New Album: 'Island'

New Album, 'Island'.

Hi All, 

I've been back home on Mull recording the album that will follow The Water album as some of you might have read on here before. I've been recording in my old classroom, now 'An Tobar' (The Well), Tobermory's fantastic community arts centre and studio, run by local all-round wizard Gordon MacLean. The album has a sense of community about it and less instrumentation, and is more acoustic. Basically, I left all the electricity plugs behind on the mainland. 

For the final night's recording I put a notice on the local Co-op (the scene of the Barcode Bypass/Supermarket Strikes Back) to invite fishermen, plumbers, pupils, teachers and whoever else in the local community wanted to come up and sing choir and foot-stomp on the last song. I've never been so laid bare as a songwriter, and it has been special to be back home for it. We had travelling musicians drop in and contribute, including King Creosote, and the Mendelssohn On Mull Festival string players. Some of my family have contributed too. They got me started as a musician. 

The room is also a venue, and to be honest, felt more atmospheric and like being at the legendary Bearsville Studios, NY, than actually being at Bearsville did. All wooden floorboards and remnants of pupils and teachers and ghosts-past. I remember where the blackboard used to be, so I sung in that direction, and the mixing desk is located where the old headmaster's room was. Some days we had to ask the local council workers if they'd hurry up with the garden strimming because the mics were picking them up! 

15 new songs have been recorded, of which 11 will make the album.

I've loved it, in some ways the album is an accident that's sprung out of pure instinct. It is pretty much ready for your ears and hopefully your heart. The album will be called 'Island'.

To kick it off, I'm performing the tracks at an unplugged residency through April at the 12 Bar, Denmark St, London: details are below. This will be fun to road-test the new songs and create my own Island slap bang in the middle of the big smoke. I'll bring a flag.

More news of release, gigs, and twittering, to come as I have it. 

Colin

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Colin MacIntyre

'Island Residency'.

12 Bar Club, LONDON - APRIL 09

Denmark St (Tot Ct Rd Tube), nowhere near Mull....

I'll be performing these unplugged gigs through April 09. Come down to hear new songs from the Island album, I'll also be playing tracks from The Water & Mull Historical Society tracks. Be great to see you there!

We can make it up as we go along, an Island in the big city..

Wed 8th April

Wed 15th April

Tues 21st April

Tues 28th April

Advanced Booking:  Tel: 0207 240 2622 

       Email: 12barclub@btconnect.com

More details including supports to come on the site and at www.12barclub.com

No strimmers please!