Glasgow-born singer-songwriter Alex McEwan returns with a new single, “Bee In A Honeypot”, taken from his latest album ‘In A World We Don’t Know’.
The new single “Bee In A Honey Pot” opens the record and sets the tone for an album that celebrates the joy of unexpected second chances in life, triumphing over adversity and throughout it, Alex wears his heart on his sleeve. “Bee In A Honey Pot” is an effortlessly lovely and timeless single which shows how Alex has honed his craft to write classic love songs over the years. The new single is available to pre-save here.
“It’s a song about time and how limited our time on earth is,” explains the singer-songwriter from Glasgow. “About feeling free, and about the person you love. And given what we’ve all been through in the last few years, it speaks to a desire to feel free again, like we were as kids. But it’s also a love song to my wife.”
Written and produced with Graham Noon (PP Arnold, Geno Washington, Tim Vine), the song was completed with drums from Chris Maas (Mumford and Sons, Sting, Phoebe Bridgers), guitar from Nashville’s Austin Moorhead (Carly Pierce, Jana Kramer) and remixed by Soren Andersen (Amy MacDonald, The Cranberries, Jack Savoretti, Katie Melua, Roisin O).
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Alex McEwan’s career to date is a fascinatingly unusual tale of two chapters. The first time around his single “Make A Wave” was playlisted at Radio 2 and praised by Mojo, leading to a major UK tour as guest to Katie Melua to 60,000 people. The release of his second album has seen Alex make an appearance on BBC 1 television, gain further airplay on BBC Radio 2, Record of the Week on BBC Radio Scotland and a support slot with top selling UK country pop act The Shires. Singles released from the album have received widespread support from Amazing Radio, including the U.S. and playlisting on several radio stations throughout the UK and Ireland.
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Raised in Glasgow, Alex was influenced by a diverse range of artists, including local icons Del Amitri and Travis. His musical style was later further shaped by Americana groups such as Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers. When he headed south to work as a teacher, music remained the backbeat of his life – a regular fixture at the 12 Bar Club and The Borderline in-between busking sessions on the London Underground. A record company executive advised Alex to try his luck in Nashville, so he pooled as much money as he could (primarily his proceeds from busking) to spend a month in Music City. A chance encounter with guitarist, songwriter and producer Lou Maxfield (Brian Wilson, Joan Jett, The Monkees) resulted in the pair recording a demo, which led to the rise of Alex’s debut album ‘Beautiful Lies’ on an independent label through Universal Music.
But juggling the demands of life made a longer-term career in music impossible. His sojourn in music was one from a past life: a happy memory, a barely believable story to share with his colleagues. Or so he thought… In 2019, Alex and his wife were enjoying a cruise in the Caribbean. Late one night in the bar, the mic was opened, and Alex stepped on stage to perform “Sweet Home Alabama” – the same song he had first learned to play on guitar all those years ago. The reaction was phenomenal, but Alex put it down to high holiday spirits and alcohol-fuelled enthusiasm. But the next day random strangers were still stopping him to rave about his performance.
It was a moment that inspired Alex to start again, to answer the nagging thought that he had unfinished business in music. The couple moved to the Kent countryside and Alex would spend late lockdown nights alone in his kitchen writing songs. And when the album was ready, his mind focused on how to take it to an audience entirely from his own efforts and financing. It’s a story of remarkable perseverance, dedication, and commitment.
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Alex is supporting the release of “Bee In A Honeypot” with a tour of intimate acoustic venues in Scotland and Kent in March and a spot at the Filey Folk Festival in Yorkshire in May. Find the full list of dates below.
Live dates:
12th March – Nova Scotia Folk Club, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow
21st March – St Edith’s, Sevenoaks, Kent
26th March – Edinburgh Birth Folk Club, Royal Mile
3rd May – Filey Folk Festival, Yorkshire