I'm just having my mind expanded by Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders in my living room and I thought it was time to spill the beans about an album I've been making. It's called 'Margins' and it's out on the 11th of October on Billingham Records. At the moment, I am running Billingham Records but you may recall it as the label that released Maximo Park's first ever red vinyl and it's a fluctuating, idealistic entity that any member of the band can utilise for our own ends.
I started the LP around 4 years ago with my pal Andrew Hodson in his bedroom in Newcastle, just as a way to get songs on tape since he lived around the corner. He moved house twice, ending up in Manchester, meaning the record took a little longer to finish! Andy plays the drums while I play the guitar, and he also added some atmospheric touches using his electronic box of tricks. About halfway though I realised it was sounding like an album and once I'd recorded enough songs I asked the talented David Brewis of Field Music to play the bass, and was rather chuffed when he accepted.
The songs are quite personal and sound different to The Park, so I decided to put it out under my own name and take full responsibility! Some of it is more acoustic and quiet but other parts are quite pop. I have no idea what people will make of it! I'm excited (and scared) about the whole affair but I should also say that Maximo Park is alive and kicking, as anyone who saw us over the past few months will attest. We're still writing new songs and looking forward to recording them soon, so I haven't 'gone solo' like George Michael when he left Wham, I've just made an album in my spare time that I wanted to share with y'all.
If you want to hear a song called 'North Atlantic Drift', then check out my new site http://www.paulsmithmusic.eu/ Yes, that's EU at the end - I'm a quintessential European, you know! I designed it myself and I've been doing it as a blog (just for mates) since January 1st this year, so you can scroll backwards to see posts about the things that interest me.
Feel free to 'join' me on Facebook and Twitter so that I can let you know if I'm playing a show or the like. These links should help in that respect.
I've just asked a few people to play in a live band with me, so live plans will be unveiled over the next few weeks and months.
And of course, I'd love you to pre-order the album. If you share this desire then click here for CD and Vinyl formats.
I'll try not to pester you via the Maximo Park mailing list, so if you'd like to sign up to my personal mailing list then you can do that in the top-right-hand corner of my website.
It feels a bit weird doing this on behalf of myself alone, but I won't be flying solo for too long...
Time to write out the words for the album sleeve (no typing this time).
Cheerio,
Paul
Billingham Records? O yes, he's from Billingham, a town south of Newcastle that used to have an ice rink that I visited in the Forum before Paul was born. If you sign up to Paul's mailing list you get a free download, 'North Atlantic Drift' so head on over and do the clicky thing.
You will, of course, hear a lot more about this record in the coming months.
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