A one-man assembly of bold and vibrant caricatures in sound; The Voluntary Butler Scheme makes its debut with the EP ‘Trading Things In’ released on 16th June, 2008 on The Lowest Layer Of The Trifle Recordings.

22 year old Rob Jones aka The Voluntary Butler Scheme takes a wry look at life’s shortcomings and styles a plasticine pop of ruggedly organic and excitingly abstract songs, for the British suburbia they call home.

Opening track “Trading Things In” is lyrically vivid English-summer pop. With ambitiously realised harmonies, and pleasingly shabby arrangement, it recognises the truly defining symptoms of love and devotion; Broccoli, running shoes and bad MP3 playlists.

“The Eiffel Tower And The BT Tower”, welcomes a swinging, ska inflected Motown group into his Midland home, “The BT Tower is the first thing that catches your eye when you go into Birmingham. Some sort of warped Midlands pride made me want to put it in the title”. And the apparent pop soul whimsy of “Hot Air Balloon Heart”, shares the eccentric gifts of Nilsson and more immediately Gruff Rhys, as it spins classic songwriting into new, surreal and otherworldly shapes – “I’ve been dreaming of you so often, makes my hot air balloon heart soften…”

Hailing from Stourbridge, Rob’s inauguration as a solo artist was inspired – albeit indirectly – by fellow mid-lander Pato Banton. Under the misapprehension that a collaboration with the lyrical toaster might be on the cards, Rob wrote and recorded an album’s worth of songs. When the partnership inevitably came to naught, Rob set about filling in the gaps with his harmonica, The Voluntary Butler Scheme was born.

Calling forward his own proverb “a bass drum on the back is worth two on the floor”, Rob now tours with a collection of keyboards, guitars, kick drum and percussive accoutrements, recreating his progressive pop opuses as a one man band. He tours with Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong, and Duke Special from May 2008 onwards.

The Voluntary Butler Scheme May/June 2008 tour dates:

MAY 2008

10th BRISTOL, Thekla with JL&TJJJ
14th LEEDS, Cockpit
15th MANCHESTER, Academy 3 with JL&TJJJ
16th BRIGHTON, Po Na Na
17th SHEFFIELD, Leadmill with JL&TJJJ
18th BIRMINGHAM, Academy 2 with JL&TJJJ
19th NOTTINGHAM, Rescue Rooms with JL&TJJJ
20th BRIGHTON, Concorde 2 with JL&TJJJ
22nd LONDON, Scala with JL&TJJJ
25th PORTSMOUTH, Wedgewood with JL&TJJJ
27th NORWICH, Waterfront with JL&TJJJ
28th OXFORD, Academy with Duke Special
29th BRISTOL, Thekla with Duke Special
30th HEBDEN BRIDGE, Picture House with Duke Special
31st NORWICH, Arts Centre with Duke Special

JUNE 2008

2nd BIRMINGHAM, Glee Club with Duke Special
3rd BRIGHTON, Komodia with Duke Special
4th CARDIFF with Duke Special
5th ALDERSHOT, West End Centre with Duke Special
13th LONDON, Luminaire with Darren Hayman

The Voluntary Butler Scheme Myspace