Biography

A dedicated fan base has grown around the hauntingly poetic lyrics and catchy melodies of British singer-songwriter BOBBY LONG.

British singer-songwriter Bobby Long has grown a dedicated fan base around his hauntingly poetic lyrics and catchy melodies. On his third record, ODE TO THINKING, Long returns to the basics: a guitar, sturdy songs, and his singularly plaintive voice.

The album’s 11 original tracks showcase a hard-won maturity that belies Long’s 29 years. A prolific songwriter who has been compared to his own heroes– Elliott Smith, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan– Long’s vision for Ode to Thinking was honed in a live setting, where each song found its place on the album after being perfected on stage.

The title cut, a lament to global apathy and confusion, opens the recording with intricate finger-picking on the guitar. From there, the album traverses minefields of the heart (“Cold Hearted Lover of Mine,” “Something Blue, Something Borrowed” and “Treat Me Like a Stranger”) to the outer reaches of nostalgia and memory (“That Little Place I Once Knew,” “1985”). The lyrics of “Not Going Out Tonight” unfold like a movie in three acts, while “Kill Someone” has a gripping story that Bobby shares at shows.

Producer/musician Mark Hallman (Carole King, Ani DiFranco) joined Long at Congress House Studios in Austin, Texas to record the album during two weeks in the fall of 2014. Hallman played bass guitar, drums, piano and organ on the recording and worked with Bobby to construct background vocals and poignant harmonies.

ODE TO THINKING was made possible by a hugely successful PledgeMusic campaign (www.pledgemusic.com/bobbylong) that was launched in the summer of 2014, receiving support from over 750 pledgers (and counting).

“It is incredibly gratifying that so many people wanted to help me make the new record,” Long says. “This community has been with me for every step of the journey.”