Rowan Coupland is a musician from Brighton, UK, via the west country.
Having taught himself an array of instruments as a teenager, he creates intricate and heady collections of lullabies, squawks, hollers, violins, bells, guitars, glockenspiels, harps, accordions, clarinets and self-policing gospel choirs. Everything being described as plural here is of course misleading as Rowan usually operates solo.
His live shows began as a one-man effort, recreating his recordings with all his limbs making themselves useful. Three or more instruments would find themselves being played simultaneously, and a harp roadie was sometimes necessary.
The show continued to shift and morph and a focus on duets culminated in a sell out show featuring a different duettist for each song. Nowadays Rowan will stalk his way around the stage letting his singing hug the walls, with cooing and stamping in equal measure.
-Rowan is soon to release his debut EP, 'Thorns, brambles, white water and black oak' on Static Caravan, with an album to follow later in the year-
Aside from performing solo Rowan is a member of Brighton's Willkommen Collective and plays clarinet and percussion, and sings, with Sons of Noel and Adrian. He also hollers about the devil with The Devil May Cares, and has also in the past played with Mary Hampton and Lord Magpie and the Prince of Cats.
For live videos from my union chapel show in london:
Opening from Rowan Coupland on Vimeo .
Breathing life back (clip) from Rowan Coupland on Vimeo .
