Our Song of the Day is from Edinburgh based folk-rock troubadour Dan Willson better known to many as Withered Hand. Horseshoe is the first single proper from the long awaited second album New Gods which will be released on 10th February via Fortuna POP!
Love and the fear of loss is the theme here, and its plaintive entreaty “Please don’t put a shadow on her lung” is coupled with an epic, widescreen, soul-stirring pop tune that leaves no room for doubt. As Dan himself says, “It’s about love. Not romantic love or sexual love. The other stuff.”
Bio:
He found his voice at age 30, in a period of reflection somewhere between the death of a close friend and the birth of his first child.
The moniker Withered Hand encompasses Dan’s activity as a songwriter, a solo performer and WH also exists in a band form. He has toured widely in the last 5 years to acclaim both nationally and in mainland Europe, playing his first shows in the USA in 2012. Withered Hand has recorded several BBC radio sessions and played various festivals from muddy ones like Green Man Festival to less muddy ones like Celtic Connections.
Alongside James Yorkston and Rod Jones (Idlewild), Dan has also been a mentor to a young musician as part of an initiative by mental health charity The Fruit Tree Foundation. He was also a key part of Cora Bissett’s award-winning theatre and music collaboration at Arches Theatre called Whatever Gets You Through The Night, working alongside a stellar cast of Scottish based musicians.