William John Titus Bishop - Americana

Performing Career Biography:

William Bishop is a British musician, songwriter, and author. He was born in 1985 in London. Since his childhood, William Bishop was fond of music and art; although he was not clear which area of art he wanted to pursue, one thing was clear that he wanted to be an artist. In order to pursue his dreams and polish his skill, William got involved in different training programs. William Bishop is classically trained as a cellist and a double bassist, but he also plays and composes on guitar and piano. He received critical acclaim for his song "Second Time Around" from LA Voice Music. He has also received acclaim from Exclamation Magazine & Divide and Conquer in their blogs. Currently, he is studying at York University for a Ph.D. in English. The information related to his music, tours, and other work can be easily accessible through his website.

William Bishop was born in London. He attended the Haberdashers Askes' School for Boys in Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. In school, he developed a keen interest in music. As a teenager, he learned some musical instruments like cello and double bass. He also performed orchestral works and other musical genres. Returning back to London, he also learned to play the guitar. William Bishop has an educational background in literature and poetry. He writes his own music and lyrics. William Bishop is influenced by artists like Leonard Cohen, Laura Marling, and Bob Dylan.

Career
From London, William Bishop moved to Brighton. In Brighton, he published his academic text titled "The Love Looks Not With The Eyes But With The Mind." After the publication of his academic text, William Bishop recorded his first Extended Play (EP) called "Second Time Around." The EP was critically praised by music journalist Bob Leggitt.[6] Once his EP was released and critically acclaimed, William Bishop signed with KDigital Media and AWAL, which is now a part of Sony Music Group. With these two recording labels, William Bishop recorded three full-length albums. All of the albums were recorded on both the instruments: guitar and piano. William Bishop's breakthrough moment happened in January 2021 when his single was released. The single received critical acclaim from many music professionals. The single was also covered massively by mainstream media and received airplay from national and international radio stations. With literature and poetry background, William Bishop's writing in the form of articles and journals is published massively. University of New York Department of Film, Media, and Television has used his writings in their performances. He stayed in Yorkshire for a short time during the recording of Waves on Wire. William Bishop performed at the Brighton Fringe and Live at Heart music festivals in 2021. Shortly afterwards he signed to the Fusion Agency in London.

Artistry

William Bishop has a sound that can be said to be an amalgam of Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. He has an acoustic approach to music which makes his music sound like country. This strong yet melancholic voice sounds even more powerful as he sings his powerfully written lyrics while strumming his acoustic guitar. The depth of his lyrics and the richness of the music composition requires the lister's complete attention in order to be appreciated to its fullest. In 2021, William Bishop performed at the Live at Heart Festival alongside artists from all over Europe, including Mohlavyr, Light Screamer, Lowest Creature, and Sleepwalker's Station. Alongside live performances, Live at Heart also released digital concerts that can be accessed through their website. William Bishop can be easily compared to Bob Dylan. He has a background in poetry and literature and training on cello and double bass, which makes songwriting, composing, and performing second nature to him. He is an introverted and reserved person, but that has not kept him from performing his music. His passion for music drives him to perform regularly at music venues. Although he is classically trained as a double bassist and a cellist, he learned to play the guitar as a teenager and to play the piano later. He draws influence from Leonard Cohen, Laura Marling, and most notably, Bob Dylan. He also composes music on guitar and piano. His music is quite simple and minimalistic, which allows the listener to focus more on his deep lyrics, serving the overall experience of the song. This too he has in common with Bob Dylan, His top songs on Apple Music are "Let Us Compare Mythologies," "Chelsea Hotel #2", "The Night in Your Eyes," "I Don't Remember You at All," "All Those Things You Wish for," and Hesperus and Phosphorus Take 1.

Acclamations
William Bishop's performances are a part of different degree courses in Film, Media & Television faculties at the University of York. According to LA Voice; "William Bishop has a simple acoustic approach to his music, and his sound is somewhere between Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. His vibe is melancholy while his vocals are strong, capturing the mood of his lyrical content while his hands slide up and down the neck of his acoustic guitar, bringing it and his music to life. These songs demand your full attention to catching all the nuances of his words and music, but the payoff is rich indeed. Put this one on when you have the time to truly listen, and you'll walk away from a better person." TRYB Management stated about William Bishop; "Really interesting vocal performance. I've not heard anything like it." Eric McLellan from Warner Brothers Records acclaimed William Bishop by saying; "Powerful delivery of lyrics. Abstract but in a good way. The song's lyrics were deep."

Other Work
William bishop has also written a book called 'Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind': Shakespeare's Sonnets, Alchemy, and Individuation, in which he discusses how Shakespear's conception of his self-subjectivity developed as he wrote his sonnets throughout his life. He also incorporates Jun's analytical psychology and Jacques Lacan's concept of desire into the overall theme and analyzes the psychological implications of Shakespear's poems.

5 year performance history

Notable Performances highlighted:

The University of Southampton
05th January 2022

Live at Heart Festival, Sweden,
August 2022

The Bodega, Nottingham, GB
21st August 2022

HMV Brighton, Brighton, GB
20th July 2022 21:00

Just Dropped In, Coventry, GB
Date: 23rd October 2021 21:00

St.Paul's in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, GB
Date: 22nd October 2021 20:00

The Fleece Bristol, Bristol, GB
Date: 16th October 2021 20:00

The Brighton Fringe Festival
Date: June 25th 2021 19:30

The Tabernacle, London, GB
Date: 9th October 2021 19:00

Broderick, Elmshorn, DE
Date: 12th March 2020 20:00

Komedia Cabaret Bar, Brighton, GB
Date: 23rd February 2020 19:00

St James' Wine Vaults, Bath, GB
Date: 27th November 2019 07:00

The Lighthouse, London, GB
Date: 20th November 2019 21:00

Gigi’s Hoxton, London, GB
Date: 24th October 2019 19:00

HMV, Brighton, GB
Date: 7th September 2019 21:00

Bees Mouth, Hove, GB
Date: 4th September 2019 19:00

Fulford Arms, York, GB
Date: 13th August 2019 21:00

Golden Fleece, Nottingham, GB
Date: 3rd August 2019 21:00

The Basement @ City Screen Picturehouse, York, GB
Date: 29th June 2019 20:00

Paradise in Augustine's, Edinburgh, GB
Date: 2nd June 2019 19:00

Paradise in Augustine's, Edinburgh, GB
Date: 12th May 2019 21:00

Green Note, London, GB
Date: 25th March 2019 19:00

St.John on Bethnal Green, London, GB
Date: 19th March 2019 19:00

Green Door Store, Brighton, GB
Date: 4th March 2019 09:00

Library, London, GB
Date: 22nd February 2019 19:00

University of York (Live), York, GB
Date: 14th February 2019 19:00

Hydra Bookshop, Bristol, GB
Date: 8th February 2019 19:00

Spice Of Life, London, GB
Date: 24th January 2019 19:00

93 Feet East, London, GB
Date: 14th December 2018 19:00

Amersham Arms, London, GB
Date: 1st December 2018 19:00

The Islington, London, GB
Date: 24th November 2018 14:00

Castle, Nottingham, GB
Date: 22nd November 2018 19:00

ArtFix Cafe, London, GB
Date: 16th November 2018 19:00

Zigfrid von Underbelly, London, GB
Date: 14th November 2018 19:00

St James' Wine Vaults, Bath, GB
Date: 8th November 2018 19:00

Fiddlers Elbow, London, GB
Date: 17th October 2018 19:00

Green Note Cafe London, GB
Date: 16th October 2017 21:00

O2 Academy Islington, London, GB
Date: 11th October 2017 18:00

Bedford Tavern, London, GB
Date: 9th October 2017 19:00

Cafe 1001, London, GB
Date: 21st September 2017 21:00

The Lucky Pig, London, GB
Date: 4th September 2016 21:00

Rocksteady Studios, London, GB (auditioning for the Head of A&R at Warner Brothers Records)
Date: 4th August 2016 21:00

The Brunswick, Hove, GB
Date: 4th April 2016 21:00

Warner Music are releasing William John Titus Bishop’s latest album, Americana, on April 20th. The record is an exploration of requited and unrequited love, from the perspective of a couple who meet, fall into what may confusedly be called love and then part.

The songs’ lyrics closely follow the exploration of love in its various forms. On ‘Lady of Our Sorrows’ he forlornly laments the lover whose happiness never was to be his, while on ‘I Dont Remember You At All’ he describes a lover whose ‘eyes were the stars, just a little more gently’. The triumphant ‘A Few Good Men’ suggests the more hopeful side of love, with a partner being re-assured that everything she wishes for will come to her. Only on Nicotine does Bishop touch on the darker more hopeless aspect of love. Overall, the album is a musically complex and diverse exploration of the many forms of the love song.

From London, he moved to Brighton, learning piano from Robin Coward, pianist for Passanger, and Camille Phillips, drummer with the Subways. He then recorded three full-length studio albums and amassed a following of over 1.5 million on social media and his last album gained 4 million Spotify streams in its first week. His music is used on degree courses at The University of York and Sussex.

Quote from Artist: ‘the album is a depiction of the finer and more intricate details of a relationship. It deals with love and loss, in a way which we can all relate to on some level’

Critical Acclaim for Americana: ‘Distorted keys and shimmering ambient synthscapes create a distinctly experimental anti-ballad instrumental over which Bishop’s echoey spoken word vocals float as they tell their tale in a tone that is bittersweet and wistful’. - The Playground Magazine

'Nicotine (Americana)' instantly captivates with the stirring and dreamy vocal stylings of William Bishop’ - Earmilk

‘Ghostly vocals and flickering guitar tones combine for a chillingly memorable aesthetic’ - Obscure Sound