On 14th April, Yorkshire-based songwriter Phil Hooley releases his new album Provenance, the long-awaited follow-up to his debut solo release Songs From The Back Room. We have the pleasure of premiering his forthcoming album single ‘The Veteran’s Song‘ (out this week on 15th March); on which a forgotten survivor examines the futility of war.
Reminiscent of Townes Van Zandt, on The Veteran’s Song, Hooley’s vocals convey a wearied honesty that brings that empty loneliness of the lyrics to life. The arrangements also lend significant weight to the song, as Hooley shares below:
”I’m particularly proud of this track, the cello playing of Corbin Keep and fiddle of Jim Van Cleve blend perfectly to convey the loneliness and frustration expressed in the lyrics”
The Veteran’s Song is a powerful album closer; Hooley believes it’s the most poignant set of lyrics he has ever written, ‘it reflects a certain bitterness, and, I hope, the absolute futility of war, and the hypocrisy of those leaders who honour their dead in public but are equally as ready to start another conflict, “Remember me with your flowers of red, and think of me as you bow your head. Your path of glory brings no reward, let me be the last one to fall“’
Pre-Save ‘The Veteran’s Song’ here.
The ten songs that makeup Provenance reflect both the maturity and growing confidence of Hooley’s songwriting. The lyrics demand your complete attention, whilst the subtle meanderings of Jim Van Cleve’s fiddle playing and the top-notch session players gathered for the recording session, bring just the right levels of light and shade. The album exudes subtlety, with just enough instrumentation to carry the songs and compliment Phil’s voice. Justin Johnson’s production is sympathetic as always and allows the songs to life.
Why “Provenance”? ‘I suppose because I have revisited my past in some ways. I dug out a few older songs, some of which hadn’t ever been properly recorded and others I had been kicking around for a long time but wasn’t quite happy with. Sometimes in the recording process, you can get carried away with the instrumentation and the technological side of things and lose sight of the meaning of the songs. This time I felt sure of what I wanted to happen with the songs. I had the confidence to make the changes required in order to refocus on the lyrics. I think it was well worth it. The lyrics are what my songwriting is all about.’
Pre-Order Provenance via Bandcamp