For the last few weeks I’ve been mixing and editing a series of Flight School live videos recorded in my flat at the end of last year. Some of the songs are taken from the recent ‘You Cut The Line EP’ and we tried a few covers as well. I really wish we’d have used more than my rubbish webcam, but the sound is pretty good. View below.
Alessi by Takeshi Suga
Recently, I had the pleasure of recording and playing on a very simple version of ‘Joy To The World’ with Alessi. The very good people over at For Folk’s Sake have included it on a Christmas compilation album also featuring Stornoway, Dark Dark Dark and Left With Pictures.
All profits from the album are going to Médecins Sans Frontières. Do listen and buy it here.
The track was very well received, and attracted some very kind comments from Lauren Laverne, who also played it on her BBC 6music show. Have a listen below.
Very happy to be heading out on a couple more tours with Alessi’s Ark, this time as support to a couple of great bands.
First up this week is a European tour with cult American folk rock band Mountain Goats. List of cities is absolutely fantastic, but going to be a lot of driving to do!
Then next up in November/December we’re playing with a band who I’ve loved since I first heard the beautiful ‘Last of the Melting Snow’. As part of the tour, we’re playing Shepherds Bush Empire which I always give as an answer when asked my favourite venue to see live music. A dream to finally play there, as well as Union Chapel! Please do come along. That means just still have to play Pyramid Stage and Later with Jools and I’ll die happy…
October Tour with Mountain Goats:
7 – St. Georges, Bristol, UK
8 – Union Chapel, London, UK
9 – Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
10 – Arches, Glasgow, Scotland
12 – Handelsbeurs, Gent, Belgium
13 – People’s Place, Amsterdam, Netherlands
14 – Luxor, Cologne, Germany
16 – La Gaite Lyrique, Paris, France
17 – La Connexion Live, Toulouse, France
18 – Teatre Conde Duque, Madrid, Spain
19 – Caprichos de Apolo, Barcelona, Spain
20 – Casa Cultural Lugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain
Details and tickets links at www.alessisark.com/#livepage
Earlier this summer, Miri, Joshua and I recorded some live videos in my living room of the some new songs we’d written, with the help and expert editing of the brilliant Kate McLarnon. Have a view of them below.
It’s been such a fun summer playing at festivals, events and a residency at a bar called Labels in Soho. Miri and I are taking a break from playing live together, but expecting very big these with these songs.
Chuffed to announce I’ll be heading out on the road with Alessi’s Ark for a UK tour and a few dates around Europe this April/May.
Alessi releases her third album ‘The Still Life’ on April 15th on Bella Union records (home of Explosions In The Sky, Flaming Lips & Fleet Foxes). We then start the tour at the Southbank Centre in London the week after.
The new album has quite a colourful, layered sound so performing these tracks as a three-piece should be interesting, but there’s a few toys and tricks we’ve been playing with – rehearsals have been a lot of fun so far! I’ll be playing a variety of instruments including electric guitar, bass, keys and melodica…
Listen to a couple of tracks off the forthcoming album below. If you like what you hear, do come along and see us – tickets links are here.
At 3 EPs and about 6 gigs over the last 6 years, we’re not the most prolific of bands. But myself and a couple of friends I’ve known for years have recently managed to finish off a few tunes and put together a 4-track release and a new website. For a band that hardly ever plays together to release an EP recorded at a home studio, I think it’s a pretty good effort. The production is probably the best I’ve managed on anything so far – although some good demos being recorded with Miri at the moment as well.
Anyway, here’s the tracks. You can pay what you want for it, and the first 200 get to download it for free. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or have a look at our rather nice new website.
I’ve been playing live with Miri for a few years now – first as part of her backing band, and now acoustically with a percussionist, but just recently have started to write and record with her a little more. And it’s been pretty good fun. First track to surface is a song Miri wrote called ‘Red’ – recorded at Spare Room Studios.
There is also a making-of video which you can view here – I have to admit I completely forgot most of the time that there was someone with a camera in the corner of the room, so throughout most of it I look pretty stupid with my ‘concentration’ (read: gormless) face on.