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Thorpe plays her first shows as the Listeners since long term partner Rob departed for a solo career. Expect beautiful new songs, and a pin-drop atmosphere. The Joiners Retford with Kevin Thorpes Tipping Point- 18th September, and The Grapes Sheffield – 30th September with Matt Anderson & Mark Wynn.
Hospitalisation, line-up changes & track changes, have delayed the new release by the Listeners somewhat, but we’re nearly there. We have two new live studio recordings added so this is going to be an EP. A most beautiful EP.
And the cover is finished. Here’s a clue…
Tentatively titled This Short Sweet Life, the album features recordings drawn from a decade in Costins’ life with contributions from Ben Smith, (Smith & Mudd), Kev Bales (Spiritualized), Sam Hempton and James Flower (Six. By Seven), and Long (Neon Heights). Costins succinct song writing is very much still in evidence but for this record an increasing breadth of sound and style has been employed and emotions drawn on from a wider experience: If Regrets was Costins’ heartbreak record, This record puts that cathartic reaction in context. Titles include Something/Nothing, Disconnected, Evergreen, and December. Expect a release date this side of Winter.
The Masonic Hall, Retford, UK, 7.30PM may 8th 2010
Special Sound Unit will be releasing a stunning new record by this rarest of Northern duos. Fortunate enough to catch their support slot on the Tenebrous Liar tour, SSU’s Luke Austin was mesmerised: “The Listeners created a strange, almost breathless tension in the air…the kind of atmosphere that you’d perhaps experience through a film by David Lynch, or a book by Bolano. It dared you to pluck at the turmoil behind the crystal clear directness of the Listeners sound – Emma Thorpes velvet gloved punch of a voice and Robert Cooks baritone scene-setting.
Richard Hawley was seduced too, so much so he had to resort to bad language: “The Listeners were f****** brilliant…”
Music Mart Magazine said: Alternately gentle and dramatic….like PJ Harvey pissed off, unplugged and wearing a kaftan.”
This City described them as “Stirring stuff” and compared them to: “Nico back from the grave for an autumn night’s campfire singalong, while their hushed mid-set tracks recall “Ocean of Noise” Arcade Fire.”
Red Dust b/w Dinner for One will be released July 2010 on Special Sound Unit.
Huw Costins’ as yet un-named band have started recording their debut album over the last couple of weeks. The band evolved from the ashes of The Cold Light Of Day, originally put together by Richard Warren (AKA Echoboy), with the purpose of backing Soulsavers. When Warren quit the band Ming took over the bass and Costin moved to acoustic guitar. The band also features Lee Horsley on Hammond, organ, and piano, Jim Widdop on pedal steel and dobro, and Jeffrey Davenport on drums.
Written by Huw and currently being recorded at his own Random Studios, built into a terraced house on the industrial estate to the south of Nottingham City, some of the albums’ tentative titles are ‘Crushed’, ‘Come Down Here’, ‘Birds’, ‘Self-Medication’, ‘Treasure’, ‘Sunshine Gone’, & ‘Ricochets’.
Costin says: “My songs have been written always as an emotional reaction – to the ending of relationships, to the drudgery of work, to our complicity in war, and in particular to the fragility of life.”
Costin says he hopes to have the album finished this side of the year “but it could take forever”.
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Huw Costin & Jeff Davenport from The Cold Light Of Day Pictured at the Legendary Americana Sessions at the Grapes, Sheffield, UK. 14.03.10
Huw’s New band! Sun 14th March, The Grapes, Sheffield, UK.
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rock and roll, nottingham, special sound unit, huw costin