Gibson Bull

Gibson Bull

Gibson Bull is a group from the United States active since 2008, consisting of Clayton Counts and Neil Keener. It is associated in the provided information with ambient, avant-garde, dark ambient, drone, experimental and noise, although the descriptive text centres on a London-based singer-songwriter project.

Style and recordings

The act is described as combining indie folk with trip hop, with songs built around atmospheric and emotive studio production. The debut EP Skin and Bones is presented as the main example of this sound. The recordings are made at The Workshop in Notting Hill with producer Adam Morley, using chopped samples taken from old classical and jazz vinyl, including records found in a local charity shop. The result is described as a mix of indie folk and trip hop with focused lyrics, arranged parts and groove, while remaining song-led.

Live activity and early attention

The project spends time playing in folk clubs and local festivals around the UK, using those performances to test material and build an audience. In 2012, cover versions uploaded to YouTube and SoundCloud attract interest from indie-folk blogs, including OurVinyl, Timber and Steel, Music Under Fire, Ladwood, Large Hearted Boy, Cover Lay Down, Your Music Radar, For Folk's Sake and Thank Folk For That.

Recognition

In December 2012, Gibson Bull contributes a version of “The Holly and the Ivy” to a Christmas album for the UK blog For Folk's Sake. The track receives airplay on BBC London, and the video gains more than 10,000 views over Christmas. In June 2013, “Skin and Bones” is the most voted track on the Fresh On The Net listening post run by BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Tom Robinson. The song is then played on Amazing Radio by Ruth Barnes and Charlie Ashcroft and wins the station’s Audition poll, which places it on the main playlist.