Today’s the day. The new album is officially released in the UK although it has been available mail order for a while. I am sitting here in Sweden, enjoying the best spring weather I have ever known, working in the studio, swimming in the lakes (20C today), and preparing for a short trip to England coming up soon.
It feels good to have a vinyl version of this one. I went for quite a retro production sound, simple and acoustic to keep the emphasis on the songs and the lyrics.
I got my old record player out again and have been enjoying the experience of spinning LPs. I also took a whole pile of albums to sell in a second hand vinyl shop here in Sweden and was amazed to find out how popular vinyl is. In my local city (Eskilstuna), more vinyl is sold than CDs, and I can see why, it really is nice.
The album starts with some ambient countryside sounds. The birdsong I recorded in Germany last summer. I had been on the look out for a good opportunity to get some without background noise. The chance came at 4:00 one morning when I was staying with the Mikonaut family in Wedemark. The sheep were more difficult. While I was in Denmark with photographer Kerstin Maier, we visited her friend who had a small sheep farm. We went to the sheep, asked them very nicely but they just wouldn’t say ‘baaaaaaa’. Kerstin later found some sheep in Germany that were more talkative, sent me the recording and I mixed all the sounds together in the studio to make it sound like the typical English countryside. I wanted bees too but they are harder to find these days.
The gold vinyl edition also contains a CD and booklet.
June 7 Thu Beeston Library
June 8 Fri Alfriston Old Chapel
June 10th Sunday Wimbourne Minster Festival
July 27 Zillighem Festival BE
August 18th Helnaes Gallery DK
September Germany tour
October Germany tour
November UK tour