Louis Berry was born in Tower Hill, Kirkby, to a heroin addict father and a mother desperate to keep him on the right side of the law, his was a life lived like so many others on sink estates across the UK and he has since lived all over Liverpool from about the age of 16.
Eventually getting access to a guitar after his grandfather, more of a father figure for him than his own father, gave him an entry level banjo. Louis, having found a chord book, would sneak up to his bedroom and learn to play. His grandfather had kept his own guitar at the end of his bed. Louis recalls, "I wasn't allowed to touch it, so obviously I went up and had a little go. I liked it."
One night a friend made him sing, the Bee Gees' "How Deep Is Your Love" and it was a turning point as he realised that he had talent and to have that talent acknowledged by others. Here was something he could do that didn't rely on living outside normal behavioral parameters, or living outside the law.
His early influences were American rapper, songwriter, and actor Tupac Shakur, Sam Cooke, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. Things grew as the songs flowed and he began to sing about what he knew and what he saw, not caring if people liked it or not, and it took just two gigs for him to be signed to the Ministry label. One chance conversation led to a chance meeting with producer, Jon Withnall, that led to a studio session, that led to a band. Having only been singing and writing songs for a couple of years life moved fast for Louis who signed a publishing deal straight after his explosive debut gig for BBC Introducing. The early single '.45' was the first introduction to Louis' songwriting world and quickly won him local praise as well as support amongst music tastemakers such as Zane Lowe who nominated it his 'Next Hype'. By the spring of 2015 he was awarded the 'One To Watch' at Liverpool's prestigious GIT Awards at the Kazimier by a panel consisting of representatives from BBC 6 Music, NME, Vice, The Guardian and Q Magazine. However it was '25 Reasons', the first single from his 2015 debut EP, 'Rebel', which really cemented his sound, an amalgam of classic, gritty rock n roll with soul. The track saw regular plays and radio support from BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac and John Kennedy at Radio X.
His songs are about real experiences, people getting shot, people dying, people dealing with drug addictions in and outside his own family. People borrowing money to try and live and when they can't borrow money they just have to go hungry.
Louis together with 'The Coral' were among the nominees for the 2017 Merseyside music prize The GIT Award and his debut single 'She Wants Me' garnered significant radio play. Louis said, "I was over in Belfast staying with a couple of friends and we went out to a few pubs in the town and there were traditional Irish musicians playing and the sound was amazing. I decided I wanted to write a song that echoed that sound so I went back home and tried it with a distorted electric guitar and this whole huge Rockabilly type sound just accidentally happened. It was a great moment!"
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| Leeds 2019 |
The single 'Nicole', released ahead of his debut album, is an indie rock song, an ode to a girl he's been pursuing. His raw-edged vocals grate perfectly with the rock and roll bite to his music. His evocative single, 'Stumbling', directed by Ella Jones was the first to be taken from the forthcoming debut album and was produced by Louis, Marcus Foster and Koz, the Grammy winning Canadian producer (Dua Lipa, Kendrick Lamar). His debut album, released in early 2018, was recorded in Nashville in 2016 with legendary producer Jacquire King. The year 2019 was to be a year of change for Louis, with the new single 'Molly Malone' acting as a statement of intent for the newly independent Berry. The single preceded his new EP, titled 'XIV' released in November 2019, via Ditto. Reminiscent of his standout singles '25 Reasons', 'She Wants Me' and 'Restless', 'Molly Malone' is a feverish, fast-paced track showcasing the raw and earnest vocals synonymous with Berry. The XIV tour took in sold out dates at Liverpool, Edinburgh, Leeds and London. His latest single 'Chains' was released in February 2020 following his appearances in Glasgow, Manchester and Dublin.
Liverpool Sound City posted on Facebook, 'King Louis Berry returns for Round 2 after conquering Hangar34 in 2019! A singer-songwriter at the top of his game, his hometown return will be unmissable.' A new single, You Or Nothing' was made available for download in October 2021.
see also:- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2020/10/pool-of-sound-trudy-and-romance.html
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