Guy Garvey announces debut solo album "Courting The Squall." reveals new track "Angela's Eyes"

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Guy Garvey announced debut solo album 'Courting The Squall,' set for release in North America in Spring 2016

 SET FOR RELEASE IN NORTH AMERICA SPRING 2016 

New track "Angela's Eyes" available now via Spotify 

LISTEN
"ANGELA'S EYES"

After nearly twenty five years and counting as a member of elbow and one of the world’s most recognized and celebrated musicians and lyricists, Guy Garvey is setting off alone for the first time. Today, the esteemed artist revealed his first track “Angela’s Eyes,” taken from his solo debut “Courting the Squall” which is due for release in Spring 2016 in North America. “Angela’s Eyes” is available now in the U.S on Spotify.

Recorded initially at Real World Studios near Bath, U.K and completed at Blueprint Studios in Salford, U.K, “Courting the Squall” features a band created by Guy from his “favourite musicians outside elbow’” and was driven by spontaneity and experimentation amongst the assembled players with Guy firmly and exclusively in the driving seat. The band “moved fast and drank a lot,” focusing on live recording with minimal overdubs to create the songs. Unlike elbow, where democracy has always ruled, this is an album where Guy embraced the freedom to do exactly what he felt throughout.

 “Courting the Squall” is powered by influences and ideas that “don’t fit the elbow template.” Some tracks, notably “Angela’s Eyes,’” come completely from groove, finding a sweet spot between Manchester’s baggy past, long term love Tom Waits and Bowie’s mid-70’s albums, particularly “Sound and Vision.” This change of type engendered a change of vocal approach, a clipped and more direct Garvey voice coming across, a hark back to his early days writing lyrics influenced by his listening to hip-hop where short delivery carries rhythm alongside meaning.

Lyrical concerns encompass those familiar to Guy’s past work at times, the big themes of love and friendship, the lure of his Northern homeland but tracks and lyrics were not always pre-planned. On one occasion a bird observed from the window of the recording studio became the catalyst for the music, at other times a loose jam approach crystallized both lyrically and musically into a finished composition. There were no rules.

Having guested on various artist’s albums as a vocalist, “Courting the Squall” sees Guy duet on his own music again with the likes of Jolie Holland, conjuring up images of illicit jazz dives in fin de siècle Paris or prohibition era New York. 

It is, as with all solo albums, a glimpse into its creator’s soul. Shot through with warmth and emotional intelligence, content and comfortable in its own skin, “Courting the Squall” is that most unique thing; a record made without preconditions, an album of songs made purely for the joy of its making.

Guy Garvey plans to return to North America in early 2016 along with the release of this highly anticipated ”Courting The Squall” release.

For now, listen to “Angela’s Eyes’” exclusively on Spotify.

More details to come.