Stephen Fretwell#Discography
{{short description|British singer-songwriter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Stephen Fretwell
| image = Stephen Fretwell out in Westminster (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Fretwell in London
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|11|10|df=y}}
| origin = Scunthorpe, England
| instrument = Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
| genre = {{hlist|Folk rock|psychedelic folk}}
| occupation = Singer-songwriter
| years_active = 2000–present
| label =
| website =
}}
Stephen Fretwell (born 10 November 1981) is an English singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums and is often compared with acts such as Bob Dylan, Fred Neil, and Tim Buckley. Though receiving critical success, Fretwell has enjoyed little commercial success. His music has been described as folk rock, a genre combining mainstream rock and pop with American folk music and poetic or introspective lyrics. His song "Run" (2005) subsequently became the theme song of the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey.{{cite web |title=Gavin & Stacey 2024 Christmas special soundtrack: Every song featured {{!}} Radio Times |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/gavin-stacey-2024-christmas-special-soundtrack-songs/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=31 December 2024}}
Biography
= Early life =
Fretwell was born in Scunthorpe, England on 10 November 1981. He discovered the music of Bob Dylan at a young age in the form of the Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits record which he found in a bargain bin.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Niamh |date=2021-03-02 |title=#FoundFretwell: Stephen Fretwell Returns with 'Oval' |url=https://www.pias.com/foundfretwell-stephen-fretwell-returns-with-oval/ |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=[PIAS] |language=en-GB}}
Fretwell attended St. Augustine Webster Primary School in Scunthorpe and St. Bede's Catholic School in Ashby before furthering his study at John Leggott College. It was in his teenage years that he started his first band, named Label.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
After moving to Manchester to attend Salford University, to study English, but dropped out within a few days,{{Cite web | url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music/tireless-route-to-the-top-for-fretwell-1081901 |title = Tireless route to the top for Fretwell|date = 2 September 2005}} he started to earn notices in NME and Q. During this period songs such as "Emily" and "What's That You Say Little Girl?" were first written.
= 2002–2006: ''8 Songs'' and ''Magpie'' =
Fretwell decided to stay in Manchester permanently, later releasing 8 Songs which he released on Northern Ambition, a label owned by a friend. He left university after one year, and started to perform at local acoustic nights in the Manchester area. The first of these was at The Roadhouse, a venue in the centre of Manchester's Northern Quarter, he soon found himself wrapped up in the Manchester music scene of the early 2000s.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
He later released the Something's Got to Give EP and The Lines, both self-financed. He then supported Travis, Elbow, Athlete, Keane and KT Tunstall. Signed to Fiction Records, and while under management by Colin Lester's and Ian McAndrew's Wildlife entertainment, his debut album Magpie was released in November 2004. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios.{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p690631/biography|pure_url=yes}} |title=Stephen Fretwell |author=Monger, James Christopher|publisher=Allmusic |accessdate=7 May 2010}} It peaked at No. 27 in the UK Albums Chart in August 2005.{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2006
| title= British Hit Singles & Albums
| edition= 19th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
| location= London
| isbn= 1-904994-10-5
| page= 215| title-link= British Hit Singles & Albums
}} The first single taken from the album was "Run" and was subsequently followed by "Emily" (2005) and the Four Letter Words EP. "Emily" reached No. 42 in the UK Singles Chart in August 2005. He had previously supported Oasis at Marlay Park in Dublin on 16 July 2005.
He was described by Q as "Scunthorpe's finest export... ever". Fretwell described this as flattering but not something he actively encouraged.{{Cite news |last=Wright |first=Jade |date=1 July 2011 |title=Stephen Fretwell: Nowhere parties like Liverpool |work=Liverpool Echo |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/music/stephen-fretwell-nowhere-parties-like-3369066 |access-date=6 December 2020}}
His version of Jeff Buckley's "Morning Theft" appeared on the 2005 tribute album Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim and Jeff Buckley.File:Stephen Fretwell posing outside Battersea Power Station.jpg]]
His song Play featured in the 2005 Dominic Savage film Love + Hate.
Cameron Crowe is a fan of Fretwell's work, Crowe encouraged Fretwell to write songs for the film Elizabethtown (2005) and even sent Fretwell his own personal copy of the Easy Rider soundtrack as a gift.
His song "Bad Bad You, Bad Bad Me" was featured in an episode of the ABC family drama Brothers & Sisters called "The Missionary Imposition".
= 2007–2012: ''Man on the Roof'' and the Last Shadow Puppets =
He released a single called "Scar" on 3 September 2007, which was included on his album Man on the Roof. This album was recorded in New York City, released by Fiction Records on 10 September 2007, and featured James Iha. In the UK Albums Chart the album would peak at number 44, becoming his second Top 75 hit.
His song "Run" is the theme tune to the situation comedy Gavin & Stacey and his song "Darling Don't" appeared on the third series of the teen drama Skins.
Fretwell also played bass on tour with the Last Shadow Puppets, the side project of Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner, another fan of Fretwell.
His song "Play" from the album Magpie was featured in the 2009 movie The Joneses.
On 4 April 2011 Manchester Aid to Kosovo released a charity album, Ten, to which Fretwell contributed the track "Tamarind".{{Cite news |last=Cragg |first=Michael |date=2011-04-04 |title=New music exclusive: Badly Drawn Boy – Is There Nothing We Could Do? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/apr/04/new-music-exclusive-badly-drawn-boy |access-date=2023-11-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Citation |title=Various - Ten - Manchester Music For Kosovo |date=2011-04-04 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/7187185-Various-Ten-Manchester-Music-For-Kosovo |access-date=2023-11-02 |language=en}} Also contributing to the album were fellow Manchester artists Elbow, Badly Drawn Boy, and Cherry Ghost.File:Press photo for Stephen Fretwell Busy Guy.jpgIn 2012, he quit music to focus on his family.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Niamh |date=2021-03-02 |title=#FoundFretwell: Stephen Fretwell Returns with 'Oval' |url=https://www.pias.com/foundfretwell-stephen-fretwell-returns-with-oval/ |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=[PIAS] |language=en-GB}}
= 2021–present: Returning to music and Busy Guy =
On 1 March 2021, Fretwell released the single "Oval" after a 13-year hiatus{{Cite news |last=Krol | first=Charlotte|date=1 March 2021 |title=Stephen Fretwell returns after 13 years with new song 'Oval' and announces new album this summer |work=NME |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/stephen-fretwell-returns-after-13-years-with-new-song-oval-and-announces-new-album-this-summer-2891279 |access-date=1 March 2021}} and announced the album Busy Guy, released on cult indie record label{{Cite web|url=https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2020/10/21/speedy-wunderground-the-indie-label-with-a-cult-like-status/|title = Opinion: Speedy Wunderground: The indie label with a cult-like status|date = 21 October 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/speedy-wunderground-three-cult-indie-label-looks-back-best-bits-far-2337553|title=Speedy Wunderground at three – the cult indie label looks back on their best bits so far|website=NME|date=12 June 2018}} Speedy Wunderground owned by friend Dan Carey, who also produced the record.{{Cite web|url=https://www.speedywunderground.com/about/|title = About Speedy Wunderground}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jul/08/singer-songwriter-stephen-fretwell-returns-i-took-a-leap-that-cost-me-my-marriage|title = Singer-songwriter Stephen Fretwell returns: 'I took a leap that cost me my marriage'|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 8 July 2021}} The album released to critical acclaim, with Far Out praising the "cycle of colour songs that fill up the second half of the LP" and Beats Per Minute calling it a "delicately sincere and softly stark album".{{Cite web |last=Finlayson |first=Ray |date=2021-07-16 |title=Album Review: Stephen Fretwell – Busy Guy |url=https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-stephen-fretwell-busy-guy/ |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=Beats Per Minute |language=en-US}}
Discography
=Albums=
- 8 Songs (mini-album, 2002)
- Magpie (Fiction, 2004) UK No. 27
- Man on the Roof (Fiction, 2007) UK No. 44
- Busy Guy (Speedy Wunderground/PIAS,{{Cite web|url=https://www.pias.com/foundfretwell-stephen-fretwell-returns-with-oval/|title = #FoundFretwell: Stephen Fretwell Returns with 'Oval'|date = 2 March 2021}} 2021){{Cite news |last=Reilly, Nick |date=April 7, 2021 |title=Stephen Fretwell announces anticipated third album Busy Guy |work=NME |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/stephen-fretwell-announces-anticipated-third-album-busy-guy-2915641 |access-date=April 7, 2021}}
=EPs=
- Something's Got to Give
- The Lines
- Four Letter Words (2007)
=Singles=
- "Run" (2005) UK No. 79
- "Emily" (2005) UK No. 42{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14110/stephen-fretwell/|title = STEPHEN FRETWELL | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website = OfficialCharts.com}}
- "New York" (2005)
- "Scar" (2007)
- "Oval" (2021){{Cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/stephen-fretwell-returns-with-oval|title=Stephen Fretwell Returns with 'Oval'|date=March 2021 }}
- "Embankment" (2021)
- "The Long Water" (2021)
=Other contributions=
- Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim and Jeff Buckley (2006, Full Time Hobby) – "Morning Theft"
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://stephenfretwell.tmstor.es/?ffm=FFM_736f80f3af45e5d21ea879a91e7bcd8f Stephen Fretwell's official website]
- [https://www.instagram.com/stephenfretwellmusic Official Profile] on Instagram
- [http://www.musicomh.com/interviews/stephen-fretwell_0108.htm Interview] on MusicOMH
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fretwell, Stephen}}
Category:English male singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century English singer-songwriters
Category:People from Scunthorpe
Category:Fiction Records artists