The Coral have shared a new single this week that features actor John Simm, The new song, ‘Drifter’s Prayer’, is the first track to be taken from ‘Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medical Show’, which will be released on September 8th. Another album, ‘Sea Of Mirrors’ will also be released on the same day, and is inspired by ’60s Italian spaghetti western films.
The latest song release features narration from Simm. James Skelly says of the collaboration with Simm: “Nick had this poem and we thought that we’d do something with, like a murder ballad. He also had this acoustic, country-style riff so we recorded it in the studio and it fitted with the words perfectly but it needed someone to do the narration. “We just messaged John, he’d already been to a few gigs, and he said ‘yes’ straight away. Nailed it perfectly. He’s a pro. It’s great to be able to see someone like that working, someone who is just that good at doing their job.”
Nick Power added: “We were talking about having a spoken word track on the album, but maybe bringing an actor in to voice it. I had the idea of this fairground worker looking back on his life, sort of like a eulogy to the old travelling carnival world and its customs. How those people were their own community, constantly on the move, drifting through England.
“And this person coming to terms with the modern world leaving him behind, in a way. John Simm came in and understood it right away. I think it took about two or three takes.”
Skelly added: “We sort of know John. He came to all our early gigs before we were even signed by Sony. He was an early champion of the band.
“It was one of them where [keyboardist] Nick [Power] had this idea and we said ‘Who could do it?’ And he said ‘I’ll message John Simm, he might do it.’ He said yeah and he came down, did it, just nailed it perfectly and I was like ‘Ah that’s what a professional looks like.’ We just hung out for a bit, lovely fella.”
Windows open into The Coral’s vivid cinematic and broadcast dreamworlds as they announce two albums, both to be released on September 8th 2023. Following the widely-acclaimed 2021 double album, “Coral Island”, the band announce ‘surreal Italian spaghetti western soundtrack’, “Sea Of Mirrors”.
“Sea Of Mirrors” will be available on multiple vinyl formats alongside regular black, numbered Dinked exclusive splattered vinyl with bonus 7”, plus signed print. Band store exclusive metallic gold vinyl, independent retail Tricolour marbled vinyl Rough Trade includes bonus flexi disc plus an HMV exclusive sleeve CD and exclusive bundles on the band’s store. Bridging “Coral Island” and “Sea Of Mirrors“, a second album titled “Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medicine Show“, will also be released on the same day, bringing James and Ian Skelly’s grandad a.k.a The Great Muriarty back into the fold for the narrated post-script to one of The Coral’s most successful albums to date. “Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medicine Show” will have a never to be repeated, one off pressing on black vinyl, CD and cassette.
The Fat Angel Sings 