Renowned blues rock musician Ross Harding is set to release a deluxe version of his heavy blues rock anthem, "A Thousand Snakes," originally released in March 2024. This will be the first official release since Harding’s relocation to the UK from South Africa.
"A Thousand Snakes Deluxe Version" is a poignant blues rock tune that has been completely reworked. The original delta blues influence has been amplified with a vintage production style, blending an old-school blues ethos with the modern stylistic devices of a contemporary blues and rock musician.
The song showcases Harding’s exceptional songwriting ability and versatility as an artist, offering listeners a new sonic experience with heightened production quality. This adds an additional layer of depth and intensity to the already captivating sound.
Speaking about the new single, Ross Harding explained:
“There’s a bit of a story behind the Deluxe Version of ‘A Thousand Snakes.’ It is the way I intended the original release to sound. The first idea, to me, was a raw and stripped-back guitar song, with a brooding and almost melancholic melody that I weaved into the music. I think the song is extremely fluid and organic, so when we started rehearsing it as a trio blues rock band, naturally it took on a different form, influenced by overdriven guitars, playing it live, and the hard rock / blues rock band that we are. That’s how the heavier, harder-hitting version came to be. Meanwhile, with the knowledge that I would be leaving South Africa to relocate to the UK, I went back into the studio to record all the music that I intended to release, and the skeletal version of the original idea remained. Upon listening to the song with fresh ears, I realized that I found some magic in it, and something that the story would miss if I didn’t finish that version. So we really got stuck into capturing all the right sounds, including acoustic guitars, resonators, new vocals, and essentially re-recording every instrument to bring this version to life.”
"A Thousand Snakes Deluxe Version" also marks the first release from Harding’s upcoming EP, entitled The Blood & The Blues—a potent demonstration of the artist’s deep musical universe, where he channels raw emotion with a sophisticated stylistic approach, rooted in the blues, classic rock, and hard rock.
You can pre-save “A Thousand Snakes Deluxe Version” here.
To dovetail with the new single announcement, Ross Harding is excited to confirm several live dates. Following his support slots with fellow South African blues-rock guitarist Dan Patlansky at venues such as Oran Mor in Glasgow and The Cluny in Newcastle, he will perform several live dates, including a solo acoustic set on Thursday, October 2, 2024, opening for Planet Rock favorite Jack J Hutchinson at The Black Heart in Camden, London.
Following this show in the capital, The Ross Harding Band (Acoustic) will headline a very special show on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at Fulford Village Hall in Stoke-on-Trent, courtesy of A500 Music. Full details are below, with more live dates to be announced. More new music will be released in the coming months, with “A Thousand Snakes Deluxe Version” just the beginning.
Live Dates:
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Thursday, October 2, 2024 – (Solo Acoustic Support for Jack J Hutchinson) The Black Heart, 3 Greenland Pl, Camden, London NW1 0AP
Ticket Link -
Sunday, February 2, 2025 – A500 Music Presents The Ross Harding Band (Acoustic) with special guest Luke James Williams, Fulford Village Hall, Fulford Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST11 9QT, United Kingdom.
Ticket Price: £15.40 Each including fees (Tickets will be on sale on Friday, August 16, 2024, at Midnight)
Ticket Link
Be sure to mark Friday, August 16, 2024, for “A Thousand Snakes Deluxe Version” by Ross Harding.
