On tour in the UK throughout the autumn
Cornish singer-songwriter Joe Francis is Winter Mountain.
Astral Fox Records is proud to present I Swear I Flew, the stunning new record and first full release from Winter Mountain since the critically acclaimed self-titled debut in 2013.
I Swear I Flew further advances Winter Mountain’s standing as a musical force , showcasing not only Joe’s extraordinary songwriting abilities but also his skills as a multi-instrumentalist and producer – his instrumental credits for the album extend to vocals, electric, acoustic and bass guitar, backing vocals, mandolin, piano and harmonica.
Written between Ireland, the wild and beautiful north coast of Cornwall, and across a stark, awe inspiring winter spent in the French Alps, I Swear I Flew is a captivating musical diary covering recent events in Joe’s life. Musically informed by such songwriting greats as Springsteen, Tom Petty and Neil Young, I Swear I Flew has a punchier sound than Winter Mountain’s debut, being sonically and emotionally more raw and revealing than its predecessor.
The album features contributions from folk superstar Seth Lakeman on several tracks, who provides earthy backing vocals to Joe’s soaring tenor, as well as gifting his rare talents on fiddle, bouzouki and tenor guitar, infusing the songs with his unmistakable melodic and ragged Celtic swagger.
I Swear I Flew moves effortlessly between driving sing-along rock – ‘Sunlight, Good Roads’, which Joe describes as his “rock and roll take on a Celtic benediction”, and ‘Platinum and Gold’, a rallying cry to overcome tough circumstances, to haunting ballads – ‘The Morning Bell’ and ‘Dragonfly’, which features a sparse and beautiful duet between vocals and cello. And from lush pop arrangements – ‘The Lucky Ones’, to the menacing growl of ‘Things That I’ve Done Wrong’, a hard rock behemoth which grows out of the silence like an outtake from Neil Young’s seminal Rust Never Sleeps, and which promises to be a formidable addition to the Winter Mountain full band live set. Delve further into the album and you’ll hear flecks of Americana on ‘Open Heart’ and ‘Before the Flood’, while a softly strummed guitar, Niall Murphy’s extraordinary fiddle playing and Joe’s powerful lyrical imagery form a fitting tribute to County Donegal, Ireland in ‘Banba’s Crown’.
The album finishes reflectively with the piano ballad ‘Fireworks Night (Promises We Make)’, a stirring hymn to the keen observation that one must hang on to the spirit and dreams of youth, when it’s often “the promises we break that keep our world turning”.
With its searing vocals, gentle acoustic guitars, blazing telecasters, pounding drums, piano balladry and echoes of many of the master singer- songwriters, I Swear I Flew is a must-hear for anyone with a soft spot for great songs sung with burning passion.
WINTER MOUNTAIN ‘I SWEAR I FLEW’ TOUR 2016
OCTOBER (all solo acoustic shows)
Wed 5 Manchester Gullivers with Marc O’Reilly
Thu 6 Banbury Mill Arts with Cara Dillon
Fri 7 Bedford Esquires with Ben Ottewell
Sat 8 Norwich The Waterfront with Ben Ottewell
Sun 9 Brighton Prince Albert with Ben Ottewell
Mon 10 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach with Ben Ottewell
Tue 11 London The Borderline with Ben Ottewell
Thu 13 Edinburgh Electric Circus with Ben Ottewell
Fri 14 Middlesbrough Westgarth Social Club with Ben Ottewell
NOVEMBER (acoustic duo headline shows except*, which are solo)
Fri 11 Worthing Connaught Theatre* with Cara Dillon
Sat 12 Shrewsbury The Wightman
Sun 13 Salisbury City Hall* with Cara Dillon
Mon 14 Norwich The Bicycle Shop
Tue 15 Milton Keynes The Stables 2
Thu 17 Bangor Blue Sky Café
Fri 18 Nottingham The Malt Cross
Sat 19 Cirencester Sundial Theatre
DECEMBER (acoustic duo headline shows except**, which are full band shows)
Fri 9 Winchester The Railway
Sat 10 Bromsgrove The Artrix
Sun 11 Watchet, Somerset Pebbles Tavern
Wed 14 Brighton Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar**
Sun 18 Bristol The Louisiana**
Further shows to be announced shortly
