The good news is the album is finished and it’s going to be called Breath of the Universe. This is a name that I thought up 18 months ago and as the album has progressed it has become more relevant. I’m thrilled with how the album sounds and hope you will be too! …….it is currently in the hands of the gods and they are putting the finishing touches to it as I speak. So the bad news is it won’t be complete this month 🙁  GRRRRR! It’s taken so long to get this far and has been a monumental effort.  A month ago I was faced with the prospect of rushing things just so I could get it out there and globetrot but then I felt I wouldn’t be doing it justice. Especially as most of the songs are 2/3 years in the making and one of the tracks I even started writing 12 years ago!!

However I have put up a demo of a track that will be featured on the album called ‘Astoria Dreams’ and there will be more to follow in the coming weeks.…..enjoy!

X

p.s I’m off to Poland again this weekend to play at another festival but this time it will be a bit bigger…….20,000 people……..F&*K!!!

I’m learning exactly how difficult it is to complete a full studio album without the wealth, power and influence of a record label! All the recording is now finished but the brakes have been put on slightly for the arranging however this has been something out of my control. I do want it to be a body of work I can be proud of but the last thing I want is for this album to take an eternity and turn into a “Chinese Democracy”.

The plan is (fingers crossed!!!) to eventually have it ready for summer and do various album launches in various countries. This will be in keeping with the theme of the album, although a launch in Outer Space is looking unlikely……its also an excuse for me to do some more globetrotting ; )

Off to Poland in 2 weeks to play at a festival with a full band behind me and to play a gig on a boat which will be a first. Another first….next month I’m going to be playing in Belgium ….a chocolatiers paradise and apparently the most diverse collection of beer in the world!

XXXXX

My most recent tour started where it usually does – Ireland. One of the highlights was playing at a venue in Clonakilty called De Barra’s, a spot for many a wandering Minstrel. A grand old rustic building steeped in musical history. I was humbled to learn that many illustrious folk acts have graced this venue, Roy Harper and Christie Moore to name but a few.

Next stop – Poland and the city of Warsaw to meet a friend I first met in Vienna 3 years ago. In the evening we headed in to town and on the way stopped at a local shop. I was amazed that about half of this little shop was Tea!!  I decided to take a picture which was followed by the shop owner’s colourful use of the Polish language! It wouldn’t have taken a genius to work out what she was saying but I got the impression she thought I was working for the KGB!! I was shown around the city but to be honest I found it a bit depressing. Hitler’s orders were to completely and utterly annihilate the place and that it was to become nothing more than a name on a map, so even the “Old Town” isn’t old. We went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where 2 guards are ordered to stand still for 5 hours and can’t even blink even if its 30 bellow! I saw the statue of the great Copernicus, a man who 500 years ago had the balls to say the earth wasn’t the centre of the universe……that’s balls of steel!

I was due to play a gig in the city but they wanted me to play 4 hours for what equates to…..errrr lets just say not very much! So I headed south and briefly stayed in a place called Radom which was like going back in time. Shell suits, thick tashes, and 80’s music blaring from the radio!

My last stop was the beautiful city of Krakow.  If Prague was the new Amsterdam then Krakow is definitely the new Prague….how long it will stay this way remains to be seen.  Like most places in Poland (Krakow in particular!) there is definitely “Something In The Water”…..if any guys have been here before you will know exactly what I mean ; ) The cities most celebrated son John Paul II is still so popular in this part of the world, it seems to me that he is almost as big as the man he was representing!

At the moment I feel more like a travel writer than a musician :s but I will be back to Poland in May to play and this time with a full band and hopefully it will be for a few more Złoty!

Finally the most important thing of all…..my album! I’m back to Ireland tomorrow to work on the arrangements of 5 songs. So half of the album will then be complete! I will have some demos up on here next month…..promise!

: )