Daniel Merriweather to release “Love & War” in U.S.

Australian singer and songwriter Daniel Merriweather will release his debut album, entitled Love & War, in the U.S. out this fall on J Records/Allido Records. Already an enormous hit in the UK, where it debuted at #2 on the British album chart this week, Love & War has been called “one of the debuts of the, well, century” with “the potential to be a genre-crossing monster” by the UK’s Daily Mirror and “an orgasm for your ears” by no less a harbinger of big things to come than Perez Hilton. Other UK press raves include Q declaring Merriweather a “retro-popster primed for chart glory,” Uncut’s 4 star album review, and Music Week’s offering “truly jaw-dropping stuff.” The Guardian calls Merriweather “indisputably soulful” and The Daily Telegraph writes “his rich, trembling soulful voice, melodic flow, and horse percussive stabs call to mind the Fifties idol Dion crossed with Otis Redding.”

His current UK single from Love & War, “Red,” is currently the #2 most-played song in the UK and debuted Top 5 on the Singles chart, and features stellar guitar work from Sean Lennon and Harper Simon (Paul’s son). The first UK single, “Change” (featuring rapper Wale) peaked at #3 on the British airplay chart, debuted Top 10 on the Singles chart, and is currently a Top 10 hit in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The album also features “Water and a Flame” — a sultry duet with Grammy Award-winning soul singer Adele.

Though Merriweather may be best known in the U.S. as the remarkably soulful voice behind “Stop Me” (a standout track from DJ/producer Mark Ronson’s eclectic album Version that went to #1 on the UK’s airplay chart), the 27-year-old Melbourne native firmly establishes himself as a solo artist in his own right on Love & War, which pulses with gritty hip-hop beats, ’60s soul keyboards and horns, warm textures of acoustic and electric guitar, and cinematic string arrangements, all anchored by Merriweather’s combustible vocals.

Love & War is also a showcase for Merriweather’s considerable songwriting talents. He wrote nearly every song on the album with various musician friends, and then presented his compositions to Ronson (who produced the album) and his backing band, The Dap Kings (of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings), who also played on Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black and Ronson’s Version. “For this album, it’s as if I took all of my influences, shook them up in a box, and came up with a bunch of songs that I think stand away from any one particular genre,” Merriweather says. “I’m as inspired by Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest as I am by Vivaldi, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Buckley, or D’Angelo. There are artists who are archivists—they make music directly derived from music they love. I make music by subconsciously blending things I’ve heard throughout my life.”

For more about this exciting newcomer, including audio and video clips, and photos, please visit www.danielmerriweather.com.

The track-listing for Love & War is as follows:

“For Your Money”

“Impossible”

“Change” (featuring Wale)

“Chainsaw”

“Cigarettes”

“Red”

“Could You”

“Not Giving Up”

“Getting Out”

“Water And A Flame” (featuring Adele)

“Live By Night”

“Giving Everything Away For Free”