Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker have revealed heavenly new track “Bathed In Light” from their upcoming new album ‘Seedlings All’ due to be released 23rd March. the release also includes a Bonus CD of three previously unreleased tracks.
Josienne explains the background to “Bathed In Light”: “As a performer I’ve always been torn between my need for attention and my fear of how exposing it is, especially as a songwriter. In that 30 seconds before the first note when the audience is silent and the lights are on you, I’m gripped with nerves and I ask myself ‘why do you put yourself through this?’ This song is basically the narrative that runs through my head as I sweat and panic. I want it to go well, and my stage fright has always come from a fear that I’m not really made of strong enough stuff for a performing career but I’ve gone and wasted my life trying to do it and what else would I do and by the second or third note I love it…..”
Today our favourite musical folksters Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker have announced that they will release their fifth album ‘Seedlings All’ on 23rd March on Rough Trade Records.
’Seedlings All’ is Josienne & Ben’s first album to be made up of all original songs and is songwriter Clarke’s most autobiographical work to date. She explains: “For the first time I’m out there alone with a bunch of songs that expose my insecurities, fears of failure and inflated pride. They deal with my own specific thoughts and feelings about the reality of pursuing this kind of career, the cost to personal relationships, circumstance and lifestyle, and asking the question – “Is this still worth it?”
It’s this theme that informs the album’s stunning opening track “Chicago”, which the duo have unveiled today along with a video by filmmaker Bob Gallagher (the man behind many of Girl Band’s visuals).
Of the track, Josienne explains: “We drove all day to get to Chicago, but then NO ONE came to the gig. It was one of those gigs where you wonder whether it’s even worth going on, but we’re sticklers for a contractual obligation, so we played. After our set one of the guys from the support band said to me that he thought an hour set of our music was “a bit long” because “it’s the kind of music you have to listen to and think about and it’s Saturday and no one wants to do that”. So I was sitting at the bar drinking my quadruple Bulliet bourbon thinking “fuck this, I’m not doing it anymore, the world is not made for my gift!” and then I realised that I was being a knob and that’s just how it is, we’re not the fucking Beatles and we have to start somewhere, we played to no one in the UK and we’d have to get used to it here too. So I wrote this song mainly to have a word with myself about not being a massive diva….”
Having spent last Autumn honing their already incredible live show supporting Richard Thompson across the UK, we’re sure there won’t be any empty venues on the BBC Folk Award-winning pair’s upcoming European tour
Taken from Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker’s album ‘Seedlings All’, out 23rd March on Rough Trade Records
The Fat Angel Sings 