Its November and nearly 4 months since last post…slack. We’ve launched the album, toured Ireland with the magnificent Arborist and are set to embark on a 6 date UK tour with another magnificent artist by the name of Alabaster DePlume
And the album got a 5* review in the Guardian, alongside great reviews in Mojo, Q, Uncut, Irish Times and Hotpress…amongst others…its not all about the reviews but it’s particularly satisfying when you get get a full house. And it might persuade you to come to a show, for those of you teetering on the brink (see ‘shows’ page)
And a rather brilliant photo of the album launch in The Old Queens Head last month, courtesy of Brian Whar
Album coming out on Domino Records (YES!!!!!) Oct 6th
* Its brilliant (it was produced by Leo Abrahams – Wild Beasts, Regina Spectre etc etc etc – and features the best musicians in the world and myself)
* Its out on Oct 6th BUT you can preorder to get a rather magnificent YELLOW limited edition vinyl (naturally)…see below for details & TOUR DATES
* AND HERE’S THE VIDEO….directed by the magician Jack Barraclough with animation by Venla Linna , MARVEL AT OUR INCREDIBLE MOVES
17th August – AKA Fringe Festival, Kilkenny Tickets 26th August – Sea Change Festival, Devon Tickets 16th Sept – Head for the Hills Festival, Bury Tickets 4th October – Old Queen’s Head, London Tickets 21st Oct – Ritual Union Festival, Oxford Tickets 3rd November – Christ Church, Castlebar Tickets 8th November – The Workmans Club, Dublin Tickets 9th November – Roisin Dubh, Galway Tickets 10th November – Phil Grimes, Waterford Tickets 11th November – Kasbah Social Club, Limerick Tickets 12th November – The Roundy, CorkTickets 21st November – The Canteen, Bristol Free entry 22nd November – The Basement, York Tickets 23rd November – The Lamplight Club @ The Regather Works, Sheffield Tickets 24th November – The Hug & Pint, Glasgow Tickets 25th November – High & Lonesome Festival, Leeds Tickets 26th November – The Prince Albert, Brighton Tickets
Delighted to announce that I’ve joined Domino Records’ amazing roster of artists…a true ‘pinch me’ moment (don’t pinch me)…first single below
Big shout out to the magician Kieran Evans & CC Lab for coming up with concept, directing, filming and turning the whole thing around in about a week. And also for dealing with my inability to turn around naturally. And of course to everyone at Lost Map
…my entire life’s work up on Spotify and all the other streaming-platform-type-things. I’ll still be selling physical copies at live shows, which you will obviously buy too, and also from Lost Map website…only places you’ll get/hear deluxe double CD album version of God Damn You Mountain featuring special magic bonus CD. In the meantime, here’s an almost summery set of songs released on Lost Map in 2015…listen and share and roll around in it…AND DON’T FORGET YOUR LOCAL RECORD SHOP
A quick run down on the last few weeks. WE’VE BEEN RECORDING A NEW ALBUM..finally…under the watchful ears of Leo Abrahams. Actually, before I begin, massive thanks to everyone who came along to see us in Ireland the weekend before last, and to Mossy Nolan for supporting – a rare privilege to be able to take this band on tour. On the subject of tours, I’m hitting the road (solo) with the mighty Slow Club in May/June…feast your eyes on these dates, more info to come in my gig listings:
Mon 2 May Tynemouth, Surf Cafe
Wed 4 May Preston, The Continental Preston Thu 5 May Stockton-on-Tees, The Green Room
Thu 26 May Poole, Mr Kyps Fri 27 May Southampton, Joiners Arms Sat 28 May Bristol, The Lantern @ Colston Hall Tue 31 May Nottingham, Bodega Social Club Wed 1 June Ashford, Revelation St Mary’s Thu 2 June Brighton, Komedia Fri 3 June Margate, Tom Thumb Theatre
…and two upcoming London shows for good measure
April 26th Servants Jazz Quarters in Dalston
May 8th Vince Siprell Memorial show in The Lexington
So back to recording the next album (in pictures). It all happened in Big Jelly Studios, a converted Church in Ramsgate and a truly inspiring place to record a few songs (thank you AL and Mike). Here’s the aforementioned Leo Abrahams ordering a takeaway for everyone. I can’t really say enough about how amazing it was to work with this man
…and similarly these special people who play my songs
Me explaining to John & Emma how NOT to play the songThey had to separate us
And what of Aram, one of THE great drummers…well he took all of these lovely photograph so I’ll leave you with a photo of us (minus myself) in Ireland last week. Here’s Emma, Aram & John in Kilalloe before we set off for Waterford (via Obama Plaza).
….not quite but nearly. The short film ‘Islanders Rest’, which I composed and performed much of the music for, is nominated in the Best Animation Film category at the Swiss Film Awards. Its directed by Claudius Gentinetta and Incidentally it did win the award for Best Soundtrack (Swiss category) at the 2015 International Animated Film Festival in Geneva.…just throwing that in there. Check out the wonderful trailer, coming to film festival near you…
‘The smell of woodsmoke and a woman dancing in the window’….
So begins Laura Barton’s description of a show myself and my buddy Rozi Plain put on in 33 Chatsworth Road (also known in these parts as ‘The Dentist‘) back in December. I saw Laura speak about music at last year’s Port Elliott Festival and she’s as passionate about it as anyone I’ve ever heard so very honoured that she chose to write about this show – that it appears as part of The Guardian’s Gigs of 2015 is a definite bonus, oh yes
Poster from that fateful night…..By R Plain
Here’s a link to the article in full….scroll down to the bottom for our bit
And for those that couldn’t be arsed, here’s the last paragraph….
‘Music at such proximity has a kind of warmth, and that night Fogarty and Plain’s songs – already beautiful and supple things, took on for me a new depth and tenderness. And as I watched I thought of how the inside of this little venue seemed an echo of its backyard: that here we stood, gathered together around this musical bonfire, feeling its glow.’
Thank you Mojo Magazine, a mention of Richard Dawson ain’t no bad thing either…
…and while I’m at it, this is not a review but I think it should be noted….a few months ago in the same publication, words by guru of blips & bleeps Jon Hopkins….WHAT A GUY
AND ANOTHER 4 STAR REVIEW IN THE SKINNY….
‘Each track is beguiling in its own right, but the ten-minute long A Mile Beneath the Broken Heart of London Town warrants special mention for the way it draws together all of Fogarty’s best qualities: lyrics that spin stories from the smallest of details, song structures that freely meander without getting lost, and production that balances the rough with the smooth beautifully’ ****