Nothing Major alumnus, Julian Redpath releases, “Nightingale“.
January 2013 saw the release of Julian Redpaths’ debut EP titled, Shipwrecks. Immediately upon discovering it the EP became one of my favourite and most underrated releases, globally. Underrated is probably the wrong word as those who knew of the record and had heard it, valued the diminutive wordsmiths ability to create these emotive sonic landscapes one could easily lose themselves within. Guy Buttery describes Julian as a “beautifully soulful and thought provoking songwriter with an uncanny ability to convey his hushed panoramic views into something we can all listen to. You simply just need ears to enjoy this mans music”
Although he is able to move mountains in a sea of emotions behind his acoustic guitar, Julian is a modest, achingly shy individual who doesn’t really promote his work – an artist rather than an entertainer.
On Wednesday, without any fanfare, Julian announced the release date and title of his debut album online. His debut full length album is entitled Maiden Light and it is scheduled for a digital release on the 1st of February. Along with the announcement he also released the first single off the album “Nightingale”.
“I never know what to say about the meaning of songs. I just worry that if they are a mystery they are alive in your head and can mean anything but when they are explained they become more like taxidermy. I guess very basically without giving too much away, Nightingale is about something elusive. Memories of places and people that are as unattainable as a foreign bird.”
Julian started creating the songs on the album five years ago and they were recorded on a farm in Dullstrom. He got the assistance of Guy Buttery who co-produced the album and they had been recording overdubs over the past two or three years. “Nightingale” features his longtime musical partner, Clare Vandeleur on the Cello, as well as some new faces and sounds with Michael Goddard on percussion and Chris Letcher on the the keys.
Initially I was a bit weary as I thought the introduction of these new faces and sounds would take away from the deep emotional connections and environments he creates in his music by placing more layers between the listener and Julians voice and guitar. However, all of the new sounds introduced are done so in a way which allows Julian’s poetic songwriting to take centre stage, coming in only as accents to emphasise specific emotional peaks and troughs. Its clear when listening to “Nightingale” that the music was meticulously arranged and Julian emphasises that the “music wouldn’t be possible without the musicians that helped [him]and Guy Buttery.”
