RELEASED ON 13TH AUGUST THROUGH KSCOPE / FIRST SINGLE & VIDEO “SLOW DOWN” OUT NOW
The Helicopter of the Holy Ghost, who are comprised of Mark Morriss (The Bluetones), Billy Reeves (theaudience), Crayola Lectern (Lost Horizons/Departure Lounge) and Mark Peters (Engineers) have announced details of their debut album ‘Afters’ which is set for release on 13th August (Kscope).
The album also features a guest line-up including Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins, Dale Davis from Amy Winehouse’s band, Andy Lewis from Paul Weller’s group, Smiley from Joe Strummer’s Mescalaros and Thomas Anderson of fellow Kscope signees Gazpacho.
Co-produced by Richard Archer of Hard-Fi
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Billy Reeves formed theaudience for a bet, fortunately meeting the fabulous Sophie Ellis-Bextor two days later at The Garage, Islington. (He won the bet seven months later). The band got to 12 in the LP charts. In 2000 he signed to Sony with the group ‘Yours’ but this project was violently curtailed by joy-riders that hit his Morris Minor at 99 mph (on the way home from promoting the first ever gig by The Darkness). A long coma, many operations and a housebound year ensued.
In 2017 his brother gave him two mini-discs that had been saved from the wreckage, including demos of songs he had forgotten – due to crash-related amnesia. These songs were recently moulded into an album, ‘Afters’ by Reeves, Mark Morriss, (solo artist and singer with the chart-topping guitar-janglers The Bluetones, the band that knocked Oasis off number 1), Mark Peters (of Engineers), and Crayola Lectern from Departure Lounge and Bella Union supergroup Lost Horizons.
The original concept for the material was probably formed while Billy was signed to Sony, which at that time, pointed toward a more commercial sound, however Crayola Lectern’s involvement on piano help send the recordings into a more ‘Canterbury’ direction, taking influence from Caravan, Robert Wyatt and the like.
Featuring a guest line-up including Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins, Dale Davis from Amy Winehouse’s band, Andy Lewis from Paul Weller’s group, Smiley from Joe Strummer’s Mescalaros and Thomas Anderson of fellow Kscope signees Gazpacho, the wide-ranging influence herein is evident throughout a very sweet, gentle, calming album of originality and versatility. What are these songs about? No-one knows. They are, however, very pretty.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR THE FIRST SINGLE “SLOW DOWN” HERE (https://youtu.be/Y4CCucuIZ7o)
The Vinyl LP edition of this album will be especially printed in an eco-friendly manner, with no shrinkwrap being used, the record itself pressed on 100% recycled records and the board made up of FSC certified climate-friendly recycled material. The whole package itself will be Climate neutral, having all its carbon offset with ClimatePartner.
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AFTERS TRACKLISTING
1. Slow Down [04:24]
2. Difficult Song [03:17]
3. Tony Got A Car [09:12]
4. A Little Longer [03:33]
5. Hangar Lane Gyratory System; 4.44am [02:42]
6. I Will Never Hurt [04:30]
7. End Of Loneliness [03:08]
8. You Too [04:42]
9. I Didn`t [03:30]
Afters is available on CD, LP and digitally on 13th August 2021 via Kscope with pre-orders available HERE (https://thehothg.lnk.to/Afters)
