Bright Eyes and Conor Oberst, The Shins, Justin Townes Earle.

There is a lot of the feel of Americana in his Folk mixed with older Roots Country music.

The melancholy subject matter of his lyrics touches on the Blues as Country (as opposed to the Country Blues) of Hank Williams.

Why don’t you write happy songs he has been asked. Those are fine, but it is the music of pain and suffering and its transcending which is at the core of Folk and Country and its long roots.

Whitton did put together a band when he was actively plying his trade and chasing his muse in London, through his twenties.

Ali Whitton and The Broken Record Player, and with them he self-produced and recorded two albums.

At this time, he had also found a niche performing in Paris, which meant frequent Eurostar trips across the channel to perform weekends.

Bad luck and fate would intervene. A second album from his band had been recorded and was supposed to accompany him to Paris to promote his shows, but they arrived all smashed via the courier delivery service. That broke his spirit as well.

Whilst in London, he became good mates with the pre-celebrity Ed Sheeran. Both were plying the same circuit as yet-to-be-discovered singer songwriters.

Sheeran will pop up later in the story.

It was 2010 that saw Whitton a little demoralised and possibly burnt out from pursuing a musical path. As he bought a one-way ticket and finally headed down to New Zealand. Music took a three-year hiatus.

He would have been too young to establish any roots in New Zealand. What attracted him was the environment and the often-spectacular scenery of this country. He does work as a gardener. He ha a passion for surf and the windy grey weather around Wellington, where he has been based.

He has battled health issues with chronic fatigue syndrome, which took him 3 years to work through the physical and mental issues associated with this.

But the music bug was only dormant and hibernating and it would resurrect eventually.

Seeking musical partners led by circuitous way to his first Kiwi incarnation as Lost Bird. Asking for banjo players but he ended up with violinist Oliver Vetter as a consistent partner.

Some Lost Bird songs are available on Spotify.

You Don’t Get Strong from An Easy Life has echoes of the Band, especially from their second album when they were redefining Americana as ol’ timey rock’n’roll.

Wood Smoke, Winds and Silver Seas is about the grey wild windy Wellington surf, and has some nice banjo-playing approaching Bluegrass, and played by Jerry Paul. This one took a bit of searching around the internet.

The Birds played on support slots for many local artists, but a huge break came for Whitton when old mate Ed Sheeran invited him to open his show in New Zealand in 2018.

This proved to be a reset for the career path of Whitton.

Sheeran asked him if he was still writing music, and Whitton played him his then version of Quiet My Heart. Sheeran was impressed and encouraged him to record it.

Then he put down a challenge. Write one song a week, and he would he happy to support him in coming up with an album. The difference this time it would be under his own name as a solo artist.

Whitton describes this as the songwriter’s gym. The muse and inspiration were back. He had over 50 songs and he had to find a producer.

Whatever circuitous route it took, he found the right man in the ubiquitous Dave Khan, the multi-instrumentalist who plays with everyone (Delaney Davidson, Marlon Williams, The Bads just to name a few).

He brought along Reb Fountain (Khan is a key member of her band) as co-producer, to help work up some of those songs to give it a special polish and lyrical finish.

Whitton was able to get Khan to play a pedal steel on at least one track. I have seen him play everything else except that. The core musicians who play on the album are Gus Agars (Yarra Benders) drums, and Steve Harrop bass.

Ali Whitton is ready to embark on his musical path again, and he is already thinking about his second album.

A lot of New Zealand’s best artists make the journey from home to abroad to establish their careers. Often Australia and then on to London, Nashville, New York, Los Angeles.

Ali Whitton has reversed the order. He started in the UK and is now launching a revitalised self in New Zealand.

Rev. Orange Peel