Name: Firefly (Alternate Version) by Alexander Joseph Music
Duration: 2 min 32 s
Description: The song is about holding onto our light during the darker moments in life and sets out to encourage us to keep going and not lose faith.

Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat return this Autumn for the release of their second album Northern Flame, a free-flowing, cinematic jazz record inspired by stories of the strength and resilience of Northern women past and present. 

Developed from a commission for Lancaster Jazz Festival 2022, Northern Flame ties together tales from the history of Lancashire about lighthouse keeper Janet Raby (in first track Force of Light) and local hospice founder Sister Aine Cox (in track 3, Sister) with wider themes of light and the feeling of home. 

Celebrating the launch with a debut performance at London Jazz Festival on the 12th November, key Autumn festivals (Marsden, Hull), and tour dates at Howard Assembly Rooms in Leeds, NQ Jazz in Manchester and more, the band share their ‘characteristic Northern warmth & charm’ in live settings through both the music and stories that inspire it. 

Recorded at Giant Wafer Studio in Wales and produced by Ivor Novello nominated James Hamilton, the quintet explores dynamic and interplay further in this new album, which marks a more open and exploratory way of writing and recording for Johnson and Gravy Boat.

Embers - Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat

Goodbye To The Valley Low (Side A)

Stolen Seasons

Leavin' Liverpool

The song is about holding onto our light during the darker moments in life and sets out to encourage us to keep going and not lose faith.

Firefly (Alternate Version)

Alexander Joseph is a songwriter and artist based in the UK, with a love for all things folk rock. He's been sharing music for over twelve years, and in 2023 released his third EP Stop and Breathe in support of the important global reforestation work of One Tree Planted. His most recent single St. David (Alternate Version) reflects on his experiences during a pilgrimage to the stunning coastal city of St. Davids in Pembrokeshire, during a time of spiritual contemplation. 

He’s also a big sports fan, with a handful of songs arising from his coaching experiences across various sports, some of which can be found on his first EP Anything is Possible. Another is recent single Singing in Rio, which captures the special moments of the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where he was singing in the locker rooms with the volunteers and athletes after the British team performed so well.

BBC Introducing have been a big supporter of his musical journey so far, airing songs like Not Defeated & Break Free and selecting Now or Never, Invincible & We Belong Here as tracks of the week. When he’s not writing music, he coaches on the British wheelchair tennis programme and fuels himself with faith and good coffee!

Firefly (Alternate Version)

Alexander Joseph Music

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