Inspirations. Nicos Chelsea Girls, the Au Pairs live, Pete Shelley, Scritti Politti, Im still waiting by Diana Ross, Young Marble Giants, Patti Smith, Postcard records, Sandy Denny, Pet Shop Boys, Ceremony by New Order, Sufjan Stevens, Bless the Weather and Solid Air, Joanna Newsom, Evelyn Champagne King, Gypsies Tramps and Thieves by Cher, The Specials, Blossom Dearie, Aretha Franklin, The Smiths 1983-85, Jonathan Richman, Massive Attacks demos on cassette 1993, Judy Garland, Dusty Springfield, Mike Skinner, Low, Rufus Wainwright, Astrud Gilberto, Shannons Let the Music Play, Bjork and Polly Harvey at the Brits, Cocteau Twins, Arthur Russell, Roisin Murphy, Beth Gibbons, Phoenix, Vic Godards Whats the matter boy, and singing with Fairport Convention at Cropredy and Jeff Buckley at Glastonbury..
2007 saw the release of Out Of The Woods, my first solo project since A Distant Shore (1982). The record featured me working with a few different producers/collaborators - including Martin Wheeler (Vector Lovers), Alex Santos, Charles Webster, Tom Gandey (caged baby).
But my main collaborator/producer was Ewan Pearson, and we did seven tracks together, among them a cover of Arthur Russell's Get Around To It, a track called It's All True, co-written with Sasse and Darshan Jesrani (Metro Area), which is pure early 80's New York dance pop, and the piano ballad, By Picadilly Station I sat down and wept, which Ewan memorably described as sounding like "The Carpenters on acid". There was also a cover of King's Cross by the Pet Shop Boys, which isn't on the actual album (had too many songs!), but is available as a bonus track downloadable from iTunes. Along the way there were some spectacular remixes from Martin Buttrich, Escort, Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve and Ada, and still to come, albeit just in downloadable form and as a little bauble to top off the Christmas tree, and round off the year, is a satisfyingly oddball remix of King's Cross from Hot Chip.
There was a heavily stylised monochromatic dance routine video for It's All True, directed by Si and Ad, and what turned out to be possibly my favourite video ever made to one of my songs, the upliftingly heartbreaking 3 minute movie made by Eduard Grau for Raise the Roof.
No, it's true, there were no gigs. There have been lots of comments posted on this page now asking me when my tour is going to arrive in Forida/Chicago/Rome/Mexico City/Stockholm/Perth....(delete as appropriate), and somewhat rudely perhaps, I have neglected to answer this fairly basic question. The truth is, my tour won't be arriving in any of those places, indeed hasn't even left London. Or even started in London, come to that. The reasons why I don't play live at the moment are really too many and various to go into here, but include banal things like chronic and near life-threatening stage fright, dread of poorly air-conditioned hotel rooms, sheer laziness, fear of loneliness, and the fact that I have 3 children under the age of 10 who prefer me to be here finding their socks and cooking spaghetti to being in Australia talking to them via Skype. I share that preference with them, and so, for the time being at least, that's the way it will stay.
Making Out Of The Woods reminded me though that I love being in the studio, and writing songs, and tinkering about with arrangement ideas, and singing the backing vocals late at night, and all that stuff. So I want to do some more of it. I'm writing songs again, and I've started demoing ideas for another record, and I will try via this page to keep updating you on the progress of what's coming next, and I will try not to disappear again for seven years or so without so much as a by your leave.
Thanks for all your comments, and for bothering to read my blogs, and, most importantly, for continuing to pay any attention to me and my music after all this time.
luv T xx
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Overture: beautiful, mesmerising record. Why don't more people write/perform songs like this anymore, the world would be a happier & more beautiful place, even if only for 3 minutes at a time... Mick.S
Just heard 'Overture' by Unbending Trees and I am just blown away! Your vocals with Kristof are simply sublime! This song deserves to be No.1, no it NEEDS to be No.1 !! The biggest selling song of 2008!!! Thank you! Thanks Unbending Trees. And thanks Ben!!
i finally listened to your duet with the unbending trees: "overture". it is absolutely dreamy and sublime. more, please? thanks for the marvelous treat. your voices blend so well together. x walter
so I hope you like the "for emma, forever ago"-record. fits very well with my mood in these days. just like "a distant shore". am I the only one who thinks that these 2 albums have much in common? anyway, take care and give us more of your music, please.
