New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Pull of Autumn has announced the forthcoming release of their debut self-titled album via Boston-based RBM Records. Ahead of this release, which includes 10 tracks, they are previewing 'Laurasong', the lead track from this album.
The Pull of Autumn, a 'super group' of sorts, is comprised of members of pioneering 1970-80s British new wave band Fashion, Rhode Island's Johanna's House of Glamour, and Fred Abong, founding member of
Belly with
Tanya Donelly and early member of
Throwing Muses with
Kristin Hersh and Donelly.
The album's cover artwork was created by
James Johnston (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, Gallon Drunk). This original striking artwork is called 'Figure on a Frozen Path'.
The bulk core of the songs on this initial offering involved a collaboration between
Daniel Darrow from Johanna's House of Glamour and Luke 'Skycraper' James, frontman of I.R.S. recording artist Fashion.
It all began when Luke James, long-time hero of Darrow's and his late wife Laura, reacted to the electronic-based music Darrow and his son Matthew were releasing under the name Spectral Assignment. A string of correspondence ensued, followed by file swapping between Skyscraper, who lives in San Francisco, and Darrow, who lives in Massachusetts. Skyscraper would send basic ideas with Darrow creating more elaborate soundscapes to ornament this sound. The Pull of Autumn was thus born.
Luke Skyscraper had a near brush with fame when I.R.S. founder Miles Copeland (also brother to The
Police drummer
Stuart Copeland) signed Fashion to his label for their 1979 debut album 'Product Perfect'. Between 1978 and 1980, they played shows with the likes of UB40, Hazel O'Connor,
Billy Idol and Toyah Willcox. They also did a UK tour with U2, opened for The B-52's on their first British tour, and enjoyed stadium tours of the UK and USA opening for The Police. Back then, the recently formed
Duran Duran opened their shows. In June 1980, Luke Skyscraper left Fashion after the band's final London gig with U2.
Johanna's House of Glamour was active from 1989 through 1997, primarily comprised of Dan Darrow,
Laura Darrow, and Bruce MacLeod. They signed to Rough Trade Records for their debut 1990 album 'Farewell Street', and later, to
Cargo Records for 'Style Monsters' (1993), for which they were joined by Fred Abong and John Orsi. A third album, 'The Dark Flower', was later released on RBM Records, followed by several singles and compilation projects.
The Pull of Autumn quickly became a bigger project when Darrow felt that the music would benefit from other contributions. Fred Abong contributed 'Vanishing Spell', Jeanne Batting (of Spindle Shanks) appears on vocals for two Darrow/Skyscraper tracks ('Breath' and 'Shimmer Lizard'), and former band mate Bruce MacLeod contributes the lovely 'Laurasong', which he wrote about Daniel's wife, the late
Laura Darrow. Bruce MacLeod also appears on 'Trance Fear' with
Daniel (keyboards), Matthew Darrow (drums) and Bruce (additional drums).
The final track 'Elusive Love' features vocals by the late
Laura Darrow on vocals,
Daniel Darrow on acoustic guitar and Bruce MacLeod on keyboards. This song emerged from a recently found never-before-published demo by Johanna's House of Glamour.
"This music means so much to me as I've gotten the chance to play music with an artist I really loved and had the opportunity to shape the music into a forward thinking contemporary sound. MacLeod and Fred Abong are both musicians I hold in high regard and their contributions are great," says
Daniel Darrow.
"I think of this music as post-rock informed by electronic and experimental music, but also taking elements of a simpler sound as an acoustic guitar. Bowie's Berlin trilogy was also an inspiration. The chance to meld together different elements of music such as electronic, acoustic, avant-garde and pop is at the core of what we want to achieve with The Pull of Autumn".
As of August 24, 'The Pull of Autumn' will be available via the main online stores and streaming platforms, but can already be ordered digitally via Bandcamp.
TRACK LIST
1. Downpour
2.
Heaven Now
3. Breath
4. They Came Down
5. A Small Affair of the Heart
6. Shimmer Lizard
7. Vanishing Spell
8. Laurasong
9. Trance Fear
10. Elusive Love
Final mastering and mixing performed by Bruce MacLeod at MacLeod House in Boston.
Track 1 - written by
Daniel Darrow + synth and electronics
Track 2 - written by Luke Skyscraper
James &
Daniel Darrow. Vocals + guitar by Luke; keyboards by Daniel, drums by Matthew Darrow.
Track 3 - written by
Daniel Darrow + keyboards + treatments; vocals by Jeanne Batting.
Track 4 - written by Luke Skyscraper
James &
Daniel Darrow. Vocals + guitars by Luke; electronics + synth by Daniel; drums by Jalen Perry.
Track 5 - written by
Daniel Darrow and Luke Skyscraper James. Classical guitar by Luke; keyboards + electronics by Daniel.
Track 6 - written by Luke Skyscraper
James and
Daniel Darrow. Guitars by Luke; piano + synth by Daniel; vocals by Jeanne Batting.
Track 7 written by Fred Abong + guitars + vocals; e-bow + organ by Daniel.
Track 8 - written and performed by Bruce MacLeod.
Track 9 - written by
Daniel Darrow + keyboards; guitar by Bruce MacLeod; drums by Matthew Darrow.
Track 10 - written by
Daniel Darrow, Bruce MacLeod and
Laura Darrow. Guitar by Daniel; keyboards by Bruce; vocals by Laura.
