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Minus Ten / Little Lately / When It Kicks In (Acoustic Version)
WALL OF SOUND / PIAS
The Snow Patrol comparisons are obvious of course, Iain Archer one half of the songwriting partnership that came up with the Ivor Novello winning Run, so its no surprise that the former Snow Patrol guitarist throws up a lot of the same noises on his second album MAGNETIC NORTH, the follow up to his impressive debut 2004s FLOOD THE TANKS, Archer someone with an extremely similar knack of knocking out stadium friendly indie rock at the drop of a hat.
Latest single MINUS TEN is a close relation to Spitting Games from his previous band, the same technique of tender acoustic verses and big anthemic choruses, surely a case of if it aint broke don't fix it. Backed up by the warm fuzzy guitarisms of LITTLE LATELY and an acoustic run through of former single WHEN IT KICKS IN and what you have here is another quietly assured release from Archer, more radio friendly rock with one foot in the indie underground and one itching to burst blissfully into the mainstream.
Assured and confident sounding stuff from Iain Archer, MINUS TEN, the latest reason to take this singer/songwriter straight to your heart.
BIOGRAPHY
We had been warned this journey to the city wasn't a good idea. There was anger and people were being shot in the city. A lot. Random people. It was on the news every day and tensions were at an all time high while grief was at an all time low if you know what I mean.
But in pursuit of escaping the small town and finding some like minds we decided to go, my friend Gillian and I. And anyway, we had been hearing about people nearby getting shot all our lives and it hadn't touched us, it wasn't hard to become numb to the stories of violence.
We stole off in her fathers car (he was unaware). The journey isn't particularly long and the roads were clear as most people were afraid to be on them. We drove past the dwindling aeroplane factory, and under the guardian cranes of the shipyard, inanely mocking everything including one another, as was our way.
Crossing the river we turned south towards the student area where our friends lived in one huge house. The streets were desolate and we turned into the tree-lined avenue where their house stood.
We stayed late at the house, talking, having a good time and finding ridiculous things to laugh at, until we decided leaving would be wise.
We had parked on the opposite side of the street, a little way from the house. As we approached the car, across the road we noticed a group of men in the shadow of the trees. Gillian unlocked the car and we climbed in, but before she could close her door a hand had gripped it and held it open.
The man knelt beside her, informed her of his membership of a particularly dangerous organisation and said to get out of the car and to give him the keys. Immediately Gillian refused. I couldn't believe how ballsy she was being with the guy. He repeated his request. Gillian refused, even harder, this could go on all night. He stood up by the car, turned to his associates still skulking in the shadows and said the words "produce the weapon".
At this point time started to slow down and everything in my guts felt like it was trying to punch its way out. In my mind I could hear the future local news airing with the location, our descriptions, and our fate. It was inevitable, two more deaths wouldn't remotely be out of the question in this end of town, at this time of insane tension. "Produce the weapon!".
"No" I imagined I heard from the shadowy figures. There was a long pause. "Produce the weapon!!" he said. "No!" it came again. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Gillian and I were sitting there staring ahead looking nowhere but at the glare of the streetlights. Something was happening. Mr Produce The Weapon was getting irate. The shadowy guys just stayed in the shadows and for some reason one of them was refusing to bring out the gun.
We sat in the car still squarely dealing with the worst of the morbid possibilities, this strange shred of hope was a little too good to be true. He made the command for the gun again. Nothing. He stepped away from the open door and began crossing the road, his livid words spilling out of his mouth so fast it was indecipherable. An argument was ensuing.
Before I knew it she had the door shut, the engine running, and the car in motion and we were tearing down the road half expecting shots to fly or someone to step in front of us. The danger of the city remained all around us and our journey out of it was in silence, every movement spelt another possible threat. Shaking, seriously shaking, not quite wanting to believe we had escaped the danger. At a pace we weaved our way through the desolate streets and out onto the long roads and eventually near home gradually regaining the use of words, though there was nothing for me to say other than "I cant believe how you did that" and her saying "all I could think was - if anything happens to my dads car he's gonna kill me". Least of our worries.
This is what Im up to these days
I've been making my own records for some time now. Interspersed between these solo outings I've been working with people like The Freelance Hellraiser, the Amazing Pilots, Jacob Golden, Snow Patrol, The Ghears, Fionn Regan, Reindeer Section, Duke Special. These are a few of my compadres in the music making pursuit. I used to play guitar in Snow Patrol. I was stunned to receive an Ivor Novello award for my work on their album 'Final Straw'.
I made an album a couple of years ago called Flood The Tanks. It was first released on Belfasts own Brightstar Recordings and then re-released by PIAS Recordings in June 05. Some people wrote about it in music papers and magazines and said things like this...
"As good an advert for guitar rock interleaved with hushed excursions into spectral/pastoral pop as you'll hear this year." (Sunday Times)
"Fresh-faced, yearn along gems." (Q Magazine)
"Unassuming, but gripping." (Uncut)
"These songs are warm and soft to the core, practically blushing with melody, and Archer's fragile voice is sweet and delicious. Lovely." (Time Out)
And so I decided to write and record a new album which I finished in January this year. Its called Magnetic North and will be out in Sept 06.
Most shows at the minute are myself and matt jones on keys and assorted instruments. The band will also include Gavin Fox on bass and Che Albrighton on drums.
Ivor Novello Award winner Iain Archer releases a new single, SOLEIL / CANAL SONG, on limited 7" and digitally on PIAS/Wall Of Sound's We Love You imprint. To support the release Iain will be playing a residency for three Tuesdays in June 6th, 13th and 27th at The Enterprise in London where supports on the night will be hand picked by Iain; Findlay Brown, Jack Penate and Emmy The Great amongst others. The tracks are taken from Iain's forthcoming album MAGNETIC NORTH, which is scheduled for release in September. The single was produced by David Kosten (Faultline) and was recorded at Jacobs Studios, Farnham, Surrey and Mayfair Studios in Primrose Hill.
LINE UP
Iain Archer
DISCOGRAPHY
SOLEIL / CANAL SONG (END OF SENTENCE) (PIAS/Wall Of Sound>2006)
Soleil
Canal Song (End Of Sentence)
MAGNETIC NORTH (PIAS/Wall Of Sound>2006)
Canal Song (End Of Sentence)
Minus Ten
When It Kicks In
Collect Yourself
Soleil
Everything I've Got
Arriero
Frozen Northern Shores
Long Jump
Luke's Point
Lifeboat
MINUS TEN (PIAS/Wall Of Sound>2007)
Minus Ten
Little Lately (Demo)
When It Kicks In (Acoustic Version)
LINKS
FURTHER LISTENING
Snow Patrol
Elliot Smith
Grandaddy
Review date: February 2007 |
