John Manuel

  "Lost and Found”

John Manuel is a singer songwriter based in Durban and 'Lost and Found' is his first solo album.

John has honed his skills as a fingerpicking guitarist over the last 10 years and builds his songs from the complex guitar riffs which are his trademark sound.

The album, which has been two years in the making, was developed under the guidance of one of South Africa’s top producers, Brian O’Shea. Commenting on their partnership John explained that when they first met Brian promised that they would make an album beyond what John had ever dreamed, and 'Lost and Found' is definitely such an album. 'Brian constantly pushed me to explore new dimensions of song craft in a way that never undermined the integrity of the music. He understood that my songs tell stories based on my observations of life around me, whether personal or political. This needs to define both the sound and the character of the music we make. Brian gets this and was always sensitive to my instincts in this regard.  My time with Brian has probably been the richest in my musical career', John concludes.  

After discussions with several record labels, John signed with Musketeer Records to market 'Lost and Found'.  John believes that Musketeer is unusual in the music industry because they place the needs of the artist and the album at the center of their strategy. 'I am fortunate', says John, 'in that I have a fully engaging job as a school teacher, so this album is a 'labour of love'; it is not commercially motivated. I have recorded it because I have songs developing inside of me and I want to get them out on the airwaves'. Musketeer fully understands this and has devised a plan around this.

 When asked what next, John smiles. ‘There are plenty more songs on the way', he says. 'I have riffs in my head, many of which feel like old friends, and they emerge at their own time into fully fledged songs. It will be a life long journey of creativity for me'.

Official release date 12^th July 2010.

Track listing:

1.     No Time To Stop

2.     Centre Stage

3.     Lost and Found

4.     Chase

5.     Discriminate

6.     Bravery

7.     Never Work

8.     Expectations

9.     Slowly

10.  The Pearl

For further information contact: gavin@musketeer.co.za