Stephen Fretwell preview

The curly-haired troubadour, billed as Scunthorpe's finest export, emerged in 2003 with a handful of self-financed releases. On releasing his debut album Magpie he was hailed as the new saviour of acoustic music, inspiring a generation of teenage boys to pick up their guitars and bash out a tune.
Now he plays a hotly-anticipated gig at Barfly on Thursday, the day he hopes Liverpool will bring the Champions League cup home.
“Last time I played in Liverpool it was the night they came home from Istanbul,� he says. “It was absolutely amazing. Now, two years on history looks like it’s repeating itself. I hope so. I’m a Scunthorpe fan, but you can’t help having a fondness for Liverpool.
“The atmosphere last time was amazing. No-one knows how to throw a party like Liverpool, so I’ve got my fingers crossed for them on Wednesday.�
With his sombre lyrics and gravelly deep voice, he names his main influence as Bob Dylan – not too surprising as he learnt to play guitar by playing Dylan's songs on his grandfather's old, unused guitar.
Stephen has just released his first new material in two years with the Four Letter Words EP, five songs from recent album recording sessions in New York with producer Eli Janney, of Girls Against Boys.
It is his best work yet - with his new compositions The Scheme, Can This Be?, Sleep and the fantastically titled William Shatner’s Dog, plus a cover of the 1950’s song You Belong To Me.
“It’s a bit of a taster for the album, some of the slower, more reflective songs,� he says. “The album itself is more upbeat. I’ve enjoyed writing it – it feels like it’s taken a long time, but it’s been a good process.
“I enjoy touring, playing live. That was why I wanted to do music in the first place. I’m looking forward to the Liverpool gig, it should be a good one. Liverpool is always a good place to play, the crowds there like music, which always helps,� he laughs.
Stephen is looking to create a fan photo gallery to remember the shows by. If you'd like to contribute, send your shots to stephenfretwell@authoritydesign.com, and don't forget to include your name (so he can credit you), which show the picture is from and a caption.
Stephen Fretwell plays Barfly on Thursday. For more information see www.myspace.com/stephenfretwell.