Album Notes

Fusing diverse forms of funk, rock, reggae, tribal, jazz, latin and celtic music, "Stories For The Soul" is a deeply personal reflection taking us with Jay as he relives the last six years spent on the road and across the seas. With inspiration from his time in the USA, the Caribbean, South-East Asia, Canada and his birth country Fiji, the song’s tales reveal stories of love, learning, possibility and heartbreak; rich with history and central to the soul-building journey that is this release.

"Stories For The Soul" is produced by Jay Hoad and recorded at Deep Blue Studios in Adelaide with Reid Jones, with additional tracks recorded at AMI Studios in Maryland, USA. CD mastering is by Tim Starnes in New York City. Tim is best known for his sound engineering on movies such as "Lord of the Rings" and "Aviator" as well as the CDs of many acclaimed USA bands.

Since his 2009 recording Jay’s musicianship has continued to develop while pushing ever new boundaries. Jay now combines unique instrumentation comprising more than eleven instruments for his live solo performances. Joining him on this album is 2011 Womadelaide artist Adam Page, Chris Finnen, Jim Miller, Steve Brown, Ria Loof and other international artists. Together they create a recording ranging from groove-driven, funky tropical melodies to rock-influenced lap steel tracks. The new material has already caught the eyes and ears of festivals in Vancouver, Bangkok and along the east coast of the USA earlier this year, snapping Jay up to appear at their line-ups.