Our first single from the new album has been released and we’ve decided to give it away free as a digital download. As is the case with all music on Bandcamp it is also available in streaming, so you can play straight off the music player as many times you like. Please don’t forget to LIKE the song on the Bandcamp page and if you haven’t already there is also our new Facebook page that needs some lovin too!
music
Pool party
Yesterday we launched the first of a series of new promotional photos that we will be using over the coming weeks to promote the release of our forthcoming album, Rollin On Down The Lane.
This photo was taken in the south of France in a 38deg heatwave in the middle of August. The photo shoot was also filmed and we will be putting together a bloopers video from the series which we guarantee will amuse.
Devil Inside
We are releasing the first single Devil Inside, from the forthcoming album, Rollin On Down The Lane, this Monday 03 September… And it will be FREE . Just an email address will be required to get a free download of a high quality MP3 which you can then happily bounce and sway too for as long as you like!
Port Très Blues – Philippe Erard
We’re back in Italy!
The first thing we do when crossing the border back into Italia is stop at the very first Autogrill on the motorway and get a coffee. Sorry France, I love you, but it’s no secret that Italy wins hands down on the coffee front.
This is the first Autogrill on the coast motorway, and here is a book that you won’t find in the gift-shop.
It’s called Port Très Blues and is a photo-documentary of the annual Folk-Blues Binic Festival by photographer Philippe Erard.
The photographs are fantastic, like this one of Jamie Hutchings…
And this one of Mark ‘Porkchop’ Holder…
And this one of Dirty Deep…
And I don’t know who these two idiots are…
And everybody’s favourite, Mr James Leg (or should I say The Reverend?)
You can contact Philippe through his website www.philerard.com to get your hands on a copy of his book.
Or you can get yourself to Binic in early August next year to see the festival first hand, and perhaps get into the next book. Here’s the facebook page for the festival: Binic Folk Blues Festival
Last but not least, I must say a very big thank you to the wonderful Monsieur Dimi Dero, who apart from being an all round nice guy, and the producer of our new album, sent us this copy of the book. Thanks Dimi!!!
Daytrippin’ the French Grand Canyon
Today we took a drive to the French Grand Canyon, otherwise known as La Gorge du Verdon. We started at the turquoise waters of Lac Sainte-Croix and drove the south side of the canyon, said to be the most beautiful in Europe. I even caught sight of some crazy people throwing themselves off a bridge, and reminded myself that I absolutely never want to go bungy jumping.
We were supposed to go for a walk down to the river at the bottom of the gorge and have a swim, but (ahem), we were a little late getting started so there wasn’t time, and the way back up would have been a killer.
So as we were driving out we came across a military base and saw a yard full of TANKS! I had to stop and take a photo for my little brother (can I still call him little when he’s been bigger than me for years? Well, he’ll always be 14 in my mind), who is basically obsessed with anything with an engine. And it morphed into a little banner for our facebook page too.
I had a little momentary vision of doing some kind of tank photo-shoot, but military personnel don’t usually take kindly to these kind of ideas, especially the scaling the fence part.
Here’s a photo of the gorge, nice huh?
We really would be rollin’ on down the lane if we got our hands on one of those tanks.
August Busy
There’s been a lot going on around here this month overall, but not so much this week with the hot, hot weather we’ve been having here in Provence.
We’ve written four new songs, rehearsed quite a lot, taken a few sets of new promo photo’s, worked on the cover of the album, a new poster … taken a lot of long walks, gone swimming and generally enjoyed the fresh country air.
I’m going to be sad to say goodbye to Provence, but I’m looking forward to coming back to France later in the year (not too much later) to tour and release the new album.
Bye Bye pretty French villages and Hello (that should be Ciao!) Milano
Focus, focus!
We’re trying hard to remain focussed and working hard while it’s so hot here in the south of France. There are too many big lunches and bottles of rosé vying for our attention, but that is balancing out with lots of healthy countryside walks.
On the up side, we’ve just about written four new songs since we’ve been here and we are getting closer and closer to being able to release all the new material for our new album.
One more week here:
It’s so nice I could quite easily be tempted not to return to Milan for another week, month … till Christmas?!
Summer garage sessions
We’re working in the garage, our new home for the next month. Great sofa 🙂
Just when you thought it was safe …
… to go on a 3 day pizza and red wine binge, the director calls and tells you she needs a little bit more Lara Croft up near Lake Como to finish the video. Spoiler, yes? Well, you’ll see.
So this week will involve a little more filming as well as a morning in the studio for rehearsal. We’re looking forward to playing again after so much time out with recording and mixing and all that jazz. We’re writing again already, and should have some new songs in our live set before you’ve even heard this new album…
A presto
xoxo SS
It’s a rollin…
We finally did it. FINALLY! Put the 10 songs onto a CD, with all the vocals and bits that we wanted, in an order that we liked, and put it in the post. Phew, it sure has been a marathon effort, but a lot of fun and we are super excited and can’t wait to let y’all hear it and tell us what you think.
After a lot of talk and pondering, both the title for the album and the cover photo materialised, seemingly of their own volition. I have a feeling that these things can’t be forced, and that when the time is right they will make themselves known, and so they did. No sneak peeks of either yet, sorry, we still want to reserve the right for tinkering.
We’ve booked a sound engineer for the end of March to start mixing, and mastering is lined up too. Things are all a’rolling!
I went to a great museum in Brescia over the weekend called Santa Giulia. They are having an exhibition of the Italian fashion designer Roberto Capucci which is brilliant, especially when viewed amongst the normal museum display. Wow, what I wouldn’t give for one of his frocks!
Pete Ross & The Sapphire 