Portwood

Bio:

.. “The Lights Are On” is the first full-length album recorded by Portwood. The album was recorded early 2009 in Auckland and mixed and mastered at York Street Studios finally being released on 12th October 2009.

Portwood is the brainchild of me, Gareth O’Connor a Scotsman who made the permanent move to Auckland in 2008.

I spent many years before this playing around London with my trusty Guild in hand. I was living the music dream, busking on the underground, playing in pubs and working a full time job. Hard work but fun and doing music.

I had the romantic idea of playing around London with guitar in hand until a good Kiwi girl brought me back with her to Auckland. Whilst in my last year in London I was looking for players to help add to my acoustic sound but never quite found the time to find the right people. So upon landing in Auckland Portwood was born.

Portwood is still only a one-man band but with the recording of a full length album featuring more than just guitar and vocals the doors are now open to find those players I was searching for. I would certainly need help to realise the album’s potential in the live arena. Everything for the album was played by me so I don't think I could do it all at the same time.

A couple of friends, Cy Winstanley and Vanessa McGowan did come down to visit and added their mark on a couple of tracks most notably with Vanessa adding vocals to “Loneliness Is Only Here” but have since returned to London to focus on their own musical commitments.

Once the recording process was finished Jason Hole at York Street Studios took up the mixing and mastering duties and now the finished article is available to you. I've been told it’s an album of great beauty, soulful with heart of gold (SkyLark2000 on UK iTunes said that) which is lovely. I'm certainly proud of it and current feedback has been extremely positive.

I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by xx