Greetings crazy earthlings. We've finished recording our EP at the very rewarding 'Nine Volt Leap' studios in Melksham with Dominic Bailey-Clay. We're in the process of mastering, making videos and designing the sleeve. Now, we want your help!
To raise money we invite you to pre-order your copy of the EP on CD (with a download code). We offer you the option of having your name printed on the sleeve and you can include an additional word of your choice. The crowdfunding page is here!
The current virus situation has forced a method on us that we have found very rewarding. Rob recorded his guide tracks on his own to a click track by a lake near his house. The intention was to pick up all the ambience of the location, inspired by John Martyn's 'Small Hours'. We then went into the studio one by one to lay our parts down. It gave the EP more of a singer-songwriter feel than a 4 piece band initially, but there are some huge builds next to some very stripped back arrangements. The guide tracks were recorded in the evenings in spring, which is what inspired the name 'eight in the evening in spring'.
The songs hang together very naturally and each justifies it's place, but there is one track in particular that has got us excited and it's called 'time rolls on'. A few years back we also recorded a version of 'Always on my mind' that we are also very proud of and would like to release for the first time on CD and digitally (previously only released on vinyl).
We're delighted to have three special guests on this EP; the professional pianist and composer of many works including 'The Cool Web' (recently performed in St Paul's Cathedral) JOOLS SCOTT; the professional french horn player JONATHAN FAREY (BBC Symphony Orchestra); AND the amazing BETH PORTER from The Bookshop Band, The Lost Words (Robert MacFarlane) + over 100 other albums including The Heavy, Newton Faulkner, Eliza Carthy, etc.
The EP will be released next year through 'Songs and Whispers' and Sentric Music. That may sound fancy, but it is just a licensing and publishing deal - we get no record company budget (hence the crowdfunding), but gamble on there being some kind of income from PRS and purchases. It will be on spotify, but that won't earn enough to feed an insect.
Can't wait to get this out there. Gratitude, peace and love. x