I Am Spartacus
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GB Whitehaven – Folk / Acoustic / Indie
I Am Spartacus

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Luke Telford (born 26 October 1985) known by his stage name I am Spartacus, is a 29-year-old English songwriter born in the shadow of Sellafield, in Cumbria.

Raised on a healthy diet of Bowie, Van Morrison and The Beatles he picked up the guitar at an early stage. Hampered by broken hearts and broken bones, his style somewhat developed to overcome the obstacles he faced in life. Into his teens he discovered Jeff Buckley, Elliot Smith and Joy Division and was mesmerised by their haunting melodies and atmospheric overtones. He slipped in and out of bands, never feeling as though he belonged.

Upon moving to London in 2005 his love of melody, strange chord shapes and alcohol brought rough demos showcasing lyrical wit, harmonies, heartbreak and late nights. His growing disdain for city life and city prices saw him move back to his home, where he set about prolifically writing, recording and performing.

His musical style is hard to place, but incorporates elements of skag, bone and pikey-indie.

In 2010 after recording a second demo entitled ‘I Am Spartacus and This Is England’ which highlighted a more embellished style and relentless gigging, he built up a loyal army of followers, and was invited to play with artists such as Detroit Social Club, The Ruskins, Twisted Wheel and play at festivals Kendal Calling, Cockrock and Hungry Pigeon.

At the start of 2012, he was nominated as a finalist in the Emerging Talents Awards, and later on in the year he sat down to record his debut album; ‘At Home With the Devil’ with super producer/imaginer Jonny Singh.

The first single, This Is England was released as an exclusive download on 17 December 2010 on www.tourdates.co.uk and sat upon the top of their top 40 chart for a record 7 weeks.

Released in 2012 on SiZe Records UK, ‘At Home with the Devil’ showcases surprises, heartbreak, spontaneous dancing and euphoric sing-alongs. Critically, the record received widespread acclaim, and Luke was invited to perform at numerous festivals, live radio sessions and toured extensively throughout 2012 & 2013, appearing with the likes of Carl Barat, Willy Mason, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Alt-J, Bastille, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Rae Morris and The Janice Graham Band.

A remixed version of the record (At Home with The Angels) was released as an exclusive download in 2014, which included remixes by Kontiki Suite, Glover, Karate Suit, Robbie Muir and Sepia Ghost.

In 2014, I Am Spartacus returned to the studio, to record the highly anticipated follow up to 'At Home with the Devil' due for release in 2015.