BOB LAWRENCE (RADIO CAROLINE)
(RECORD COMPANY A&R RECOMMENDATION)

I have worked in broadcasting for all of my working life, starting in 1978. I have broadcast music radio programmes for most of those years, currently with an Album Show on the legendary Radio Caroline.

In the past I have produced and presented a cable TV music programme and was Rock Correspondent for The Birmingham Post newspaper so whilst I would never claim to be an expert, I have certainly been exposed to much music in my lifetime and it remains an important part of my life.

A couple of years ago I received an e-mail from Karl along with an MP3 of some demo songs he was working on. It is no exaggeration to say that these songs completely bowled me over, so much so that I took the unprecedented step of playing the raw demos on my show. It was many, many years ago that I felt this excited about an unsigned artist .... and I still do. Listener response was positive and I took great pleasure in the fact that I had discovered a bright talent.

My concerns that he might have one or two songs in him have been truly blasted out of the water, he has five albums worth of material, some of which is on his website (www.karleland.co.uk).

He writes radio friendly songs which stick to the radio programmers ideals of "beginning, middle and end and a bloody great hook", I honestly can't imagine why any programmer would not playlist his songs. Of course to achieve radio plays he needs the backing of label and associated "pull", quite frankly it would be a crying shame if his talent is not heard by a wider audience than he himself can find.

I cannot recommend him highly enough. Please find the time in your busy schedule to listen to his songs, close your eyes and imagine these songs with full production (these demos were all made in his bedroom!). The lyrics of many of his songs hit a slightly older demographic smack between the eyes, the tunes are uplifting and I honestly believe that with proper support his songs are highly marketable to a wide audience.

I am not linked to Karl in any way other than being a fan of music.

I TUNES REVIEW
"great feel good songs ... a huge market for this music...watch out for Karl Eland!!!"

JOHN J P PICCILLO (WGRF 97 Rock Buffalo, N.Y. U.S.A)
”One of the finest new songwriters I’ve heard in many years. A refreshing sound, that is much needed today!”

THE CIRCUIT
‘Karl Eland makes music purposely built for car stereos, for arenas, for FM Radio playlists - these are big songs! Every track he writes seems to be an anthem that boasts a sing-a-long chorus that seduces the soul and raises the spirit - allowing you to fall in with great music all over again!’

BBC RADIO
"Karl was brilliant on my show .. I really love the music .. come back and see us again."
John Barnes, BBC Radio Manchester

'I am predicting big things for Karl and his music. ‘When the Wild Wind Blows’ is a great track - a really well written song.'
Steve Royle (Radio Lancashire DJ)

'I listened to Karl's demo tracks a number of times and there is definite worldwide quality and appeal here'
Phil brown (BBC Music)

THE SCENE FANZINE
‘This is timeless, rock and roll poetry at its best – packed with rich, lush storytelling and overflowing with detail...blending a perfect mixture of sing-along anthems and folk storytelling, Karl Eland wears it on his sleeve with songs about love, friendship, broken dreams, hope, and youth - telling the same stories that we have lived, that star the same characters that we have all grown up with...’

BOB LAWRENCE (RADIO CAROLINE)
'I’ve been making radio programmes for far too many years now, starting in the mid 70’s. The days of getting excited when the record company guy came in to talk about the latest “sure fire hit” are way back in the past, stored in the same place as my exhilaration on December 24th.

Every so often a song pops into my PC, or on my CD player which stops me in my tracks and makes me sit up and pay attention. When I got an e-mail from Karl Eland asking if I would listen to a couple of his songs I agreed, it’s my job after all. I clicked the button and within a few seconds I was trying to stop the hairs on the back of my neck from rising ……. Every so often I hear a song which reminds me of why I got into radio in the first place, by the time the song was three quarters of the way through I wanted to e-mail it to all my friends ……. I became almost evangelical about it. That kind of reaction has happened before but, unfortunately, far too infrequently nowadays.

Karl writes it and then plays it and it is fantastic pop music, you know the kind of thing which happens sometimes with music? The involuntary reaction to a great piece of art? That’s what I get from Karl’s music. If you believe that singer songwriters have to write introspective “bedsit” music, listen to Karl.

This guy is so so talented, every so often you come across somebody with such talent you want to scream it from the rooftops ... the reaction from people from all over the world is phenomenal ... so many people have grabbed onto this guys music! ... if he can do this at home on his own with a computer imagine what he can do in a big recording studio with a producer and a band!"

TED ELLIOT (RADIO CAROLINE)
' Karl Eland is without doubt the most talented new singer/songwriter I have heard in a very long time. Get this man a record deal now!' Ted Elliot (Radio Caroline DJ)

PWN HITMAKERS PODCAST TOKYO (The Biggest Music Podcast In Japan)
When I span "Back In The Day" on my live show, the listeners' feedback was very positive and popped up quickly right at the beginning of the track. Karl is a Dylan-like story-teller who makes comfortable melodies with good voice resonance and edgy rhythm. I recall the British invasion - I guess this is what the listeners reacted to on the spot.
Lucy Takakura, Podcaster & Metaverse DJ, Tokyo, Japan

PRESTON FM
'Karl was brilliant on my radio show, he has an aura about him that makes you want to listen and find out more, his lyrics, taken from his own life reflect times we can all relate to and his guitar rhythms sway between the ability to rock your core to soothing your mind, he'll be around a long while.'
Jane Wignall (Preston FM DJ)

BACKSTAGE PASS
‘It’s not hard for people to relate to these songs...Karl's lyrics pull the classic trick of being desperately sad and moving whilst also being intensely romantic and hopeful at the same time – in a world where it seems everybody loses, these characters at least attempt to win...and at times Eland’s lyrics make you feel like you could burst with overwhelming intensity.’

THE WRITERS CAFE (Stockton Riverside Festival Acoustic Stage)
‘Karl sang and played an excellent acoustic set on the Writers Cafe Stage, which were engaging, thoughtful and entertaining, leaving the crowd wanting more. He is definitely worthy of hearing a second time and I am sure he will go all the way to the top with his music, and maybe if we’re lucky we can get him to come back here to the Writers Cafe and play for us again!’

ACCESS ALL AREAS MUSIC
'Karl's Eland's captivating music sets free your heart...his stage presence drags his audience into a trance like state as he rolls off his version of the world and the characters within it - truly memorable stuff!'

MICHEAL ANGEL'S COSMIC GRAB BAG PODCAST
'Karl's endless ability and talent for writing and performing his own great music, makes it so electric that the listener hangs on every note in every tune he does and is always left wanting more.'
Michael Angel (Michael Angel's Cosic Grab Bag Podcast)

CONTEMPORARY SOUNDZ UK
'Although Karl's songwriting definitely has roots in classic singer/songwriters such as Tom Petty and U2, for me it also contains a strong country/folk flavour and as such smoothly transforms from upbeat melodic rock tracks to more melancholy reflective storytelling - very much in the tradition of folk and country music.'

PRESTON MUSO
‘Karl Eland’s music isn't entirely rock, alternative or folk music - but rather drifts somewhere between all three. Perhaps this is the reason his music is so widely appreciated by an extremely diverse audience worldwide.'