Where Art Thou April?’… the title track from Anton’s forthcoming 4 track EP which is scheduled for release on Friday the 30th of April. 

Anton’s took a different approach for this release and employed the services of various musicians from different bands based between Glasgow, and California with the tracks being released under the name, ‘Anton O’Donnell & the Clydes’. And with covid restrictions still very much in place, the track/EP was put together as a home recording with only the drums, and vocals being recorded in the studio.

On the track -
“The song’s all about songwriting really; about being some wee detective type character on the hunt for that elusive, perfect melody/song. 

I wrote ‘where art thou April’ back in January shortly after I finished reading, Pulp by Charles Bukowski, but I really got the idea for the song/EP at the tail end of last year when I appeared on Martha Healy’s Max Country radio show. 

We were chatting about lockdown and songwriting, and I had mentioned that in April during the first lockdown, I got this crazy burst of creativity where everything just fit, and songs were kinda writing themselves.  That wee moment came and went, and I was saying to Martha that I had been looking to get back to April ever since.”

Credits - 
Taylor Whyte (Blue Milk) - Drums
Phil Bennett (Starship, formally Jefferson Starship) - Piano & Organ
Roscoe Wilson (Anton & the Colts, Steve Grozier, Matthew Dixon) - Electric Guitars
Frank Swart (Patty Griffin, Norah Jones, Buddy Miller) - Bass 
Anton - Vocals & Acoustic Guitar

Recorded at various locations between Glasgow & California
Drums & Vocals recorded and engineered by Ciaran McIntyre at Matchbox Sound, Glasgow
Mixed & Mastered by Dave Draper
Written & Produced by Anton O'Donnell
Label - Need To Know Music, Santa Cruz, California
Artwork - The snap by Neil McKenzie at Keep it Creative, Glasgow, and the design by Brian Brinkerhoff at Need To Know Music

Where Art Thou April by Anton O'Donnell & the Clydes

My Black Dog & Me (Live)

Who You Gonna Blame

Rattle All Yer Bones

Better The One You Know

My Sister Cocaine

Take It Easy On Yourself

Not Dark Yet

Kindness

Miniature Battles (Christmas Time, Again)

Cocaine Blues

Frosted Hearts Do Thaw, Acoustic Demo

Always Pining For You, Stripped

Lovely Daydream, Stripped

Devil In You Is The Devil In Me (Rehearsal craic)

I Aint Missing Christmas with You This Time

A Boy Living For The Weekend

Je Ne Sais Quoi (Tomber Sur PRW)

Frosted Hearts (Live at the Green Room)

Madman On The Loose - demo

Autumn Forest Eyes

Messing with the Law

Covered Love

Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie, Bob Dylan

I Still Love You, Barcelona

all the love you burn on nothing will come back around

A track Anton wrote with Glasgow band, Al & the Bad Decisions.

Keep On Keepin' On

My Favourite Song

Say Their Names

We Sang, Amazing Grace

‘Living Loose’… the latest single by Glasgow songwriter, and winner of Americana UK’s inaugural ‘Twang Factor’ campaign, Anton O’Donnell

Written, recorded, mixed and mastered over the weekend of 20/3 - 22/03, after seeing an Instagram post by BBC Upload with the headline....   'Weekend writing challenge'. It was aimed at writers, poets, songwriters and bloggers. 

The challenge for the songwriter was to include the line, 'I wish you were closer' in the chorus. And to my joy, as soon as I saw the post, I started humming this melody, which pure n utter jackpot craic in the process, like. 

That kind of thing hasn’t really happened to me before. I've hummed shit before but I've not always followed it up, so it ends up just floating away like a wee fart in the wind! I guess being cooped up in the grandeur of Le Penthouse at PRW heights has the perks of giving you the time and space to jump on an idea when it comes knocking. 

Lyrically...

There are few different things in there that could be chopped up, and glued back together to make up, 'I wish you were closer'. 

For me, it's all about that bouncing about buzz that I've missed this past year; all the familiar faces, the new faces. The live craic. The random parties and random people, and hairy situations that find you getting robbed of your possessions in Barcelona! Being introduced to juicy new wines. The new foods, and the wines, all the wines! All those grand wee things that let you know you're living. 

When listening to this song, I hope you find your own wee, 'I wish you were closer' in there somewhere and it puts a wee smile of romantic nostalgia on your face. You deserve it. 

Be well x

Released on Friday 5th of March.

Recorded at The Penthouse, PRW Heights, Glasgow and Skunkworks Studios, Santa Cruz, California

Anton - Vocals & Guitars
Frank Swart - Bass

Written & Produced by Anton O'Donnell
Mixed & Mastered by Frank Swart, Need To Know Music, California
Artwork by Neil McKenzie, keep it Creative, Glasgow
Label - Need To Know Music

Living Loose

"Their ace combination of rock swagger, blues groove, and the rough and tumble of Americana is one few Scottish bands can match." The Music Brewery

A band one reviewer called "an ideal accompaniment to strong drink..... Like Robbie Robertson & Rick Danko having a jam session in the company of Mr Jack Daniel" Bluesbunny

“The Glasgow lot bring the country-fried, soul-meets-bluesgrass ruckus with the occasional thunderous edge.” The Skinny

Anton & The Colts

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