Sarah Howells and Richard Llewellyn make up the brilliant British duo Paper Aeroplanes whose previous album ‘Little Letters‘ was a Featured Album of the Month on FRUK in 2013. The good news is that Sarah and Richard are preparing to release their third full length album called JOY which, combining their folk stylings with more electronic and pop elements, brings a more optimistic tone after a series of albums full of self-confessed “break-up songs”. We have the pleasure of premiering their video for Good Love Lives On which you can watch below:
Whilst optimistic rays of light shine through on this album there is still room for the melancholic on songs such as Sail, Placebos and the haunting Goldrush which bring a balance to the album.
“I’d basically had enough of feeling a bit sad, frustrated and dissatisfied, says singer Sarah, and wanted to change all of that. During the process of trying to learn that elusive skill of being happy, these songs emerged. This album is about the light that is revealed after a period of darkness. It’s about love that lasts and the blue that is always behind the clouds, the calm that is underneath the panic in your stomach.”
“This was the first time we’d worked closely with a producer and not arranged all of the music ourselves. Mason Neely (Cerys Matthews, Lambchop, Colorama, Sufjan Stevens) was deeply involved in the making of the album, almost like a third band member which was exciting because it provided a whole new bank of ideas and skills. We found ourselves trying quite different instrumentation and moving into new territories but we hope the essence of our sound endures.”
The album is flavoured with more electronic ingredients than previous Paper Aeroplanes releases but their folk-roots shine through the layered production, particularly on the finger-picked guitar refrain of Race You Home.
It’s apt that such an uplifting record should come at a time when the band are soaring. A sell-out show at London’s iconic Union Chapel and several successful European tours under their belt, this is a band that has grown slowly and steadily and, with a quiet confidence, sailed past many of the ’next big things’ to build a strong and loyal fan-base.
Who knows if this is the album that will see Paper Aeroplanes step into the limelight or simply be another stage of their impressive journey.
TOUR 2015
12.03 – COPENHAGEN Vega, Ideal Bar
09.04 – PARIS Bootleg Bar
11.04 – OLTEN Next Stop
12.04 – BERN Cafe Marta
14.04 – FRANKFURT sankt peter Cafe
16.04 – MANNHEIM Capitol Casino
17.04 – MÜNCHEN Milla
18.04 – ESSEN Cafe Nova
19.04 – KÖLN Studio 672
21.04 – HANNOVER Lux
22.04 – HAMBURG Prinzenbar
23.04 – GREIFSWALD Brasserie Hermann
24.04 – LEIPZIG Moritzbastei
25.04 – BERLIN Crystal
UK DATES
05.05 – NORWICH Arts Centre
06.05 – NOTTINGHAM Contemporary
07.05 – NEWCASTLE Thinktank
08.05 – EDINBURGH Caves
09.05 – GLASGOW Glad Cafe
10.05 – YORK Fibbers
11.05 – MANCHESTER Kraak Gallery
12.05 – BRISTOL The Fleece
13.05 – BIRMINGHAM Rainbow
14.05 – HEBDEN BRIDGE Trades Club
16.05 – CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
18.05 – SHEFFIELD Greystones
19.05 – CAMBRIDGE Portland Arms
20.05 – LONDON Oslo
J O Y is released 8 April 2015 and is now available to preorder via:
Amazon
Bandcamp
iTunes
Google