Contact/booking: jamesleonardhewitson@gmail.com

'Energetic and thought-provoking songs with a wry, unexpected beauty' - End of The Road Festival

2024

23rd Mar - s/ Mr Ben and The Bens, Pop Recs, Sunderland

6th Apr - Aelius Alternative Fest, Newcastle

20th Apr - s/ Scott Hepple and The Sun Band, Claypath Deli, Durham

30th May - Newcastle, RPM Music (instore gig)

1st June - Newcastle, Head of Steam

linktr.ee/jamesleonardhewitson

Music producer and sound designer, I've been working for over 15 years making soundtracks for TV ads, TV series and movies. My music is based on sensory concepts and sound sensations, using a combination of chord progressions, tones, Foley and FX tools.

Single Black Olive play soundtracks, surf and stuff. Think of a lovingly-stocked jukebox set to random play. Captain Beefheart to tunes from George A Romero's Dawn Of The Dead. Instrumentals about Dracula to prog-tinged library music gold. Jingles. Toe-tappers. Old school pop-soul. Never boring - always exploring.

Dream/noise pop/shoegaze from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.

Contact: wavesofdread@gmail.com

Songs about failed love, loss and the bleak reality of the past, present and future, influenced by new wave, goth and 60s girl groups. #doomdisco

Owner of 586 Records, in Gateshead. A vinyl only Record Store. All playing, all dancing music selector from Peterlee. Deein the DEX since Summer 1991. 

Resident at "Reverb" in Newcastle, early 2000's and more recently, Resident and co-promoter of "Suono". Occasional DJ for the superb Star And Shadow venue, in Newcastle. Happy, on the dancefloor, or providing the music for the dancers!.

Pretty much every mix found on here was done via 2 turntables, occasionally 2 cdj's and lots of cursing when I've been fighting to either get records in or to stay in. Rare is it, that I've used a computer or edited my mixes. I believe in keeping the human touch!!.

On this page you'll hear many of the tunes I grew up with and loved, around the 1990-1991 mark. I wasn't out clubbing at the beginning of the house explosion - I was listening to Deacon Blue, INXS, New Order, Joy Division, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and the type of "pop" that is now, more than likely, Balearic!.

I know it's a cliché, but I like to think that some of the mixes, almost tell a story - whether in the mood they create, or with the songs and lyrics within, that are used. Time, thought and a bit of effort have gone into them, so I hope you enjoy them and if you do, please feel free to share with friends - either by pointing them in the direction of my page, or downloading and putting onto disc and listening to, over and over again...x

Albert Smith is the recording alias of Gateshead songwriter and musician Steven Gordon.

After spending 5 years writing, releasing and touring as the main songwriter in dream pop outfit Headclouds to local and national acclaim, Steven's solo project launches in Summer 2021.

Albert Smith freewheels between low fi styled chamber folk, wonky pop to jazz tinged rock and back again, broadcasting from a world where every car is a 90's Volvo sedan, all four channels show Swiss Family Robinson and every radio station plays All Things Must Pass 24 hours a day. 

The name Albert Smith stems from the voice message pseudonym Steven used as a teen to trick his sixth form tutors when they called his number to ask why he was bunking business studies to practice playing guitar in the caretakers cottage.

Waves of Dread is following