Love Amongst Ruin
Studio album by
Love Amongst Ruin
Released13 September 2010 (2010-09-13)
RecordedApril – August 2008 at Moles Studios (Bath, Somerset), Modern World Studios (Tetbury, Cotswolds), Old Laundry (Winchester, Hampshire)
GenreAlternative rock, hard rock
Length41:19
LabelAncient B Records
ProducerDonald Ross Skinner, Paul Corkett, Steve Hewitt
Love Amongst Ruin chronology
Love Amongst Ruin
(2010)		 Lose Your Way
(2015)
Singles from Love Amongst Ruin
  1. "So Sad (Fade)"
    Released: 30 August 2010
  2. "Home"
    Released: 25 October 2010
  3. "Alone"
    Released: 28 February 2011

Love Amongst Ruin is the self-titled debut studio album by Love Amongst Ruin. It was released on 13 September 2010.[1][2]

Background

Writing and recording

After departing Placebo in October 2007,[3] Steve Hewitt enlisted Lamb bassist Jon Thorne and his brother Nick Hewitt to begin writing and demoing new music at his home studio.[4] Hewitt explained that he decided to write with Jon Thorne because he "wanted to play rock drums against somebody playing upright bass. And that’s what we did and the first thing we ever wrote was "Running"".[5] Julian Cope collaborator Donald Ross Skinner was brought in to oversee and co-produce the recording sessions and the collective relocated to Moles Studio in Bath for three recording sessions with producer Paul Corkett over the summer of 2008.[6] The sessions yielded 10 songs, on which Steve performed drums and lead vocals. Mixing began in September and continued for six months before the album was mastered by Brian Gardner in April 2009.[7]

"Bring Me Down (You Don't)" was to be included on the album, but legal trouble with publishers of the band Can resulted in the track being replaced with "Come On Say It". An acoustic version of the song was later released for free via SoundCloud in November 2011.[8] "Come On Say It" featured then-band members Steve Hove, Laurie Ross and Keith York and was mixed ten weeks before the album's release.[9] Other songs which were recorded, but didn't make the cut for the album, were cover versions of "Rise" (Public Image Ltd) and "Got To Give It Up" (Thin Lizzy),[5] with both being released for free via SoundCloud in July 2012 and September 2020 respectively.[10][11]

Themes

Hewitt stated that the album was inspired by "greed, failed relationships, spitefulness and hatred. 90% of the album is inspired by those things. The other 10% belongs to true love".[12]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rock Sound[13]

Rock Sound gave the album 8/10, saying the album "reveals itself to be an intelligent, complex and confident effort that’s delivered with an energy and determination that seeks to redefine Hewitt as a credible artist in his own right".[13] Soundsphere gave the album 4/5, stating "this is a fine album, with double points for being a debut".[14] Student Beans gave the album 3/5, saying "Love Amongst Ruin captures a range of sounds, packaged as a polished rock album".[2]

Acoustic

An acoustic version of the album was released on 5 December 2011, titled "Acoustic".[15] "Come On Say It" and "Love Song" were omitted from the track list.[15]

Tour

Prior to the tour, Love Amongst Ruin made their live debut at Eurosonic Festival in January 2010 (with bassist Jonathan Noyce) and played two one-off club dates in London the following May and June.[16][17] Bassist Magnus Lundén joined the band prior to the club dates,[17] but was replaced by Teresa Morini in July.[18] The band followed with an appearance at the Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth Park in August.[19]

The Heaven & Hell tour began one week after the release of the album in September 2010.[20] The first leg began with a three-week jaunt through continental Europe, beginning in Zaandam, Netherlands and finishing in Paris, France in mid-October.[20] Following a two-week break, the tour resumed with seven dates in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[21] Gigs in Southampton (later rescheduled) and Glasgow were cancelled due to drummer Keith York suffering with illness.[22] Following the conclusion of the European tour, the band were invited to support Feeder and The Futureheads in Birmingham at Kerrang! magazine's "X-Mas Party".[23] Keith York quit the band at the end of the year and was replaced by Ramon Sherrington.[5]

In February 2011, the band reemerged with more slots supporting Feeder in the United Kingdom on their Renegades tour.[24] Prior to the gigs, the band slimmed down to a five piece after removing keyboardist/cellist Laurie Ross from the lineup. The band supported the release of the "Alone" single with five shows in France in March, but only managed to play one date of their German tour in April after shows in Hamburg, Frankfurt and Dortmund were cancelled.[25] The band returned to France in May for two dates on the Recycling Party tour, with guitarist Gizz Butt filling in for Steve Hove.[26] The band finished the tour in June 2011 with two headlining dates at the Borderline in London and at the Fête de la Musique in Valence, France.[27] Jon Thorne filled in for Teresa Morini at the latter date.[28]

The band's setlists for the tour were mainly drawn from their debut album, with "Love Song" being the only track from the album which was not played live.[29] A cover of Thin Lizzy's "Got To Give It Up" was a regular inclusion.[29] Owing to the band's shortage of material, encores often included a repeat play of debut single "So Sad (Fade)", in addition to non-album track "Bring Me Down (You Don't)".[30] New song "Pop DC" was premiered in London in June 2011, along with a cover of "Rise" by Public Image Ltd.[29]

Date City Country Venue
Debut Performances & Festivals
14 January 2010 Groningen Netherlands Huize Maas[lower-alpha 1]
11 May 2010 London United Kingdom Barfly
9 June 2010 Scala
1 August 2010 Knebworth Knebworth House[lower-alpha 2]
Heaven & Hell Tour
23 September 2010 Zaandam Netherlands De Kade
24 September 2010 Brussels Belgium Botanique Witloof Bar
25 September 2010 Hamburg Germany Gruenspan[lower-alpha 3]
26 September 2010 Berlin Magnet
28 September 2010 Poznań Poland Eskulap
29 September 2010 Warsaw Powiększenie
1 October 2010 Munich Germany 59:1
4 October 2010 Turin Italy Spazio 211
5 October 2010 Milan Magazzini Generali
6 October 2010 Rome Circolo degli Artisti
7 October 2010 Bologna Covo
9 October 2010 Yverdon-les-Bains Switzerland Amalgame
10 October 2010 Zurich Abart
13 October 2010 Cologne Germany Luxor
14 October 2010 Paris France Flèche d’Or
30 October 2010 London United Kingdom Garage
31 October 2010 Wolverhampton Slade Rooms
3 November 2010 Manchester Club Academy
4 November 2010 Leeds Cockpit 3
5 November 2010 Nottingham Rock City Basement
7 November 2010 Belfast Stiff Kitten
8 November 2010 Dublin Ireland Academy 2
Supporting Feeder
9 December 2010 Birmingham United Kingdom Academy
13 February 2011 Manchester Academy
16 February 2011 Cambridge Junction
17 February 2011 Royal Leamington Spa Assembly
19 February 2011 Portsmouth Pyramids
Alone Tour
1 March 2011 Southampton United Kingdom Talking Heads[lower-alpha 4]
2 March 2011 Nancy France Fnac
Mac Carthy
3 March 2011 Besançon La Rodia
4 March 2011 Paris International
5 March 2011 Lille La Péniche
11 April 2011 Berlin Germany Crystal Club
Recycling Party Tour
18 May 2011 Rennes France Fnac
20 May 2011 Nantes Le Ferrailleur
21 May 2011 Rennes L'etage
Europe & Festivals
7 June 2011 London United Kingdom Borderline
21 June 2011 Valence France Kiosque Peynet[lower-alpha 5]
  1. ↑ As part of Eurosonic Festival.
  2. ↑ As part of Sonisphere Festival.
  3. ↑ As part of Reeperbahn Festival.
  4. ↑ Rescheduled from 29 October 2010.
  5. ↑ As part of Fête de la Musique.

Cancelled dates

Date City Country Venue R
2 October 2010 Vienna Austria Szene 1
12 October 2010 Stuttgart Germany Universum 1
29 October 2010 Southampton United Kingdom Joiners 2
2 November 2010 Glasgow Cathouse 2
10 April 2011 Hamburg Germany Logo 1
12 April 2011 Frankfurt Nachtleben 1
13 April 2011 Dortmund Freizeitzentrum West 1
11 June 2011 Paris France Summerjam 1
  • 1 Cancelled due to circumstances beyond the band's control.
  • 2 Cancelled as a precaution due to illness.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."So Sad (Fade)"Steve Hewitt3:07
2."Alone"Steve Hewitt & Jon Thorne3.04
3."Running"Steve Hewitt & Jon Thorne4:30
4."Heaven & Hell"Steve Hewitt4:16
5."Come On Say It"Steve Hewitt6:51
6."Away From Me"Steve Hewitt & Jon Thorne4:13
7."Blood & Earth"Steve Hewitt & Jon Thorne3:25
8."Truth"Steve Hewitt & Jon Thorne4:02
9."Home"Steve Hewitt & Jon Thorne3:56
10."Love Song"Steve Hewitt3:59
iTunes bonus track[31]
No.TitleLength
11."Alone" (acoustic)3:02

Personnel

  • Steve Hewitt – vocals, drums, bass, guitar, piano
  • Jon Thorne – bass, guitar, string arrangements
  • Donald Ross Skinner – guitar, bass, piano
  • Nick Hewitt – guitar
  • Steve Hove – guitar on "Come On Say It"
  • Paul Turner – bass on "Come On Say It"
  • Laurie Ross – keyboards, cello on "Come On Say It"
  • Keith York – drums on "Come On Say It"
  • Tracy Bowen – backing vocals on "Truth"
  • Emily Reid – backing vocals on "Love Song"
  • Claire Nicolson – backing vocals on "Truth"
  • Jo Thorne – backing vocals on "Alone"

Production

  • Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – recorded and mixed by Donald Ross Skinner, Paul Corkett, Steve Hewitt.
  • Track 5 – recorded and mixed by Donald Ross Skinner, Paul Corkett, Steve Hewitt, Nick Poortman.

Singles

  • 2010: "So Sad (Fade)" (30 August 2010)
  • 2010: "Home" (25 October 2010)
  • 2011: "Alone" (28 February 2011)

References

  1. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin: Love Amongst Ruin". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Album: Love Amongst Ruin". studentbeans.com. 10 September 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "Placebo's Drummer Leaves The Band". Ultimate-guitar.com. 26 December 2007. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "Love Λmoиgst Ruiи – Official Facebook Fan site – The Story – Part I". Community.livejournal.com. 14 August 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 King, Phil. "Steve Hewitt: (Love Amongst Ruin) Still Running, Still Strong". Mudkiss Fanzine. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "Love Λmoиgst Ruiи – The Story – Part II". Community.livejournal.com. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "Love Λmoиgst Ruiи – The Story – Part III". Community.livejournal.com. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  8. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin – Bring Me Down (you don't)". Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "In One Minute: Love Amongst Ruin – Interviews". Rocklouder. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  10. ↑ "So here it is, a..." Facebook. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Steve Hewitt on Love Amongst Ruin: welcome to the dark side". 3 September 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  13. 1 2 Moorhouse, Giles. "Love Amongst Ruin – Love Amongst Ruin | Reviews". Rocksound.tv. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "CD Review: Love Amongst Ruin – 'Love Amongst Ruin'". Soundspheremag.com. 16 September 2010. Archived from the original on 25 February 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  15. 1 2 "Love Amongst Ruin". Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  16. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin". Eurosonic Noorderslag. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  17. 1 2 "Love Amongst Ruin". Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  18. ↑ "Shakenstir » Love Amongst Ruin: So Sad!". Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  19. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin". Lights Go Out – A punk fanzine from the UK. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  20. 1 2 "Love Amongst Ruin – The official website for the band". Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  21. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin announce UK tour and debut album". Rocklouder. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  22. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin". Joiners Live. 29 October 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  23. ↑ Bradley, Paul (13 December 2010). "Kerrang! Xmas Party: Feeder, The Futureheads and Love Amongst Ruin". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  24. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin support Feeder on UK Tour". Musicrooms.net. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  25. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  26. ↑ "Gizz Butt". The Prodigy.info. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "Live » Love Amongst Ruin". Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  28. ↑ "Getting ready for Fete De La Musique with our old friend Jon Thorne". Facebook. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  29. 1 2 3 "Love Amongst Ruin Tour Statistics: Heaven & Hell". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  30. ↑ "Review: Love Amongst Ruin @ Abart 10.10.10". Highrotation.ch. 13 October 2010. Archived from the original on 5 January 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  31. ↑ "Love Amongst Ruin by Love Amongst Ruin". iTunes. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
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