The year has ended well thanks to some wonderful December shows and to the love and encouragement of friends, fans and Enemies on either side of the Atlantic.
I was particularly nervous before this most recent trip to the US. I had set myself a challenge: to perform the first act of Youngest Child, my new one-man-memoir-in-song, in New York City and also in Belmont MA at what turned out to be an unforgettable concert at Homer House. I had only performed the piece once before - in July at The Green Note Basement in London. It takes a lot of rehearsal and there’s a lot to memorise. And I am not Bruce Springsteen. It could all come across as so much self-indulgence. But, to my great relief, the audiences engaged and responded thanks in large part to the brilliant insights of friend and director Frank Wurzinger who had encouraged me to abandon my comfort zone during two hugely important summer rehearsals. I look forward to performing the full piece in the new year either as two separate acts or as an abridged one act show or both.
Already exhausted and very hoarse I returned to New York for four days of recording in DUMBO. The sessions were guided by Peter Fox, the producer of my very first solo album, Ugly Love. After seven epic albums with my Enemies I had decided it was time for a different sound for a collection of tunes about fatherhood, family and getting older. The basic tracks were cut with Brian Geltner on drums, Drew Hart on bass and my dear friend Kenny White on keyboards. I hope to finish the record some time next year. Still a ways to go.
I thought it might seem strange to go from the recording sessions straight to a couple of shows with the Enemies but the band immediately continued from where we had left off in the spring: two more fantastic gigs in New York and in DC. The audiences were in fine form too. All that was missing was Riley McMahon, our genius lead guitarist. Riley isn’t just a new dad, he’s also been fighting cancer. We hope and pray that he’s turned a corner with his recent treatments. Our love goes out to him and also to Natalie and young Annabel. By a strange coincidence I ran into Amy Rigby, Riley’s sister, as I came back home through Heath Row arrivals. She was waiting with her husband Wreckless Eric for her daughter to arrive from LA. Very small world.
The year also marked the completion of my new unplugged album I Have So Many Friends, a collection of fourteen songs I recorded in Germany with Matti Müller (guitar, vocals), Jonny Gee (double bass, vocals) and Angi Stricker (percussion, vocals). The tracks include old favourites (Building A Road, Beautiful Monday etc.) as well as previously unrecorded songs. I’ll release it somehow somewhere some time next year. Stay tuned.
The life of an artist, like everyone else’s, goes through a series of ebbs and flows. For some inexplicable reason I currently feel more connected to my music than ever, also more connected to the audiences who come to listen. Long may that continue.
Thanks to my Enemies for indulging me for all these years. Thanks to new friends and collaborators for sharing their own unique gifts. Thanks to some amazing hosts - Dan and Maria in Washington DC; Kaye and Lesley and Tricia in Massachusetts; Hans in Holland; Kim and Pilo and Jan in Denmark - for pulling out the stops to create some magical evenings. Thanks to two of my favourite clubs - The Green Note in London and Rockwood Music Hall in NYC - for their reliably excellent support. And thanks to all the audience members who came to listen but who ended up singing along and sharing their energy with the rest of us.
Happy 2023!