Alex Templeton-Ward

Alex Templeton-Ward
File:Alex Templeton-Ward.jpg
Background information
Born	(1983-06-09) 9 June 1983 Carlisle, Cumbria
Genres	Experimental rock, avant-garde, psychedelic rock, outsider, anti-folk
Occupation(s)	Songwriter, artist, writer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer
Labels	Jezus Factory Records
Associated acts	Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences, David Cronenberg's Wife, Death in Vegas

Alex Templeton-Ward (born 9 June 1983, Carlisle, Cumbria) is an English artist and musician. He was a one time member of Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences where he provided vocals, bass, sampling, synthesizers and has writing credits. His illustration and design work has been used by many notable companies and he has had a variety of solo shows in London. The artist originally comes from Cumbria in Northern England.

Life and career

Music

The Beat Maras released The Huaraz EP on 14 April 2008, through Jezus Factory Records. Room Thirteen said the EP "Sounds like Morrissey and Elvis Costello jamming at Elliott Smith's wake". Both these releases were produced by Ian Button.

Templeton-Ward's work with Paul Hawkins saw him contribute towards six singles and two albums. Templeton-Ward's poetry has been performed in support of members from bands such as Ian Dury and the Noisettes. Templeton-Ward has appeared on radio numerous times including a BBC Radio 1 live session with Huw Stephens and multiple appearances on BBC Radio 6.

Templeton-Ward began a new band, Black Coral Groove, in 2013. The songs are co-written with Ruari Meehan, the pair met on a European tour supporting Kasabian. All their music has been produced by Ian Button and the band, they are expected to begin a live tour in 2015.

Writing and film

Templeton-Ward's films have featured artists such as Miles Kane, Saul Williams, The Big Pink, Spector, Dark Dark Dark, Man Like Me, Hurts, Akron/Family, Babeshadow, Emmy The Great, Listener, Jeffrey Lewis, Rival Sons, British Sea Power, Metronomy, Death in Vegas, The Ruby Suns, Dry The River, PURE LOVE and Themselves.

Templeton-Ward has interviewed many musical artists including Sunn O))), Beirut, E.M.A., Nosaj Thing, James P Honey, CREEP, Yoni Wolf, Band of Skulls and CSS.

Art and illustration

As a practising fine artist Templeton-Ward's work involves multi-media, and the appliance of computer software to create imaginative landscapes. The artist's painting focusses on the relationship between alchemy, M-Theory and Jungian archetypes. His work has featured as part of the Seventeen collections.

Templeton-Ward is set to release debut graphic novel 'The Infinite Cat' in 2015. It comes in conjunction with a series of artworks of the same name, both take their title from the novel's protagonist. The plot follows a talented scientist who freezes his head in the hope of future resurrection. Dr Badge – as he is named – eventually recovers consciousness in the 88th giga-year. Greeting him upon re-animation is an unexpected character – a 600-foot tall, pipe-smoking cat – the Singularity or Infinite Cat. After a brief introduction, the creature dramatically plots its life history beginning with prehistoric metallurgists and the dawn of shamanism/magic. It passes through the lives of alchemical luminaries such as Hermes Trismegistus, Moses and Jambres, various psychopomps, John Dee, Giordano Bruno and others, before addressing Jungian ideas of the archetype and the Swiss correspondence with mystical physicist Wolfgang Pauli.

The central theme to Templeton-Ward's work is the homogeneity between what the artist believes are the realities of the collective unconscious and the unresolved problem of how (or if) wave function collapse occurs. The paintings allow parallel ideas and innumerable characters to get involved in the plot, expanding new spectrums to the allegory. These extra characters include Charles Bonnet's father, Will-o'-the-wisp, perceptual parapsychologist and ESP fanatic Karl Zener, Nicole Aubrey, Holinshed's witch and others, each revealing separate incidences and new avenues for thought. The characters appear in mock battles reminiscent of arcade games such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, tipping a hat to the world of Haraway's cyborgs, machine fetish/mythology and the tension between the zeitgeist and these emerging realities.

Discography

Singles

The Beat Maras:

• The Huaraz EP

Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences:

• "The Evil Thoughts" (Split 7" with L'il Lost Lou) (Jezus Factory Records – 2007)
• "The Bigger Bone" (Jezus Factory Records – 2007)
• "I Believe in Karma" (Jezus Factory Records – 2008)
• "Don't Blind Me With Science" (Jezus Factory Records – 2008)
• "You Can't Make Somebody Love You" (Jezus Factory Records – 2008)
• "The Battle Is Not Yet Over" (Jezus Factory Records – 2008)

Albums

The Beat Maras:

• Bat and The Astral Phoenix

Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences:

• We Are Not Other People (Jezus Factory Records – 2008)
• Apologies to the Enlightenment (Jezus Factory Records – 2010)

External links

• BBC Radio: Introducing The Beat Maras
• Is This Music? The Beat Maras, The Huaraz E.P.
• Radio One Huw Stephens Introducing sessions
• Room Thirteen: The Beat Maras – Huaraz review
• Vice magazine: London Kids
• Livemusic: Saul Williams Volcanic Sunlight
• Livemusic: Miles Kane at KCLSU
• Livemusic: Dark Dark Dark
• Livemusic: Themselves