John Hughes, the Canadian singer-songwriter best known for his well-received single, "Bring 'Em On," will soon release his debut album. Recorded in Nashville in Fall 2007, "TIME" is an album that brings together the experience, spunk and keen lyrical skills of Hughes, a native of Saint John, New Brunswick. Legendary producer Joe Hardy, who has produced the likes of ZZ Top, Steve Earle, and Tom Cochrane, oversaw the production of "TIME."
While Hughes' signature single "Bring 'Em On" is not part of the 11-song collection featured on "TIME," it was recently featured on the official web site of Neil Young, the legendary rocker who has long supported grass roots music. Also featured on Young's web site is "Soldier On," the first single off of Hughes' upcoming album, and the most popular this week, sitting in the number one position. Although it precedes the full album release, "Soldier On" has also been greeted with critical acclaim.
"'Soldier On' sounds like it could be Clapton backed by the Beatles," wrote T Max, publisher of The Noise: Rock Around Boston. "I like the feel of it – friendly and sad – not confrontational."
Hughes, who cites his musical influences as everyone from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to The Supremes, from Led Zeppelin to John Prine, said it was an honor to work with a veteran producer like Joe Hardy.
"I wrote these songs in a style that reflects all the music I grew up listening to," Hughes said. "The classic stuff - the music that never goes out of style because it's not trendy. I knew I was going to have to find the right producer and the right band to work with. Joe Hardy made that happen. The album is exactly as I wanted it. I owe that to Joe."
Hardy was quick to return the praise, calling Hughes' music "an honest, heartfelt expression of what's inside him. What you hear is what he is. TIME is timeless – just great songs and musicianship. It will sound as good 20 years from now as it does today."
John Hughes is a multi-talented musician and songwriter who currently resides in Rothesay, New Brunswick. Although this is his first solo album, he has been performing live since age 15, starting out as a self-taught drummer. Since that time, he has added singing, guitar and harmonica to his repertoire and performed around the world, from Hollywood, California to Rome, Italy. In addition to select music stores, "TIME" is available on i-tunes in 22 countries.
