Emma Tricca has released a new digital single, Rain & Tears, a song by Aphrodite’s Child – the progressive Greek rock and pop band founded in 1967 by Vangelis Papathanassiou (later known as Vangelis, the progressive electronic artist), the kaftan-wearing Demis Roussos, Loukas Sideras and Silver Koulouris.
An unlikely cover song, it holds memories for Emma, who told us she’d always loved the song since first hearing it as a kid.
‘This song has always been present in my life. My uncle Tullio used to play Aphrodite’s Child records all the time and I guess he passed the Prog fever onto me. When Vangelis died last year, I thought that it was about time I did a cover of Rain & Tears so I went into the studio and started constructing the tune. I saw this song as a movie and kind of thought: what would Truffaut have as the opening scene to this story? Of course… he would have someone in a phone booth by the river Seine (or something) trying to make the last attempt to call their loved one. When the guitar part, the vocals and BV’s were in, I asked Jesse Chandler if he’d be up for turning the drama up to 11 with a 3 part orchestral flute type of thing. James Hornsey came up with a beautiful bass line and Sean Read and Johnathan Clayton added keys and cello magic.’
Emma gives the song a beautiful dreamlike feel, accentuated here by Julian Hand’s brilliant video captured on Super 8mm film. Julian also filmed Emma’s 2019 video for Solomon Said (watch it here).
Rain & Tears is available via Bandcamp.
Earlier this year, Emma released her excellent fourth album ‘Aspirin Sun’ which Thomas Blake reviewed for Folk Radio:
It might be an album that captures change in its moment of occurring, but one thing hasn’t changed: Tricca is still one of our most valuable and interesting songwriters, capable of strange and beautiful sonic flights of fancy and unexpected lyrical turns. Aspirin Sun is her best yet.
In case you missed it, Emma also released a new single, “Rubies”, in September, which she recorded with folk legend Bridget St John. Check out here: