³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

Well, every time rock ’n’ roll stumbles or hits a pothole, someone comes along to breathe new life and spirit into its lungs. Dan Bettridge, at all of 21 years old, knows his Stax from his Motown, his Sun from his Chess Records, and understands that it’s all about singing straight from the middle of his own bruised heart.

He’s a blue-eyed soul singer: Van Morrison, if he’d come from Ogmore-By-Sea in the Vale Of Glamorgan. And like Van, he’s much more than the sum of his influences; in Dan’s case, mostly gathered from his parents’ record collection.

His debut release – the stripped bare and beautiful ‘Hunter’s Heart’ – was embraced by Huw Stephens on his ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Introducing Show on Radio 1 and by Dermot O’Leary on Radio 2, admirably demonstrating that great music is not only timeless, but ageless too.

Dan’s new single ‘Third Eye Blind’ (June 2015) marries the slow burn of William Bell’s I Forgot To Be Your Lover with exquisite, minimal horns played and arranged by Sweet Baboo. Other Welsh musicians of note feature on the recording too: Jack Egglestone (drums: Future of the Left and Zervas & Pepper) and Maddie Jones (backing vocals), all produced by Cardiff’s legendary producer Charlie Francis (REM, The High Llamas, Future of the Left et al).

The other A-side is an airy and beautiful song called ‘Letters Home’, that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on one of the Allman Brothers’ classic albums.

These are only reference points, though. One day soon, artists are likely to be citing Dan as an inspiration in his own right.