June 20, 2012

And The Moon…

After fourteen days of producing and recording the new Andy Whitaker album, it finally hit me.  We were driving to the liquor shop for additional supplies and listening to The Sun and The Moon’s, Death Of Imagination, with the top down on the car.  How completely surreal.  I really haven’t thought about the significance of this particular chapter of my life for the last two weeks, especially since we have been friends for quite some time now.  After the Chameleons U.K., The Sun and The Moon, was not only one of my favorite bands as a teenager, but their music definitely influenced and played a developmental role in my music today.  So, until today, I have really taken for granted the fact that I have one of my early childhood idols in my studio and we are collaborating on a truly remarkable piece of history at the moment.  It still amazes me that after 25 years, members of The Chameleons and The Sun and The Moon are still going strong today.  Underrated and undervalued, they are still playing to thousands of followers and keeping the Manchester vibe as strong as ever.

I was nervous about this project at first, but now the music is taking shape and it is sounding truly wonderful.  It is a very unique album that has some touches of Nick Drake, The Beatles, Dead Can Dance, Black Swan Lane and definitely The Sun and The Moon.  Listening to the rough mixes today, I was thinking it could easily be a follow up to The Great Escape Album.  Andy and I have been talking about doing this record for the last year and the time has finally arrived. Andy’s solo album is going to be titled Things That Happened On Earth and we are hoping to get it out by late Fall or early Winter 2012.  John Kolbeck of Black Swan Lane has flown in as well to help co-produce and play on the record with us which has proved to be invaluable.  With all of us in the same room throwing ideas and suggestions around, it has been truly magical at times and a bit turbulent at others.  With three passionate “chefs” in the kitchen, this is inevitable… However, after listening to rough mixes in the studio today, I was smiling.

I am also happy to report that famous French photographer, Julie de Waroquier, is going to have one of her pieces on the cover of the record.  I am not going to reveal the piece until the official release date, so it will have to be a surprise.  If you have not seen Julie’s work, please check her stuff out at http://www.juliedewaroquier.com  It is truly magnificent artwork.

According to Andy, the writing on this album happened organically and he had the title for the record from the onset.  “This will be the record to leave behind when I’m gone.”  This is the album to send into outer space for other civilizations to get an account of what life was like on Earth.  Songs on the album delineate subjects such as The Suffragettes, The Dawn Of Man, Prostitutes, Religion, Love, Sex, Death and The Life of Andy.

We have approximately another week of recording and then we are planning on going to mixing and eventually mastering.  The album will be signed on Eden Records and published under Wanderland Music / BMI.  We still need additional resources to complete the project, so please expose your friends to the music of Black Swan Lane and encourage them to purchase some music! Andy, of course, was one of the players on our second and third album.  After this project is completed, Andy Whitaker and Andy Clegg plan to tour and play these songs live around the globe.  I will keep you all updated on the final release date…

Always,

J a c k  R i c h a r d   S o b e l