We are delighted to announce the release of New Note Strummers‘s third album, Inspired by Everything. The album features 10 original songs, all written and performed by members of the Strummers, which is a guitar group open to anyone in recovery from addiction.
From themes to lyrics – collaboration at the heart
Many of the songs on Inspired by Everything were created collaboratively. Musicians worked together to develop and refine chord progressions, lyrics and song structures. Musical Director Jon Rattenbury, who ran an online songwriting course for any Strummers members who wanted to write, explains:
“Creating new music is always a fascinating process, and working with the Strummers to help them craft song ideas and complete their latest recording was a great experience. Each songwriter came up with original ideas and we worked together to shape the lyrics and chords into finished songs.”
The process wasn’t always straightforward. Jon remembers there were plenty of long discussions about themes, lyrics, and instrumentation:
“It wasn’t always easy – there were wide-ranging discussions about song themes, finding the right expressive words and music and deciding on which instruments to include.”
These conversations allowed each song to evolve organically, and reflect the experiences and perspectives of the musicians themselves.
Rehearsals and shaping the sound
Once the initial ideas were developed, the group rehearsed extensively, refining their songs into full arrangements. Jon describes the experience:
“Then we worked on the sound, rehearsing together and learning the songs, with the songwriters adapting and editing their songs as living music.”
The Strummers experimented with harmonies, chord progressions, and instrumental solos, shaping each track into a cohesive piece, which still gave space for each songwriter’s voice.
Recording at Metway Studios
In summer 2025, the Strummers entered Metway Studios in Brighton for four days of intensive recording. The sessions produced a variety of tracks, each reflecting the originality and collaborative energy of the group, with Jon recalling that everyone wanted to
capture the best possible performances:
“In the end, a great selection of tracks was produced in an amazing variety of styles and showing real energy and originality.”
Recording in a professional studio also reinforced a key idea from Dr. Cathy Sloan, one of the founders of the Addiction Recovery Arts Network. As she notes in her book Messy Connections: Creating Atmospheres of Addiction Recovery Through Performance Practice, performing in recognised professional spaces helps challenge stigma and position recovery artists as artists first, rather than defining them solely by addiction. Working at Metway Studios gave the Strummers the experience of creating music in a professional environment, and sound engineer Jake ensured it was a rewarding and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
A Strummer’s perspective: Shaun Duggan
Shaun Duggan, who has been regularly attending Strummers for the last four years, reflects on the importance of the group, and what it’s meant to his recovery:
“It’s largely about the music, but it’s also about social connections. It’s something to look forward to every week, it provides a structure. A bit like work in some ways, but more pleasant!”
Shaun particularly enjoyed collaborating on songwriting for the new album. The track “Distant Saturday” was based on a chord progression he developed around 25 years ago. He brought the idea to the songwriting group, where fellow Strummer Liam worked with him on lyrics, which were written in just a couple of hours after they chatted about Shaun’s life. Liam sang lead vocals on the track, while Hannah and Adele contributed harmonies.
Shaun also enjoyed performing guitar solos on some of the other tracks, including “Raising Hell”. For him, recording at Metway Studios was both exciting and challenging:
“When it was your turn to be in the spotlight, it could be intimidating to play in front of your peers.”
He enjoyed listening to sessions through the studio speakers with the rest of the group, and appreciated the support of lead guitar teacher Crispin, who helped everyone feel confident during recording.
Music as a pathway in recovery
For Shaun, the project was about more than just creating music – it was a milestone in his recovery journey. Being part of a collaborative creative process provided a sense of achievement and reinforced the positive impact of music and teamwork on recovery. He reflects:
“It did give a sense of accomplishment. For me, it’s sort of like a pathway, a stopping point on a recovery pathway. When you have an accomplishment like that, it gives you confidence, which can affect other areas of your life.”
Shaun hopes that the Strummers will continue to write and perform more original content in the future, with the release of Inspired by Everything being just the start of more musical adventures ahead.
Join the Album Launch Party
Come and celebrate the release of Inspired by Everything with us at the album launch party:
St Luke’s Church, Prestonville, Brighton
Friday 24th April
7:30pm (doors open 6.45pm)
Tickets: £6 in advance / £8 on the door.
>Entry includes curry courtesy of The Real Junk Food Project and a dessert kindly provided by the St Luke’s after school club.
Book tickets
Listen to tracks from the new album on Spotify
With thanks to the generous support of The National Lottery Community Fund, which has supported New Note Strummers since 2017. Their ongoing funding has helped make the weekly Strummers sessions possible and enabled the recording of this new album.
Photos: Sarah Hickson