Wintercoast
| Touchstone | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Hertfordshire, England |
| Genres | Progressive rock, progressive metal |
| Years active | 2003-present |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | Adam Hodgson Paul 'Moo' Moorghen Henry Rogers Aggie Figurska |
| Past members | Rob Cottingham Steve Barfoot Mike Forrester Simon Cook Jona Sutch Liz Clayden Alasdair Melville Kim 'Elkie' Seviour |
Touchstone are a rock band from the UK. The band was formed by keyboardist Rob Cottingham and guitarist Adam Hodgson in 2003. The name was thought up by Rob, being taken from a lyric in his solo album, Behind The Orchard Tree. Touchstone's music is distributed by Proper Music Distribution.
Touchstone's first studio recording was an EP called Mad Hatters, in 2006. Its four songs included 'Misguided Fool' and 'The Mad Hatters' Song'. The EP was well-received, and spurred Rob and Adam to continue writing more material for the band. It is the only release to feature vocalist Liz Clayden and drummer Simon Cook.
Their first full-length album was Discordant Dreams and was the first to feature Kim Seviour and Alasdair Melville on vocals and drums respectively. The album was praised as an improvement from Mad Hatters, and with tracks such as 'Blacktide', 'Shadow' and 'The Beggar's Song', it showcases the 'Touchstone sound'. The album was recorded by Ben Humphreys and mixed by John Mitchell (It Bites, Frost*, Kino) at his studios in Reading, Berkshire, and performs a guitar solo on the song "Dignity".
Discordant Dreams was toured in September 2008 around the UK with It Bites on The Tall Ships Tour, with Touchstone featuring as support. The tour consisted of 12 UK dates and was a major success for both bands, the final night taking place in Brighton.
The album led the band to win the Classic Rock Society Best New Band 2007 award, presented by John Wetton of Asia.
Touchstone's next studio work was Wintercoast. Released in June 2009, it features an opening narrative from the Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, describing someone's life in a city and his desire to leave for a place "seen reflected in a dream", called 'Wintercoast'. The album was also considered 'a step up from their previous album'. In particular, it has more emphasis on keyboard melodies, giving a more Marillion-style feel (as can be heard at the opening of the track, 'Line in the Sand'). There is also greater emphasis on drums and guitars, which results in passages which would fit well into the Heavy Metal genre.
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