MAKER are a 4 piece Rock & Roll band from Kent. A psychedelic bluesy punch, stirred with a fist full of soul, made up of band members Alessandro Marinelli (vocals), brothers Andrew Donaldson (guitar) & Gavin Donaldson (drums), and John Austin (bass).
The band were handpicked by Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes to support Rich's The Magpie Salute , across the UK and in Milan, Italy. Following the tour Rich invited the band to Woodstock, New York to record some as yet unreleased new Maker songs with Rich on production duties.
Renowned for their electrifying live performances, Maker's influences range from the early blues legends through the stomping pop & soul of the Sixties, to the raw power of early punk. Coming on like the love child of The Rolling Stones, The Faces, Led Zeppelin, T-Rex and Primal Scream, Maker deliver a fresh sonic swagger defined by their own bluesy, boozy guitar riffs.
2018 saw the release of their critically acclaimed twelve track debut long-player, Dead Ends & Avenues , on Kidda Records on 6th April 2018. The album is available on all digital formats worldwide as well as on CD & double gatefold vinyl. The album was recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales where artists such as Oasis, The Stone Roses, Queen, Black Sabbath, Kasabian have all recorded seminal albums.
“When you turn up at Rockfield it immediately elevates you as musicians,” says Maker frontman Alessandro Marinelli “There’s a tangible buzz about the place. You hear stories like Freddy Mercury sat on that stool, played that piano, wrote *Bohemian Rhapsody*. And Liam chased Noel with a cricket bat over there..….When you hear those stories, you can’t help but want to be a part of it and record something special”.
Produced by Nick Brine (The Stone Roses, Oasis, Teenage Fanclub, Imelda May), the album was recorded over just fourteen days, something of a rarity in today’s current musical climate. The band wanted to create an album as true to their live sound as possible and, with this in mind, every track was recorded with the band all together playing in the same room, very much a lost art nowadays with many tracks recorded one instrument at a time to a click track, losing all feel and sense of soul in the process.
Recording to tape added to the authenticity of the band’s timeless pure rock sound. “We definitely prefer to record to tape”, says Marinelli. “It seems to create that depth, warmth and authenticity in a record that digital recordings just can’t seem to replicate”.
The debut album title Dead Ends & Avenues, comes from a track which the band all felt perfectly summed-up their sound. The song itself is about triumph in the face of adversity, making your own luck and succeeding despite life’s hurdles. The chorus’ lyric, “And to all that I gave, without hope” speaks a universal truth dear to the band; giving their all without compromising the heart and soul that drives their music.
The band decided early on that they wanted to bookend the album with the opener, “Soul”, and its reprise, “Little Bit Of Soul”. “The decision to do that pretty much made itself”, says Marinelli. “One is the kick down the doors sonic blast that you want to open a debut album & introduce yourselves to the world; , whilst *Little Bit Of Soul is the comforting arm you put around them at the end of it all whilst you thank them for listening".*
Maker guitarist Andrew Donaldson continues; “There was a moment during recording that Nick (our producer) revealed that he owned Noel Gallagher’s old acoustic guitar that was used on the album ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ The actual guitar that was played on “Wonderwall”! As soon as we heard that story, we ordered him to go fetch it so we could use it on “Little Bit Of Soul.” It just had to be done”.