Biography
Writing songs from the age of 5 (! - well OK, 10, in earnest...) in my native London, I trained with renowned singing coach Jean Marshall (Trinity College Annex, London). From 1985 through 1989 I worked intensively with gifted musicians, was one-half of the Folk- Rock duo 'Eleventh Hour', performed in London venues, and released various recordings en route, culminating in moving to California, where I performed the gamut of West Coast clubs & coffee houses, garnering plenty of positive reviews and college radio airplay (though I personally don't think I sound remotely like Joni, enough people have said my music reminds them of her to make me eventually capitulate and say well OK, then...THANX!).
In collaboration with many talented musicians and producers, some of my successes have been: Finalist of the 1990 Napa Valley Emerging Songwriters Folk Festival, forming two bands (in London and LA), and writing the theme songs of several indie movies and TV shows ("Fade Out Inn', "The Dream of Alvareen", "Kiss of the Vampire", and the co-write 'Home' for "Big in Small Places - USA"), and the release of several self-released cassettes and CDs over the years. In 2005 I relocated my primary homebase from California to Hawai;'i, having founded my new company, Paradise Production Studios, the year before. Currently, I am working on two exciting new projects right here on Kaua'i - a movie (www.MySpace.com/answerinalohasoundtrack) and a theatrical production, 'Mana', both for which I am writing the songs.
Some of the wonderful musicians and songwriters I've worked with over the years are (listed alphabetically): Lincoln Adler, Antonia Bennett, John DiMambro (Down By Law, Pearl Harbor, Red Lightning), Eric M. Fowler (English Beat, Boxing Gandhis, Horace Godwink), Philippo Franchini (Blues Divine), John Gilleran (Taj Mahal), Stu Goldberg, Lorin Hart, Paul Johnson, Les July, Daniel Keller, Robert Lacchi, Dennis Morouse, Omashar, Amy Rowland, Paul Williams, Joey Wolpert....plus (nepotistic plug!) my brother is London- based guitarist/producer Roger Hands (of erstwhile King Prawn), and our Dad is poet & playwright John Jarvis Hands.
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