About ‘Holding Hands’

‘Holding Hands’ is the first single to be taken from my third album ‘To The Islands’. I wrote ‘Holding Hands’ during a moment of desperation, having travelled half way across the world only to run out of road. Strung out and alone, I found myself writing this song for the true love I hoped to meet, as much an act of faith in their existence as a beacon to guide myself home. Originally written for voice and guitar, it was after hearing Bjork’s ‘Anchor Song’ late one night that I decided to arrange the song for saxophone trio. The timbre of the brass, the groove of the band, The Bad Plus style piano solo – it is an arrangement that brings together some of my key influences, which I’d describe loosely as the lyrical directness of folk, the harmonic openness and improvisational freedom of jazz and the craft of great songwriting. It’s a good example of how much more confident I have become as an arranger. I can’t wait to share the rest of the album with you.

We’ll make, somehow. I know we will.