Emma Gatrill has today announced her new album ‘Come Swim‘ which will arrive on 24th November 2023 via Willkommen Records, and she has shared the shimmering and transportive single ‘Adonis Blue‘; a collaboration with Villagers’ Conor O’Brien.
This is such great news to share. It feels like a long time since we’ve focussed on Brighton-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emma Gatrill or even the Willkommen Collective. She has lent her voice and musicianship to many over the years (including Lucy Rose, Broken Social Scene, Samantha Crain, David Thomas Broughton and more). She also appeared on co-conspirator Rachael Dadd’s latest album Kaleidoscope – prior to which she also lugged her harp around Japan on a collective tour in 2018 – Rachael broke the logistics down for us:
It was no easy feat to pull the tour off, doing it on a shoestring and taking a gamble, with people working sooo hard even in Japanese terms (hats off to CowaMouse and ICHI). We toured in two vehicles which was a total achievement in itself – 10 people including mine and Ichi`s kids, all the instruments including Ichi`s vast set up and Emmaʼs harp, and the PA. But you see in Japan these things ARE possible. I have learnt to believe!
from 10 Years in Japan by Rachael Dadd
Just a glance through the other guests appearing on ‘Come Swim’ suggests this is going to be something extraordinary: Kate Stables (This Is The Kit), Rozi Plain, Mark Lockheart (Polar Bear, Radiohead’s Kid A), Rachel Horwood (Trash Kit, Bas Jan), Thom Mills (Skinny Lister), and Rachael Dadd.
While Conor O’Brien lends his considerable talents to the Adonis Blue by providing glitchy electronics, trumpet and drum machine programming, elsewhere, frequent collaborator and partner Marcus Hamblett (James Holden, Nadine Shah, The Staves) oversees production and synth duties, along with beautiful contributions from Helen Whitaker (flute) and Andrew Stuart Buttle (violin).
Adonis Blue is named after the rarest of the blue butterflies in the UK…
Emma Gatrill on ‘Adonis Blue’ and working with Conor O’Brien:
“Adonis Blue is a rare butterfly, the males have brilliant sky blue wings with a fine black line around the edge. I spent the summer on a quest wandering the South Downs in the hope of spotting this butterfly. The track is about searching for things that are hard to find but accepting that the quest itself can fulfil desires. It’s about the adventure and all that we find along the way. Conor is such an inspirational musician and it was an absolute honour to work with him on this song. The beat he crafted really weaved itself into the orchestration and his trumpet really makes the song for me!”
Conor O’Brien (Villagers) on ‘Adonis Blue’:
“It was such a pleasure to add some minimal electronic grooves and trumpet to the beautiful ‘Adonis Blue’. It’s a lovely, spacey trip of a tune full of yearning and joy.”