Hot on the heels of the first single off the forthcoming album, I’m now delighted to unleash St James Infirmary Blues, the second single from the forthcoming album Imaginary Medals. This is my version of a fabulous classic, timeless, traditional song. I hope you enjoy it.
I loved working on it and I really like the arrangement we came up with, which has a touch of the Tom Waits courtesy of erstwhile Candythief drummer Jem (who is now to be found playing drums for Roisin Murphy (Moloko) and THURSTON MOORE (Sonic Youth, but you know that), yes I did just namedrop that and it’s actually true! OOO nesting of the parentheses) . It was especially enjoyable writing and recording the guitar solos.
But releasing music DIY is a funny old game, and there’s a lot more you need to do than just come up with the guitar solos if you have any interest at all in anyone hearing it. Naturally you need all your social media stuff and ideally you are active, and post ‘engaging content’ on a regular basis. Hopefully you have some videos, (more on that soon) and best of all, you want other people talking about you. Podcasters, bloggers, reviewers, etc. Now finding the right blogs and submitting to them can take a certain amount of leg work, and the results when you’re not a match can be entertaining or…demoralising, depending on your perspective. One blogger responded for this track that the production was good, but the songwriting needed more work.
I can’t stress how much many times I would run around the room waving my hands in the air to celebrate my infinite genius if I had written St James Infirmary all by myself, and I think I’m going to frame the feedback, because if Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway etc all need to go and work on their songwriting, NOTHING IS GOOD ENOUGH, NOTHING MATTERS and we can all be LIBERATED!
There were those bloggers who enjoyed it though, one describing it as ‘ …Beautifully atmospheric…The vocals are infectious. The guitar solos are aplenty and the rhythm is stomping.’ (York Calling)
And Rock The Pigeon describes it as a ‘gorgeous rendition’.
I recommend you check it out here and decide for yourself whether you think the songwriting needs more work! Thank you to those who have snuck in and bought it already. You legends. Some TOUR DATES are affixed at the foot of this, including 5 April at the Slaughtered Lamb in London and 6 April at The House Presents in Dublin. I’ll send more info about that soon.
Be WARM, and BE LIBERATED by the knowledge that none of it matters! 🙂 And if your friends live in Edinburgh, tell them to get their early bird cheap ticket to the album launch here.
x
Candythief
ps Nice Photo, huh? The legendary Edinburgh photographer Jannica Honey took it. Check her out. |
