Pals! I have made an unusual album – ‘Love of Too Much Living – Remakes’ and it is out on the 7th December 2015.

I say I have made it, but really it’s been a team effort – and what a team! One of the great joys of doing what I do is the inspiration and love I draw from the other musicians around me. We’re like a family, we don’t all agree all of the time, but we’re there for each other when it matters, and the respect for what we each do, however different, runs deep.

For the past three years, I’ve spent most of my time playing alone, and the last album ‘Love of Too Much Living’ was very consciously a record I wanted to, needed to, make on my own. But once it came out, and having played these songs hundreds of times over the last year, I started to hear the relationships implicit in this music and the musicians around me. I am delighted to say that the product of this exploration is a record of ‘reinterpretations and reimaginings’ of my songs from ‘Love of Too Much Living’ by some of the members of this diverse musical family of which I am lucky enough to be a part.

It has been a revealing, emotional and at times overwhelming experience to hear my songs remade in such different ways, by people whose own music is a constant inspiration to me. I can’t thank all the artists involved enough.

I see this record is an act of love, a demonstration of the communities we build around us, what they mean and why they’re important. As such all proceeds from the sale of the record will go to a charity that’s very close to my heart – the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). Check out their work.

I have made 150 very special, hand-made hard copy CD of the album and this together with the digital version, is available to pre-order here:https://themagiclantern.bandcamp.com/…/love-of-too-much-liv…

The record is officially out on the 7th December and I’ll be previewing a ‘remake’ a day on my website, bandcamp and facebook page from next tuesday 24th November until the release on the 7th December. I will be playing a few shows to support its launch around the country with some of the artists involved in the album. The launch party is on the 10th December at ‘The Shed’ at Kansas Smitty’s Bar in London – it is very small and the gig will especially intimate so please, please get a ticket in advance if you want to come! Tickets for the launch are available here:https://billetto.co.uk/en/events/the-shed-with-magic-lantern

Thank you as ever for your support, and hope to see you all at a gig somewhere, soon!

Upcoming gigs:

03/12 – The Crypt, London – Phaedra Ensemble/Magic Lantern debut
07/12 – ‘Hatstand’ at Kitchen Garden Café, Birmingham w/FaceOmeter
09/12 – SVA Goods Shed, Stroud w/Hot Feet
10/12 – ‘The Shed’ at Kansas Smitty’s, London – REMAKES ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY w/special guests Emilia Martensson, Hot Feet, Zac Gvi and more
17/12 – The Lighthouse, Deal