Newton Faulkner | |
|---|---|
 Faulkner performing in Cambridge in July, 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sam Newton Battenberg Faulkner |
| Born | 11 January 1985 Reigate, Surrey, England |
| Genres | Folk rock, pop rock, indie rock, acoustic |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, sitar, bass guitar, bass pedals, banjo, mandolin, guzheng, guitarron, piano, kazoo, ukulele |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Aware Records Sony BMG Battenberg Records[1] |
| Website | www |
Sam Newton Battenberg Faulkner (born 11 January 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and musician from Reigate, Surrey. He is known for his percussive style of guitar playing.[2] In 2007 Faulkner's debut studio album Hand Built by Robots was certified double platinum in the United Kingdom. The album topped the UK Albums Chart in August 2007. It was promoted by three singles, "Dream Catch Me", "I Need Something" and "Teardrop". "Dream Catch Me" reached number seven on the UK Singles Charts.[3]
Faulkner's second studio album, Rebuilt by Humans, was released in 2009 and charted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.[3] After an accident to his right wrist,[4] he said that he had "been put back together again by humans". An EP titled Sketches was released in April 2012, followed by a third studio album Write It on Your Skin, which was released in July 2012 and reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Faulkner's fourth album, Studio Zoo, was released in 2013 and reached number ten on the chart; the recording of the album was displayed through a live stream.[3] His fifth studio album, Human Love, was released in November 2015; Faulkner cut off his dreadlocks during the recording of the album to re-invent his appearance.[citation needed]
In 2016, Faulkner was cast as Johnny in the musical American Idiot,[5] which is based on songs from the band Green Day. He played the role on the UK Tour, and continued in the role when the show returned to the West End at the Arts Theatre in July 2016.[6] This was followed by the release of his sixth album, Hit the Ground Running, in 2017. In November and December 2018, Faulkner starred as the Sung Thoughts of the Journalist in the 40th anniversary musical version of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds.[citation needed]
On 10 December 2018, Faulkner announced through social media channels the forthcoming release of The Very Best of Newton Faulkner...So Far, featuring 31 songs: selected songs from his six studio albums, three new tracks, and recordings of "all the covers I play live, from 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to 'Send Me on My Way' and a track I promised myself I'd never record!"[7] A new Christmas-themed track called "Wake Up" was previewed on his website to promote the album.[8] Faulkner later released his seventh album, The Interference (Of Light) in 2021. The album was recorded in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and through a live stream, similar to Studio Zoo.[citation needed]
- ^ "Hit the Ground Running". Amazon. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
- ^ Bliss, Karen. "Newton Faulkner:UK Folkie Brings his Unique Guitar Chops to Canada". Ur magazine. Rogers.
- ^ a b c "NEWTON FAULKNER | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ Gray, Robert (18 September 2009). "Newton Faulkner: 'Limitation Opens Up Other Bits of Your Brain'". ultimate-guitar.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ^ "Casting News: Newton Faulkner announced as 'Johnny'". americanidiotthemusical.co.uk. 10 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- ^ "American Idiot at the Arts Theatre". London theatre tickets. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Newton Faulkner". Retrieved 10 December 2018 – via Facebook.
- ^ "Newton Faulkner". newtonfaulkner.com. Retrieved 11 December 2018.