Nice! Got a kind of classic Manic Street Preachers feel

To celebrate the release of my debut solo album as JUNKBOND, I am continuing these song evolution playlists to highlight the older tracks that went through many drafts and lives before finally finding a home on 'Spring The Locks'.
The tune is about taking a chance on love and leaping into that unknown joy with both feet. It's one of my oldest love songs that never really worked anywhere except solo acoustic until now and it's appropriate for Tom Henthorn to produce it as it was one of the first songs I ever played for him back in 2002 at a solo showcase which led to our first collaboration on the bRoKeN fAcE project.
Like the rest of the LP, it's fleshed out with Tom's studio trickery and bold backing choices - organ AND harpsichord? Why the hell not... - bringing this long standing song to life at last!

Spring The Locks

Spring Fever (album version)

From the Kickstarter album "If I Could Have You For A Minute Longer"

Recorded at Rockfield Studios, Wales.

I Was Born Under A Blistering Star

Icarus

Songbird

Sheffield band The Farewell State are very proud to present their debut single 'Year Zero'. Recorded with talented local producer Tom Henthorn (New Ghost/Jube) at Make Noise Studios, the song is a twangy surf western protest tune about reaching peak irritation with the world at large and longing to wipe the slate clean to start again from scratch. This is something the band have had to do several times since they started back in 2010. Featuring the group's trademark stop/start dynamic powered by driving drums, pulsating bass and ragged guitars with multi-layered vocals and a desert rock guitar solo breakdown, 'Year Zero' is out 12/04/24 and gives a look ahead to their debut LP 'Dial Everything' in May.

Year Zero - Single

Year Zero

The first version of our single 'Year Zero' is wildly different from the finished album track. The lyric came out as a rant in one splurge during the early 00s and the music took a while to take hold. This was bashed out in a practice room with friend of the band Richard L on drums and Simon thrashing on an acoustic guitar. About five years later the big metal guitars were added and it certainly rocks but lacks the finesse of the finished version. A fun artifact!

Year Zero - Song Evolution

Year Zero (Rich Drums 4 Cash Demo)

Once re-written with the first incarnation of the band, 'Year Zero' took on a quieter more acoustic form. This demo from 2012 sees the band - Simon (acoustic guitar/vocals), Diz Carberry (electric drums) and Tom Wylie (bass) - feel their way around the tune and take the first tentative steps towards the album track and single it is today...

Year Zero (First Band Demo)

After five years of false starts and interruptions, we finally made it into a studio in April 2022 to record our album 'Dial Everything' but the planning up to that was meticulous as this rough demo shows. Using a live rehearsal from 2018 as the backing track, Simon added extra guitars and vocals to try out how the band would attack the song. Listen to this in contrast to the finished thing and you can hear what we did and also what we improved!

Year Zero (Dial Everything Demo)

RSD deluxe vinyl re-release of six by seven's acclaimed 2004 album.

Bochum (Light Up My Life)

Taken from the 2004 album six by seven:04 which is being released on double coloured heavy weight vinyl on Record Store Day 2018. In a gatefold Sleeve and limited to only 500. Please share!

Sometimes I Feel Like...

Track three from the forthcoming six by seven album. We hope you like it. Come and see us at The Water Rats in London on April 4th 2013 where we will be showcasing the whole album.

TRUCE

A home for orphaned songs written over the last 25 years, JUNKBOND is the new project from Simon Roberts (The Letter/The Farewell State) and showcases those tunes that never made it into bands over the years.

Now armed with debut album 'Spring The Locks', Simon is paying back the debt owed to these long standing songs.

Spring Fever (album version)

JunkBond

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