Yon Mon is the solo project from former The Shed Project frontman Roy Fletcher, assisted by Danny Hayes, bass player for The Jade Assembly and producer at The Ivy Studio Bolton. The Shed Project came to a natural end back in June with an amazing celebratory farewell show at Bolton’s Venue Bar following John Radcliffe’s decision to step away from the band.
Following on from their fantastic debut single Shine On, the second single Picture This is now available on all major digital platforms via Echobass Records. We have a lot to look forward to in the coming future for Roy Fletcher, with his honest lyrics and raw emotion, covering topics of love and loss, politics and the dark side of the music industry. The eagerly anticipated debut album is due for release summer 2025…and we cannot wait!
Yon Mon is the exciting solo project from former The Shed Project frontman Roy Fletcher assisted by Danny Hayes bass player for The Jade.
Previously, Roy fronted the fantastic band The Shed Project which gained over 123,000 Spotify streams and an extremely loyal fanbase. Sadly the band decided to take a hiatus earlier this year much to everyone’s disappointment, which is testament to the great music they produced and the excellent gigs they put on. But now Roy has announced his solo project with the promise of plenty of music and potential live shows.
‘Shine on’ is upbeat, uplifting and it sparkles. It is bright and melodic, pure indie rock. It’s uplifting to hear Roy’s distinctive vocals once again. The man is full of sincerity and it comes through in his lyrics and music.
Their debut single ‘Shine On’ is out now and is available on all major digital platforms with an eagerly anticipated three more single releases and an album next summer.
The Shed Project are playing at Zerox, Newcastle on Saturday 27th April, plus special guests Jen Dixon and MC Tunes
The Shed Project were formed in Bolton by Roy (vocals), and John (rhythm) in John’s garden shed in 2018. After creating a few acoustic demos, Tim (bass) joined the group in 2019. By the time 2020 came around The Shed Project had completed their group with the additions of Olli (lead) an Shane (drums) and released their first single ‘Livin’.
The band released their first studio album in 2022 ‘The Curious Mind Of A Common Man’ then last year went on to release the phenomenal and hard hitting album ‘Our Fear is Their Power’ and continue their fast trajectory to the top of the Manchester music scene.
The Shed Project are the Bolton based band who take their name from the mere fact that they formed the band in 2018 in a garden shed! But don’t let this fool you into thinking that this band are anything less than serious contenders on the new music scene.
With Roy Fletcher on vocals, Tim Burke on Bass, John Ratcliffe on Rhythm Guitar, Tim Stott on Lead Guitar and Shane Mckenna on Drums, the band released their first single in January 2020: ‘Livin’’ which was followed by a further 4 single releases the same year and another 5 singles releases in 2022 and 3 in 2023 including 2 albums, “The Curious Mind Of A Common Man” in April 2022 and “Our Fear is Their Power” in November 2023.
The Shed Project have performed extensively up and down the UK including headline sold out shows at the likes of the famous and iconic The Water Rats in London, The Jacaranda in Liverpool and Audio in Glasgow as well as having extremely healthy streaming figures on all of their releases, if this is a band who are not on your radar already, you need to be asking yourself why not?
The brand new single release from The Shed Project ‘I’ve Got The Blues’ is taken from their second album ‘Our Fear Is Their Power’.
Produced by Danny Hayes at the Ivy Studios, ‘I’ve Got the Blues’ provides a deeper insight into the dynamics of the band who, just over two years ago, were virtually unknown. Now commanding a very healthy following on social media and proving to be one of the North West’s most exciting live acts. Their debut show at the Phoenix Club in their hometown Bolton saw them play to a record capacity of 400 adoring fans.
‘I’ve Got the Blues’ is a melodic soulful tribute, written by vocalist Roy Fletcher, in honour of Wesley Swede Sharples & Micheal Rex Hennigan, who as the lyrics describe were two of the good friends of Roy’s who were both taken far too young.
In addition to the lush strings and Steinway grand piano on the album version, the band drafted in female vocalist KD to add some stunning and ethereal harmonies to the already heart wrenching vocals. Knowing founder members John & Roy since childhood Karen said “It’s been both a pleasure and an honour to be involved with such an emotionally charged project and I can’t wait for everyone listen to the magical results”
Roy adds “This song is probably one of the best, but hardest songs I’ve ever written, it’s been like therapy really, Rex, Swede and I were like brothers and to lose them both so young and in such a short amount of time has broken so many hearts”
Upcoming Gigs/Tours
9th March – Wax And Beans – Bury
23rd March – Headline at The Phoenix Club Bolton Support from Aziz Ibrahim Inder, Goldfinger & MC Tunes
Following on from their brilliant debut album ‘The Curious Mind Of A Common Man’ we are graced with what can only be described as a powerful, inspiring and heartfelt album entitled ‘Our Fear Is Their Power.’
Bolton band The Shed Project show their talents and growth with their new album. Each track goes from strength to strength, hooking you all the way in. The quality in production and song writing is refined, Roy’s vocals are heartfelt and real and their sound has matured.
‘Our Fear Is Their Power’ tackles every day life and difficult subjects, they are a band of the people. ‘Our Fear Is Their Power’ talks about the corrupted government, ‘Ghost Town’ is about the bands very own town and how it has been left to ruin, a familiar story to many towns all over the UK and ‘Naughty’ is well…it’s naughty!
I hear alot of inspiration from the greats of the 90’s, The Verve, Charlatans, Oasis and Stone Roses just to name a few which gives the album a nostalgic feel but with a sound completely unique to The Shed Project making it their own. The band are referred to alot like The Stone Roses, as much as they have similar qualities they are so much more than that, The Shed Project can’t be pigeon holed.
2023 has been a great year for bands on the independent music scene. This year has been a fantastic year for album releases, along with The Heavy North’s ‘Delta Shakedown’, ‘Our Fear Is Their Power’ is one of our favourites and is a strong contender for Music Scene Wales’ Album Of The Year 2023!
Scott Marsden #MusicSceneWales @MusicSceneWales musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com
‘Ghost Town’ is taken from their upcoming second album ‘Our Fear Is Their Power’ due for release this autumn. The album was recorded in their hometown, Bolton.
Ghost Town is a song about a problem most towns are all too familiar with, it’s a song about a once thriving town, which at one time was rich in local culture, traditions and values, now the town is the victim of years of decline, poor investment and the rise of the out of town retail park experience. The pubs and clubs have closed, the shops have had to shut their doors and the locals have moved away looking for better opportunities, then you have the beggars, the homeless and the hungry move in creating a ghost town. There is hope in the lyrics, a plea for a better future
The Shed Project are a five piece band from Bolton fronted by the very enigmatic and hard working Roy ‘Tin Man’ Fletcher. I would advise not asking about the nick-name, especially if you are interviewing Tinny on, say, a live radio broadcast. I bottled it; there was just something in the way Shane the funky drummer prompted me to ask the question that just set my Spidey-senses a tingling!
The Shed Project came on to my radar towards the middle of 2020 with the release of the debut single Livin’. Livin’ was admittedly originally recorded with limited resources but the melody and song writing still shone bright, with a lovely jangly lo-fi sound that instantly caught my ear. Several singles followed, each one showcasing a band growing both in terms of skill and confidence. I suppose this is the time the band should have been playing gigs and getting the word out but sadly the Shed Project were not able to do this due to Covid restrictions. It did not stop the band writing and recording though and prior to the album being released this year, The Shed Project had put out eleven singles, including the party starting indie rave monster One Shot with Manchester’s motor mouth Nicky ‘M.C. Tunes’ Lockett and the absolutely brilliant ‘A Day In The Dam’ which recounts Roy’s exploits around Amsterdam. Another subject best avoided if interviewing Roy on a live radio broadcast.
Eight of the bands eleven singles made their way on to the album in one form or another with many of the earlier songs re-recorded and benefiting for the enhanced quality allowing the tracks to breathe and become enriched. Prior to the album release the band had a line up change too, with the addition of the afore mentioned funky drummer, Shane and the young buck with the guitar skills to pay the bills, Olly. The new line up really helped the band to achieve, what I feel they always wanted to achieve; a more psychedelic wig out element. Don’t get me wrong, Olly’s chops are not brought to the fore on every track which really shows restraint because; If I could play like that I would want a five minute solo on every track. What you get instead is an album that is delicate and soulful with tracks like Sal, Bedtime and My Life where Roy is talking from the deepest recesses of his heart about his closest family members. But then you have what can only really be described as ‘Bangers’ (there really is no other word for it!) like Don’t Wait For No One and Friend where young Olly is let off his leash to very impressive effect. These moments of unbridled creativity are an absolute joy to be swept along with, it’s a bit like the first time I heard the long version of Love is the Law after being teased by the single. Only more rock n roll. Like it was a New FADS record. You can probably tell I’m looking forward to more of these moments on the eagerly awaited second album.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. The album, The Curious Mind of a Common Man, came out earlier this year with a beautiful vinyl pressing on offer which went on to sell out very quickly, I believe a second pressing is on the cards if you didn’t manage to snag one of the first. The guys have been playing gigs all around the North West and will be venturing further afield around the UK in the new year, I’m looking forward to seeing them again up in Glasgow. I did manage to catch them when they played St Gregory’s Social Club in Farnworth, Bolton. Better known as the Pheonix club from Peter Kay’s Pheonix nights, this was one of those nights that will be talked about for years to come. I’d travelled for hours to be at this gig and I was so glad I did, the band were on fire, the atmosphere was spot on it had all the hallmarks of a mythical night. But The Shed Project are one of those bands that seem to form their own mythology. My favourite being the story that a deal with a promoter had fallen through at a suggestion that payment should be made not in cash but in controlled substances; ludicrous but somehow, with The Shed Project, stories like this, how Roy got the nick-name and what happened to track 7 on the first album pressing just add to the bands mystique.
The album itself is a fantastic debut that will hit loads of top ten album of the year charts as we approach the drawing of the curtain over 2022. It is honest, hardworking and it shoots from the hip. The songs are all absolutely solid and do not just fit in to one genre. Some days I want to hear the bangers, otherdays I want the soul and The Curious Mind Of A Common Man has it all.
Dan Rowley #MusicSceneWales @MusicSceneWales musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com
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