Brooks Williams has teamed up with Kris Drever, Boo Hewerdine and Findlay Napier to record a new single for Farewell to the Gold which is out now.
The song, orginally written by Paul Theodore Metsers, is probably best known for being covered by Nic Jones on that landmark folk album Penguin Eggs, released in 1980 on Topic Records.
The digital-only single was recorded and filmed remotely in Cambridge, England and Glasgow, Scotland, the audio is mixed by Mark Freegard and the video is edited in Jersey City USA by Lee Williams.
This is a gorgeous cover.
Brooks Williams on Farewell to the Gold:
In the heat of Covid Summer 2020 I had a fevered dream. I was singing Farewell To The Gold on a big stage with three friends. To my right and left were Findlay Napier, Boo Hewerdine and Kris Drever and we were belting out this song like nobody’s business.
Inspired by this dream, I phoned them all up the following day and, to my delight, they unanimously agreed to record the song with me.
Unfortunately, the situation we find ourselves in at the moment prevented us from getting together in person to make that recording. So we’ve had to record across the miles between Cambridge and Glasgow.
I recorded my parts first and, if I recall correctly, it next went to Fin, then Kris, and then, finally, Boo. Each step along the way we refined our parts and in the end it was as you hear it now. We all played guitar and sang.
As it turns out, we all know Paul Metsers iconic song from the same recording, “Penguin Eggs” by Nic Jones. A seminal album if ever there was one.
“Farewell To The Gold” speaks of New Zealand’s gold rush from the point of view of one who has tried, but ultimately been unsuccessful, in finding one’s fortune. Making “hardly enough to get by,” it’s goodbye to the dream.
I thank Fin, Boo and Kris for giving my dream the wings to fly. I appreciate the generosity of their time and ideas. If we ever get back to gigging, I hope there is a stage somewhere we four can belt this out in person.
Farewell to the Gold is out now. Order via Bandcamp: https://brookswilliams1.bandcamp.com/track/farewell-to-the-gold
Brooks Williams: https://brookswilliams.com/
Findlay Napier: https://www.findlaynapier.com/
Boo Hewerdine: https://boohewerdine.net/
Kris Drever: https://www.krisdrever.com/