Acousticrat

The story so far…… PAUL TEMPLEMAN is a well-known musician, music promoter and music teacher from the North East of England. For the last few years Paul has played assorted stringed instruments in roots-rock band Snake Oil and more recently with singer-songwriter Jack Burness. He also toured and recorded with Bob Purves (of George Harrison proteges, Splinter) the late, great Tim Rose (writer of the Jimi Hendrix hit “Hey Joe”) and Austin-based Americana legend Bob Cheevers. It was during a Cheevers tour gig at The Boat in Rothesay, Isle Of Bute, that Paul first met SAM TWEEDLIE and PAUL MELVIN. Paul Melvin at that time owned The Boat venue and Sam provided PA and played the opening set.
Sam had earned his stripes playing traditional folk music on the pub/club scene throughout the UK and Europe as a solo artist, and with the band “Ceabhar”. A year or so later while playing a second gig at the Boat with Bob Cheevers, Paul T. and his partner Susan decided their lives needed a change of pace and scenery. So, they sold up, and moved to the Isle of Bute. A chance meeting with Sam at a local bar became an invite for Paul to play bass with himself and Paul Melvin in their duo “Nervous Rex” and an offer of a job teaching sound-engineering at the local college. When Paul T. discovered that Sam was a prolific and talented songwriter the direction of the trio quickly changed from a bar-gig covers band into the rootsy, acoustic sound that is “Acousticrat”, performing mostly original material drawing from an eclectic source of influences. In addition to Sam’s songs the latest material is co-written by Sam, Paul Melvin and local lyricist Sara Goss.

An Acousticrat live show is based around the songs and vocal harmonies of Sam & Paul M., with Paul T. on Weissenborn, mandolin, mandocello, lap steel, dulcimer and assorted guitars. Since their first gigs in September 07 (opening for New York City singer-songwriters Mike Ferrio [Tandy] and Mary Lee Cortez [Mary Lee’s Corvette] and Brooklyn-based band Slim Francis) the band have toured the Netherlands, Finland, the North East of England and established their popular “Sunday Session” residency on the Isle Of Bute. www.myspace.com/butesundaysession The tracks here are from our debut album, released October 2009. When not playing in Acousticrat Sam manages and teaches the NC Music Perfomance course at Rothesay Learning Centre. Paul Melvin owns and operates Rothesay’s finest hotel “The Boathouse”. Paul Templeman teaches on the NC music course, is consultant/product demonstrator for Woodies UK Ltd (manufacturer of the unique G-band partial capo) and owns Rothesay Music www.rothesaymusic.co.uk Paul is proud to be an Ovation Guitars endorsee.