Music: SEAN McGOWAN CRUISES INTO NOTTINGHAM DATE WITH NEW SINGLE: ‘AUTO PILOT

CATCH SEAN + FULL LIVE BAND OUT ON THE ROAD THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019

“Like Strummer, Bragg and Duckworth before him, Sean McGowan possesses a world-weary spirit and an ability to translate that resignation into wryly observed studies of the human condition… A unique talent.” – LOUDER THAN WAR,

8/10Cruising into his imminent headline tour with a new single under his wing, SEAN McGOWAN is pleased to present: ‘Auto Pilot’.

Taken from Sean’s warmly-received debut album of last year, ‘Auto Pilot’ is another prime example of the perfectly preened and poetic indie-pop that made ‘Son Of The Smith’ such a rewarding listen. Brimful of Sean’s distinctly wry social observations and set in vividly relatable situations,“Auto Pilot” is tells a tale to lost loves and the pitfall-strewn pathway that lies beyond abitter break up. “And I can’t hack it any more, a splash of cold water doesn’t cure, the shame, the guilt,regret and all the dread in the morning and the next few days”, sings Sean, in a track that stands as one of the singer’s most emotionally complex and endearingly confessional outings to date.

Speaking about the themes of the song, Sean says: “Autopilot came from the realisation that drinking culture can be extremely toxic. I noticed most music I listened to was painting boozing as an escape and actually doing much more harm than good. ‘Everything has gone to shit – let’s go get drunk and pretend everything is OK’ is all well and good sometimes and often part of healing processes. But, if that’s your answer every time you inevitably spiral downwards. I wanted to write about a particular experience of mine with booze, honestly. It’s great fun to play live.”Weaving interloping guitar lines around a driving motorik beat, ‘Auto Pilot’ is an adrenaline-racing rush that testifies to the tight-knit musical mentality of his trusty backing band, who,fittingly join him on the road for an extensive run of UK shows this February and March.

“I’m looking forward to tour. We’re sounding tight and playing well. I don’t handle time off well. I need to be working and need to be on the road. So, after the Christmas break I’m raring to go now.”Kicking off at the Brighton’s The Hope & Ruin tomorrow (7th February 2019), Sean andband will be travelling the length and breadth of England and Wales for a whopping 21 live dates that culminate in Bournemouth’s The Anvil on 3rd March 2019. Full dates and details as follows: SEAN McGOWAN LIVE DATES FEBRUARY 201907 Brighton @ Hope & Ruin08 Bristol @ Louisiana09 Manchester @ Star & Garter10 Birmingham @ Sunflower Lounge13 Leicester @ Soundhouse14 Cardiff @ Clwb Ifor Bach15 Hastings @ Blackmarket16 Oxford @ Jericho Tavern17 Guildford @ Boiler Room19 Norwich @ Bermuda Bob’s Rum Shack & HiFi20 Cambridge @ Portland Arms21 Swindon @ Level 322 Leeds @ Hyde Park Book Club23 Newcastle @ Underground24 Glasgow @ Hug & Pint25 Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s27 St Albans @ The Horn28 Nottingham @ The BodegaMARCH 201801 Bedford @ Esquires02 London @ Borderline03 Bournemouth @ Anvil TICKETS ON SALE NOW: www.musicglue.com/seanmcgowan

The upcoming UK tour directly follows Sean’s biggest headline show to date, a Christmas homecoming in Southampton at the 1865 as supported by friend and labelmate Get Cape.Wear Cape. Fly; the cherry on top of what was a monumental year for the ascendingsinger-songwriter. Following the release of his debut album Son of the Smith in May 2018 – available on vinyl,CD and download from Xtra Mile Recordings now – Seán performed to crowds all overEurope and winning over new fans with his smart wordplay and clash of sad and riotoustunes. His biggest show saw him performing main stage at the legendary Camden Roundhouseas one of the main supports at Frank Turner’s Lost Evenings II. He toured with morefriends and Xtra Mile family Skinny Lister, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. and Will Varley, aswell as fellow working-class hero Billy Bragg. He skirted the fringes of the island with a setof dates in lesser-played Scottish towns. And he ended a year of touring with a UK andEuropean jaunt with eternal folk travellers The Levellers, in something of a dream supportslot. Back doing what he loves best, Seán hits the road once more in 2019 as he looks forward to an even bigger and brighter new year.

SEAN McGOWAN – ‘SON OF THE SMITH’ – ALBUM OUT NOW ON XTRA MILE RECORDINGS -Order the album on CD, LP and digital here: https://Seánmcgowan.lnk.to/sonofthesmithhttps://seanmcgowan.lnk.to/autopilotFOR MORE INFORMATIONw/ https://www.facebook.com/seanmcgowanmusicuk/