Robert Ellis tours the UK in March with Courtney Marie Andrews

Next March Robert Ellis will be in the UK for a string of shows with his friend Courtney Marie Andrews:

01/03: Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
02/03: Bristol, UK - Trinity
03/03: Manchester, UK - Band On The Wall
04/03: Glasgow, UK - Saint Luke's
05/03: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK - The Cluny
07/03: London, UK - KOKO
08/03: Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds 
09/03: Brighton, UK - The Old Market

Robert Ellis made a name for himself in Houston. Inspired by the country, folk, and bluegrass records he'd heard while growing up in southern Texas, Ellis began playing shows around the city, eventually landing a Wednesday-night residency at a local venue called Fitzgerald's. His audience grew as a result of those weekly shows, nicknamed "Whiskey Wednesdays" for their rowdy nature and half-drunk clientele, and Ellis earned more fans on the strength of his self-released debut, The Great Rearranger.

One of those converted fans was George Fontaine, Sr., president of New West Records, who signed Ellis in 2011. Photographs was released that summer, mixing acoustic folk songs with up-tempo country numbers. The album was selected by American Songwriter as one of its Top 50 albums for that calendar year. Ellis toured the United States and Europe before relocating to Nashville. His more eclectic sophomore album, The Lights from the Chemical Plant, was recorded there and produced by Jacquire King and issued in February 2014.

After extensive touring and experiencing the dissolution of his marriage, Ellis returned to recording. He self-produced his next album, simply titled Robert Ellis, at Sugar Hill Studios in Houston. It was engineered by Steve Christiansen and mixed by John Agnello. After a nearly three-year break, Ellis returned in February 2019 with Texas Piano Man, an album that emphasized his eccentric pop side.

Now, while we're waiting on a new full album, we can already enjoy the song Souvenirs (by John Prine) he recorded for The Next Waltz.