Here comes the summer
Motoring on into summer already – Gavin and I are back from an excellent week in Glasgow where we’ve spent time getting our heads together, working on new material with Simple Minds.
Working at the impressive Gorbals Sound Studio we recorded eight pieces – can’t say too much in detail for now, but the project we’re working on with them is going to be inspiring and truly surprising. And very different.
We’ll be back up in Glasgow for more in early July. Jim and Charlie have such a strong connection with the city, it’s always a pleasure to be there with them. Coincidentally, Gorbals Sound is built on the site of the place they played their first ever gig. How’s that for Glasgow in your DNA?
Back in London, we’re running full steam ahead with mixing and final overdubs for the brand new Nell Bryden album – to be titled ‘Bloom’.
Nell came in to complete the last vocal overdubs – she’s amazing to work with, particularly when stacking up big blocks of backing vocals because she hears the harmonies so quickly. I hear them pretty quickly too (my early Church upbringing is probably to blame!) But I can sing something to her and she just picks it up instantly. When you’re up against deadlines and everybody’s going flat out, those kind of skills are worth their weight in gold.
Moving into summer we’re impatient to swing the focus back on to Sam Swallow’s record – he’s got a collection of songs bubbling over with verve and promise and flair. There are never enough hours in the day to get everything ready as fast as we’d really like to…
