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I post updates and new music every few days.
'Lord Franklin' from 'Eight August Songs'
Here’s a spontaneous cover of the folk song ‘Lord Franklin’ I recorded a few weeks ago for my latest release, ‘Eight August Songs’ available through Bandcamp and Patreon now.
‘Lord Franklin’ (or ‘Lady Franklin’s Lament’) was written around 1850 and tells the story of the 1845 expedition to find a passage between the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific. Two ships and their crew were lost and the wife of Franklin sponsored many expeditions in an effort to locate her husband. The song is told from the point of view of a sailor at sea who actually dreams Franklin’s story into the song, thinking it true, which it is. It’s frames within frames, songs within songs and a very strange and beautiful text. Naturally, Wikipedia has more information on the origins and various versions here.
I’ve always loved the melody of this song and thought I’d try to understand the structure, which is actually very simple and in fact likely originates from a much earlier instrumental Irish tune ‘Cailín Óg a Stór’. This, in turn, was the basis for ‘The Croppy Boy’. As is often the case, start looking into a folk song and the rabbit hole opens up.
I had never tried this song before this take but have since played it at most of the concerts I’ve played this month. All of these shows were recorded and I’m posting songs from them on my Patreon and, along with other recordings I’ve just made, they’ll likely turn up for the next month’s subscription release.
Thanks for listening,
Stephen
Recordings from Freital on my Patreon.
I’ll be posting live recordings from my recent concert in Freital on my Patreon page over the next few days. It was a lovely night and I played a bunch of things I don’t normally play. Some new songs from the last few albums and a couple of folk covers, including something I never tried before. Please consider supporting me there - it’s just €3 a month and there’s much exclusive music from me uploading already, with more coming all the time.
The photo above is by ankola007 from the night.
Free download of 'DESI'
A six song recording from my recent concert at DESi in Nürnberg is now available as a free download to everyone on my mailing list and to all Patreon and Bandcamp subscribers. It’s also available to buy through Bandcamp.
I’ve put the form for the newsletter below. I post once a month maximum and have a few other releases that are available to everyone there. I get that it’s a bit old fashioned but it’s nice to feel like I’m speaking to the people that are wanting to hear from me and not just shouting arrogantly into the void.
31.07.21 DESI, Nürnberg, Germany
The Royal Canal
I Do Wrong
We Could Have, We Should Have, We Didn't
Hove Beach and Eggshells
Lover O Lover
So Long Song
I’ll send an email out tonight with a link to download, and if you miss it drop me a line and I’ll add you to the list and I’ll make sure you get another.
Of course, everyone signed up to my Patreon or Bandcamp subscriptions get all the new music I make and release anywhere so there’s that too. I’d be super happy if more people decide to support me this way as it’s the absolutely one of the best sources of encouragement to me these days.
This was a spontaneous, relaxed evening and I’m happy to share music from it with you.
Cover photo by https://www.instagram.com/lea_laerm/
Live tracks on Patreon
I’ve been uploading single tracks, especially recent live recordings over on my Patreon page for the last few weeks. Today there is a version of ‘The Royal Canal’ from last Saturday’s concert in Nürnberg up here. I’ll follow with more in the next week.
Finding it fun to share things every few days - I would really appreciate it if you considered signing up there to hear this stuff. €3 a month will get you started and it means a lot to me to make things for those that are listening.
Thanks all, have a good weekend.
Stephen
Nürnberg concert this Saturday, tomorrow
I just got asked to play a last minute concert tomorrow in Nürnberg at the rather excellent DESI. Doors open at 15:00, music and reading from 16:00. My good friend Julia Laura will play at 17:30 and eventually I will finish the evening at 21:00. That’s the story.
Winterthur last weekend
Just back home after a lovely couple of days playing and travelling through some beautiful countryside in Austria and Switzerland. I’ll share some recordings from the last few days on my Patreon this week.
Winterthur concert in a week
Quick note to say that I’m playing a last minute concert in Winterthur, Switzerland next Saturday the 24th of July at the brilliant Gaswerk. Doors 18:00.
They’ll open their bar for the first time in ages and I’ll play some. It’s casual dress, bring your thirst.
202106 Music Playlist
Also lots of Becky Becky but they don’t seem to be on Apple Music so go and listen to them here instead.
'Work With This' out now
Work With This
Zeppelin
This Is A Calling
Hove Beach And Eggshells
Luck Is Cruelty On The Wind
You Remain My North
Good Night
An album of seven new songs is now available for everyone here on my site, my Patreon and over at Bandcamp.
As a thank you to all Patrons it’s available to download to everyone subscribing, including all at the €3 tier. Please consider signing up over there to support me directly.
I suppose here is the place to share some words about the making of this one.
My last album ‘The Ghost Is The Only One That Beats My Drum’ came out in December and whilst I might usually go and play some concerts or get out of the house for some weeks that hasn’t really been an option recently, so I just carried on working on songs. Some of the ways I was working whilst making that album didn’t really change and often things that were started back then just kept bubbling away over time. Slow cooking. I think that’s apparent on a few of the songs here - the ones based on a rhythm and with more percussive stuff in particular. There’s a link, as always, between the albums, but here it’s like I didn’t stop. I suppose I didn’t stop.
This time there’s no one else playing on the thing and it’s generally a little tighter written and structured I think. I cut a lot away, despite there still being a couple of longer songs there. I’ve never been as brave or ruthless an editor as I should be.
‘Zeppelin’ was a song called ‘Four’ that I started about 15 years ago and was originally based around a Neil Young guitar feedback sample. I don’t think I ever played it live but it’s likely that the recording was released ages ago, perhaps on an edition of the ‘Church Boat’ CD or something around 2005. I don’t think anyone will recognise it but if you do please let me know.
Likewise, ‘Hove Beach And Eggshells’ isn’t an old song but is somehow about events that happened around that time when I lived on the south coast of England. Recently I found myself trying to care for a young crow and I think it brought back sentimental memories of nesting gulls.
I’m playing concerts again, starting this week.. No idea if I’ll get to try any of these out but let’s see.
Thanks everyone, have a lovely week.
Stephen
'Work With This' physical edition
The physical edition of my new album ‘Work With This’ is available to pre-order now at Bandcamp and also available directly through my store here.
The album is out on Monday the 5th of July.
This simple edition features a hand stamped CD-r and an A4 lyric and guitar chord sheet. A punch card with the date and time of manufacture is also inside. The sleeve is hand stamped and each is numbered from an edition of 100.
I’ll be sending these out at the start of next week and will also have copies at all my concerts that I am planning, fixing and very much looking forward to.
More info on this album at the weekend, have a nice Friday.
Stephen
Juneteenth fundraiser day at Bandcamp - 'Luck Is Cruelty On The Wind'
A special version of a new song, ‘Luck Is Cruelty On The Wind’ is available now through my Bandcamp page.
This version is an alternate mix and edit of a 9 minute song from my new album, ‘Work With This’ releasing 05.07.21.
Today, the 18th of June is the Juneteenth fundraiser, where Bandcamp donate 100% of their share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. I’ll do the same for any digital purchase from my catalogue
Last year, in the midst of the worldwide protests, Bandcamp did the same thing and, with the help of all who picked things up from me I donated $225 to legal aid charities via ActBlue. Things may have thankfully calmed down somewhat but the need is very much still there.
If you’re considering buying any of my music then today would be the day to do that.
Thanks everyone!
Stephen
New album 'Work With This'
My next album is called ‘Work With This’ and is a set of seven songs that continues the themes and recording methods of last December’s ‘The Ghost Is The Only One That Beats My Drum’. Since I finished with that album I have just continued writing and recording, having no concerts to fill the time that normally punctuates releases. At a loss as to what to do I’ve just carried on.
The single ‘This Is A Calling’ perhaps follows the last album closer than the rest of the new songs. Constructed around a geometric loop structure and with no thought about having to play the thing live - this and a couple of others came out through headphones and not acoustic sounds, lyrics being worked over and edited. Lines cut up and pasted down. I have been more concerned with rhythm and percussion and for following the threads.
But from time to time it’s brilliant to sit and play the guitar and write down story ideas without such backtracking. A few songs have come easily this way but they’re quieter and perhaps not so suited to whatever space I get to play concerts in later this year. The next days and weeks I’ll try to play more, something like practice is needed. The arms and the fingers feel a little stiff, parts of the guitar a bit unfamiliar and right now performing music isn’t so simple. I need some oil is all.
Perhaps I’ll have more to say about the album and the new songs nearer the time, perhaps that’s enough. It should be out on the 5th of July here and on my Bandcamp and Patreon sites. I’m making the physical edition these days.
Thanks everyone
S
'No Good Men' now available
The 15th release for those subscribed to my Bandcamp and Patreon is now available. ‘No Good Men’ is a set of 8 tracks recorded during the making of my 2015 album 'The Good Men', including an unreleased song 'Burden'. All versions are exclusive to this release.
Matthew And Robert
Burden
Keep The Flames From The Horses
I Was In The North Before The Fall
Amsterdam
So Long Song
Super Good Advice
Nowt
Available as a full quality digital download plus a hand stamped CD edition with a hand typed and personalised sleeve. The physical edition is available throughout June, digital anytime. €10 digital / €15 physical including postage anywhere.
When you sign up you get this one and downloads of all the previous 14 releases, plus anything I make going forward including the new album and all other work I’m making.
Please support me if you can, thanks everyone,
Stephen
Website changes
In between days waiting for people to get back to me and thought I’d go through the website and make some changes. I’m a little undecided as to what I think this place should be but it’s generally nice to have a kind of home on the internet.
I expect I’ve broken some things so please let me know if you find anything that doesn’t work as you’d like or might expect. I’d also appreciate suggestions, always.
S
'This Is A Calling' new single now available
A new, 8 minute song is out today to listen and download here on my site, on my Bandcamp page and to everyone subscribing to my Patreon.
'This Is A Calling' was written and recorded last month and appears on the forthcoming album, 'Work With This' which I hope to release next month. It feels like a companion piece to the last album and in fact I'm not sure the process of writing and recording has stopped since I started with that one last Autumn. They've run into each other, here we are.
I made a simple video a few weeks ago, inspired by and including old news footage of pilgrims at Croagh Patrick in the west of Ireland. Here it is:
All my Patreon and Bandcamp subscribers automatically receive this as a full quality download. Subscribe for as little as €3:
'Bad Roads Ahead' from Hjørring
Here’s ‘Bad Roads Ahead’ from ‘Hjørring’ available this weekend to all subscribers to my Patreon or Bandcamp pages.
I recorded this back in 2015 at Martin’s house in the north of Denmark and put it out shortly afterwards through Bandcamp. Recently I went back to the folder and found 4 songs that were left off, including a new idea for something that would later appear in a completely different form on an album the following year. I also mixed the whole thing again, using speakers instead of the headphones I was travelling with before. A 40 minute, super slow collection of mostly electric songs.
Hjørring track list:
Matthew And Robert
Bad Roads Ahead
Blackface
Keep The Flames From The Horses
Polly The Widow
The Witch (idea for a song)
The Rain Is A Kind Kind Of Love
What I Know About The Sea I Can Say In A Song
So Long Song
Kitchen Song
'This Is A Calling'
I’ve been writing and recording a lot the last few weeks and next month I’ll be ready to share some of the new music I’ve been making. I thought the album was done and just needed mixing and then a few days ago one of the very new songs I had started writing kind of expanded and overnight grew into something that surprised me so it meant that I had to rethink the sequencing and the structure of the whole album. It had felt almost done and then two more things came out and now I have to juggle it about a bit and perhaps do some more editing. Felt like a delay but fine, good for the work to be flexible and malleable, that’s when it’s exciting.
