On October 11th, Welsh-born folk singer/songwriter James McArthur with his group The Head Gardeners returns with his third album Intergalactic Sailor via Moorland Records.
Intergalactic Sailor features guest appearances from brothers Liam and Joel Magill of Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller-collaborators Syd Arthur. Incidentally, during McArthur’s time as a sought-after session musician, he spent time working as Weller’s drummer. “I’d always wanted to work with Liam Magill, (brother of Joel with whom we had already worked on previous Head Gardeners albums with)”, explains McArthur, “we had played on the same bills in Canterbury and London over the years, but never worked in the studio together. Liam came down to Wicker Studios – we had a productive session and he ended up on quite a few songs. Luckily for me, Liam & Joel (who played bass throughout the album) are natural ‘head gardeners’.”
Take a listen to their new single and our Song of the Day Plane Sailors whose rolling guitar melodies and beautiful harmonies paint a psych-tinged pastoral vision that underscores a message of hope for our planet.
“Plane Sailors, it’s raining from the sea…”
Written in Sardinia, the song is about the planes that land on the sea to pick up water to put out the forest fires. It is also about how communities can help improve the planet, whilst also helping each other… Guest artists Joel and Liam Magill (Syd Arthur) play alongside myself and the Head Gardeners. The track will be available on a double A-sided 7” vinyl through Wonderfulsound.
Grapefruit records once released an anthology called Dust On The Nettles that featured the likes of Kevin Coyne, Trees, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Fresh Maggots and examined the “metamorphosis that British folk underwent during the late 1960s, when the influence of psychedelia and the counterculture saw the idiom being twisted into all kinds of new and exotic shapes”. If they ever decided to do a follow-up focusing on modern-day exotic psych-explorers, this should most definitely be on disc one.
Throughout his career, McArthur has valued the overall listening experience. From performances alongside ambient DJs at the Tate Modern to minuscule gigs in a vintage golden caravan, his devotion to creating the perfect atmosphere is key to the beautifully intimate feel across the album.
In collaboration with label Wonderfulsound, a double A-side 7” vinyl of tracks “Tourist Town” and “Plane Sailors” will be released as part of their bi-monthly singles club Wonderfulsevens (more details here) as well as a commercial release. The label has previously released work from the likes of John Stammers, RW Hedges, Matt Deighton and for over a decade hosted The Wonderfulsound Libraries show on Soho Radio.
http://jamesmcarthurmusic.co.uk/
https://www.wonderfulsound.com/