MARTIN ROSSITER

*THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THREE PARTS, AND IS COMPILED HERE FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE*

THE DEBUT SOLO ALBUM BY MARTIN ROSSITER – THE DEFENESTRATION OF ST MARTIN – IS RELEASED TODAY, ALMOST A DECADE AFTER THE LAST MUSIC BUSINESS SIGHTINGS OF THE BRIGHTON-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER.
Rossiter disbanded cult favourites Gene in 2004 following a handful of well-regarded albums, (including 1995’s OLYMPIAN and 1997’s DRAWN TO THE DEEP END), a clutch of modest hit singles (FOR THE DEAD, FIGHTING FIT, WHERE ARE THEY NOW?) and a series of consistently successful tours which saw them gain a reputation as one of the best live bands of their day.
Over three editions of The Mouthcast we present an extended chat with Rossiter, which finds him in engagingly forthright and vibrant form shortly before his Manchester gig last night, on the excited eve of release of the album he’s been working on for years. In the first part he talks frankly about his reasons for dissolving the group that had made him a regular figure on the pages of the UK music press during the mid to late 1990s – and why he has absolutely no plans to sign up with the current trend for bands from that era to reform.

IN THE SECOND EDITION OF THE MOUTHCAST, MARTIN ROSSITER OFFERS US AN UNSURPRISINGLY CANDID AND PRINCIPLED EXPLANATION BEHIND THE METHOD CHOSEN FOR THE RELEASE OF THE DEFENESTRATION OF ST MARTIN.
He also discusses the motivation behind the album’s opening track THREE POINTS ON A COMPASS – which reflects on a difficult relationship with his father – and reveals how it feels to have struck a chord with his listeners through this astonishingly frank and unadorned piece of songwriting.

PREPARING TO PULL ANCHOR ON OUR COVERAGE OF THE RELEASE OF THE DEFENESTRATION OF ST MARTIN, IN THE THIRD AND FINAL EDITION OF THE MOUTHCAST WITH MARTIN ROSSITER, WE DISCUSS THE ‘UNOFFICIAL’ SINGLE DROP ANCHOR.
He lets us know what the future might hold once his album has gently colonised the hearts of the world (it’s on the way – it’s the BBC’s Album Of The Week). He also tells us his reasons for recording an EP featuring covers of tracks by Conor J O’Brien (aka Villagers), JoJo, Sweet Sweet Lies and ‘wonderfully hipped’ Prince.