In Pursuit of Spring

I played some reverb drenched guitar on the latest track by builder poet Daniel Mcdonagh, it's the last offering before the album comes out:

From Daniel's IG:

"There are certain writers who reconfigure you aesthetically. They help you see the world anew. Cormac McCarthy being my first literary love affair. The other formative writer is word-hoarder, outdoorsman and scholar Rob g Macfarlane

Not only is his own writing of the highest order and importance he introduced me to such luminaries as Nan Shepherd, J. A. Baker, John Muir, Roger Deakin, Eric Ravilious and Barry Lopez. But most relevant to this tune is poet Edward Thomas.

Thomas’s poetry so beautifully encapsulates what England means to him (and to me!) Thomas suffered from severe bouts of depression and recurrent psychological breakdowns, feeling creatively repressed by the endless reviews and ill-paid commissions he had to do to support himself and his family. The countryside around him became for him respite from his depression. His many walks content for his marvellous poetry.

This song explores that, borrows as it's name a title of Thomas' own work and, I sincerely hope, honours his legacy."

Firestations - Protection Spells

...from the Hash & Brew article:

With trademark intertwined vocals from Mike and Laura, it also features special guest Neil Walsh (Smoke Fairies, Videocean, Shattercones) on viola, as well as a rare, scorched-earth guitar solo (like a frustrated dad going epic in a guitar shop) from the band’s lead guitarist Martin (who is not a dad).

For fans of emotional alt-country - think Sparklehorse, John Cale, Wilco, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Neil Young, Herman Dune, Sharon Van Etten - albeit selectively filtered through refined (repressed) British sensibilities.

Plague song (for Médecins Sans Frontières)

 So, a short while into lockdown Nick asked me if I'd finally purchased that audio interface to do some home recording with because he'd written a graphical score and wanted me to record my interpretation. After some typicallly epic indecissiveness due to wrongbrain I finally picked one up (Native Instruments) and today my version of Nick's Plaguesong score has been released into the world along with all the other excellent artists, with all proceds to Médecins Sans Frontières.

My piece was recorded just with the viola and a couple of Electro Harmonix pedals (HOG & Holy Stain) and I'm really pleased with how it came out; its the first self recorded solo piece I've ever released, hope you like it.

Oppenheimer video

I made this video using footage I filmed whilst in Cambodia on a Google Pixel 3 using YouCut video maker. We'd just received the final mix for the EP before I went away and the more I started filming short clips of landscapes (just for posterity) the more I could hear the song behind the images and I started shooting specifically with it in mind, it made thematic sense, if I was a twat I'd say the video made itself.  I'm pretty pleased with how it came out though considering it's the first music video I've ever made and I pretty much put it all together on the long arse flight on the way home. For someone as overly critical with everything they do to be 'pretty pleased' must mean something ...I should probably give a credit to Jason Powdrill as it was his seed of an idea that I expanded on, he's probably forgotten about that though. 

Shattercones - Oppenheimer EP

Oppenheimer, the debut EP by new outfit Shattercones is out now! 

Available for streaming and to purchase on Bandcamp.

Artwork by Serge Najjar.

Burger Round

Once upon a time in a land far far away I wrote a round like London's Burning but not as good and about burgers instead of burning cities. With it being a round it lasts for infinite time. Here it is in JPEG format: