Dear All,
Just a little update to let you all know about progress with the new album.
It will be called “Balladeer” (Seeing as that’s kind of what I am) and it I am currently half way through recording sessions at The Peabody Buildings in Covent Garden.
So far I have 5 songs recorded and mixed and I will be returning to the studio in early September to start work on the next batch of songs.
One or two of the new tunes like “Rainbow Man” (my own personal tribute to Matthew Shepherd, and the very first time I have written anything even slightly political) have been taken out to play at some of my live shows over the last few months and people seem to be loving my new babies very much, which obviously makes me pleased as punch.
The record is scheduled to be out in the Spring . I know it’s been quite a wait since the last one, but that’s just how things go when you are living hand to mouth and you don’t have some big label to finance you disappearing into the studio for 6 months solid.
So my priority between now and the end of the year will be finishing it so that it can make love to your ears, in time for when the Easter bunnies are making love to each other.
The lovely Talia will be shooting the cover with me next week, which I’m sure will involve me getting drunk and looking like a tit in every single shot.
Nothing new there then!
The song I wrote for her “Talia”, which most of you will know as a closer from the live shows since around 2008 when it narrowly missed being included on my first LP “Songs for the Heartshaped”, has been given a totally knew arrangement and will be the first single out on download around the new year if all is well.
Before then however, I am busy touring, which I have to say is one of my favourite things in the world.
Aside from these UK dates:
6/9/11 The Enterprise London NW3
30/9/11 The Marlborough Theatre Brighton
22/10/11 OXJAM Festival London N16 Venue TBC
4/11/11 DylanFest Manchester
(As well as a very exciting charity show at St Mary’s Church London N16 in April 2012 which I will tell you all more about nearer the time)
I am also dead excited to be playing my first ever show in Germany on
16/9/11 Malena Bar Berlin
Also, after my tour of Italy in May being such a success they have very kindly invited me back for more music, wine and amazing food for 5 more Italian dates in mid October, which I am ticked pink about!
These dates will be announced next week so watch this space….
I’d like to say a huge thank you to all who came along to the Rabbit Pie fundraiser I played at The Others in London last month. We managed to raise £700 for the Demi Mckenzie Fund.
I had the pleasure of meeting Demi’s mother after the show who, despite having lost her 21 year old daughter to cancer only a few short months before put on an incredibly brave face and gave a very moving speech. She is easily one of the bravest people I have ever met, god bless her.
Thanks also to all who looked after me when he baby electric grand piano I had been playing went crashing to the ground when it was moved off stage after my set, crushing my right foot in the process.
Luckily nothing was broken, only sprained so a week off work and some TLC from my lovely friends has had me right as rain.
That’s it for now folks, enjoy the rest of your summer and I will see you out there in the crowd one night in a town near you, very soon!
AL xxxxxxxxxxxx