David Palfreyman
Opening Time For The Battered
Photo by: Pete Hill
Singer and songwriter David Palfreyman returns this autumn with his new solo album Opening Time for the Battered, a collection that blends rock, folk and alternative sounds, with flashes of pop cutting through. The record landed on September 26th, 2025, and brings together a striking mix of musicians whose names many listeners will already know.
Keyboardist David Clayton, who spent over two decades with Simply Red and has worked with the likes of David Bowie, George Michael and Depeche Mode, joins the project. On bass is actor Ben Miles, familiar to television audiences for his roles in Andor and Douglas is Cancelled. Martyn Barker and Chris Musto share drumming duties, while Gary Barnacle adds saxophone and Rodger Hanna completes the lineup on lead guitar.
Keyboardist David Clayton, who spent over two decades with Simply Red and has worked with the likes of David Bowie, George Michael and Depeche Mode, joins the project. On bass is actor Ben Miles, familiar to television audiences for his roles in Andor and Douglas is Cancelled. Martyn Barker and Chris Musto share drumming duties, while Gary Barnacle adds saxophone and Rodger Hanna completes the lineup on lead guitar.
Behind the desk, the album benefits from the touch of Ian Caple, known for his work with Tricky and Tindersticks, while Grammy Award–winner Jim Lowe recorded the opening tracks.
David’s path into music began early his first recording dates back to 1980 when, still at school, he played trombone on The Sound of Rhodian Brass. He later trained as an actor but continued to perform across the UK, Europe and the United States. His previous release, Decades, co-written and produced with Nicholas Pegg, gained national attention and regular BBC Radio 2 play.
More recently, Palfreyman’s music has featured in the 2025 documentary Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade. With Opening Time for the Battered, he once again proves his craft runs deep.
David’s path into music began early his first recording dates back to 1980 when, still at school, he played trombone on The Sound of Rhodian Brass. He later trained as an actor but continued to perform across the UK, Europe and the United States. His previous release, Decades, co-written and produced with Nicholas Pegg, gained national attention and regular BBC Radio 2 play.
More recently, Palfreyman’s music has featured in the 2025 documentary Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade. With Opening Time for the Battered, he once again proves his craft runs deep.