The Man

Mister Keith (the alias of songwriter Keith Ayling), has recently released Record of Wrongs, a stunning debut from the pen of a songwriter who has already released thirteen albums in a former Britpop career.

It’s a charming, bittersweet and darkly romantic collection of life stories from the pen – or quill – of Mister Keith, self-professed originator of ‘Victorian Pop’. With Record of Wrongs, Mister Keith has drawn together the influences of his grandfathers in to a coherent piece of modernist Victorian art already dubbed by Dr Davey Ray Moor as “A sumptuous, luxurious and lush experience, nestling within a thoroughly convincing set of arrangement textures, which bed the listener into a languid state of reflection.”

The album, produced by longtime friend, Dave Izumi (whose credits include Duke Special, Luke Sital-Singh and Ed Harcourt) features a gathered orchestra including clarinettist Ben Castle, drummer Phil Wilkinson and The Eastbourne Salvation Army Band & Warwick University Brass. The album was written in suitably thoughtful locations such as Corsham Court and during midnight walks through the town of Lewes, inspired by a selection of old movies, books and family history – which included the discovery that Mister Keith is related to Victorian hymn-writer W G Collins (1854-1931), founder of Guildford Corps and an ironmonger by trade.

But this kind of songwriting reaching deep in to the darkness of the soul needs real life to feed its stories – as Mister Keith can claim – and one can discover, on an album that brings the pain of broken relationships and loss to conclusions of hope.

“A number of the songs were firmly influenced by the loss of my father, uncle and father-in-law to cancer, all within three years of each other. It takes you to dark places of the soul and yet something brings you back to imagine hope again.”

Whilst speaking on songwriting at many national events he has had the opportunity to share this path with those he meets. Songs come from the soul and can heal others.

The Album

Record of Wrongs is available on vinyl, cd and limited edition boxset.

The making of Record of Wrongs

Discover more from the writing and recording of Record of Wrongs including images and film. Coming soon.

Throughout his 28 year career Keith Ayling has led many weekends on songwriting and set up his own music education charity in 2002. He has performed on BBC, iTV, Five and MTV and was booked by Greenbelt Festival for 19 consecutive years. In 2010-12 he studied for a Masters in Songwriting with Davey Ray Moor (Cousteau).

Record of Wrongs is also available as a limited edition boxset with vinyl, CD, artprint and exclusively blended tea.

“That bittersweet instant where love is both ripe and (by its very nature) doomed
is a delightful idea: an intense nostalgia for the present moment.”
(Davey Ray Moor)