Brambles is inspired by memories of childhood pastimes, particularly picking blackberries with my mum, sister, and grandparents. The gentle fingerpicked guitar part provides a steady backdrop for the dreamy clarinets and trumpets that weave through the track. I was really happy to be able to include my sister on the track as one of the vocalists.

One by one we go rummaging on
Staining our shoes with the berries and sun
We pluck, we pull, the buckets fill
We amble

Two by two we go battling through
Stretching and straining to grasp at the shoots
You bare your skin, the thorns dig in
The gamble

The marks on your clothes
Might come out with soap
The marks on your hands
Will soon start to mend

Three by three is a mouthful indeed
Bursting with berries and singing with glee
La da di da, la da di da
The brambles 

The marks on our clothes
Might come out with soap
The marks on our hands
Will soon start to mend

Brambles

Haven't Prayed This Way Before explores the idea of romantic relationships as a rite of passage, and how it feels to be on the cusp of this initiation.

Take me to your temple
I will worship at your feet
You say your sacraments are simple
And your eucharist is sweet

Show me your religion
And recite your holy law
My sins are unoriginal
But there’s room for plenty more

Amen

I will kneel before your altar
Eat your bread and drink your wine
Though I cannot help but falter
In the face of the divine

If I pour your holy water
I will spill it in my haste
So, then, fill your cup with kisses
And let me have a taste

Amen

Don’t question my devotion
If I seem a bit unsure
I’m just new to all these motions
Haven’t prayed this way before

If I stumble on the wording
Will you join in the refrain?
And my hands might need some herding
As they glorify your name

Amen

So take me to your temple
I will worship at your feet
For your sacraments are simple
And your eucharist is sweet

Haven't Prayed This Way Before

Promise Me You'll Be Here In The Morning is about a dysfunctional relationship, in which neither side wants to acknowledge that things aren't working, both clinging to the thought of good times ahead, rather than the hard times at present.

Upon my oath
The rain is full of ghosts
Tapping at the panes
And arming us again

With sharpened words
A knife’d do no worse
To slip beneath the skin
And let the anger in

Just promise me you’ll be here in the morning

The night unspools
And tempers start to cool
And harden into stone
Two islands each alone

While echoes ring
And every cut still stings
We’re both too tired to fight
Just give a curt goodnight

And promise me you’ll be here in the morning

Soon the sun will rise
And we’ll apologise
And speak in words of water 
On the bridge to douse the burn

But when the sun in low
It’s too hard to let go,
So we’ll carry the mistakes 
From which we never seem to learn


Neither one’ll budge
Too keen to hold a grudge
But it fizzles just as quick
Can never make it stick

Get the bedroom light
And hold me if you like
If I turn away
It’s only for today

So promise me you’ll be here,
Promise me you’ll be here
Promise me you’ll be here in the morning

Promise Me You'll Be Here In The Morning

This Machine Builds Fascists is about how I feel capitalism has led to a sense of global insecurity which has resulted in a surge of right wing populist thought which verges on fascism.

We made a machine, made a machine
A marvellous modern machine
It roars and it screams, roars and it screams
Gobbling oil and spitting out steam
What does it do? What does it do?
Tell us all, what does it do?
It strikes a spark that lights a fuse

All you gathered in this place
Lift your gaze towards the light
All you gathered in this place
Lift your gaze towards the light
And we need never live in darkness
While our engines make their mark upon the night


The smoke and the sigh, the screech and the sound
The grind of the gears spinning round
The gnashing of teeth, the rumbling ground
The echoes resound and resound
Rattling nerves, rattling bone
A treacherous shaking of stone
To bring down everything you’ve known

All you gathered in this place
Raise your hands to feel the heat
All you gathered in this place
Raise your hands to feel the heat
And you can dream about the feeling
While you’re shivering and reeling in the street


We made a machine, made a machine
A marvellous modern machine
It roars and it screams, roars and it screams
Gobbling oil and spitting out steam
What does it do? What does it do?
Tell us all, what does it do?
It strikes a spark that lights a fuse

This Machine Builds Fascists

Spoons (James Woods Remix)

Growing The Wrong Way Round

Grass Roots

High Hopes (Chris Ruffoni Lofi Remix)

Father's Son (Live)

Stole My Thunder

Here’s The Steeple is the musical handle of Dan Walters. Dan’s songs combine intricate textures and thoughtful lyrics with a wide range of folk influences, all delivered with a uniquely rich and soulful Northern voice to warm you up like a good cup of tea. Here’s The Steeple is supported by Help Musicians.

Here’s the Steeple has received support from BBC Radio 6, Fresh On The Net, and BBC Music Introducing on Radio Tees among others, and has supported artists including Scott Matthews, Will Varley, Rozi Plain, Tiny Ruins, and Steve Mason (The Beta Band). Members of The Unthanks have said “Your album sounds fantastic! I’ve had it on in my car for months!”

Here's The Steeple

Popular tracks