ALMOND’S GOT IT COVERED ON DIVERSE NEW SOLO LP
Marc Almond has announced his solo return with a diverse new covers album, I’m Not Anyone, set for release on 12 July.
“A great song can never die and should always find a new life and audience,” says Almond about the record. “I can’t simply just sing any song; I have to feel that if I could, I would have written it myself – it’s just that someone else said it first, and far better than me.”
Lead single, Elusive Butterfly, finds
Marc revisiting Bob Lind’s esoteric 1965 folk classic, while the Paul Anka-penned title track is an emotional ballad about defiance and pride featuring Almond’s trademark emotive delivery.
Other highlights include interpretations of Don McLean’s powerful Chain Lightning and the Soft Cell singer’s duet with Bryan Chambers on a reworking of Mahalia Jackson’s gospel lament Trouble Of The World.
Marc adds: “I always approach curating an album of covers with a lot of joy as it means a year or so of listening to songs, old and new, making lists from which I add or subtract songs and in the process discover, or rediscover, some half-forgotten gems. Living now in Portugal, I’ve found the time to not only reflect on my life but to also rediscover my love for music and songs.
“I finally reached a selection of songs that express where I am in my life today and how I feel about the world and my place in it. These aren’t particularly storytelling songs (though for me, lyrics always come first) but more than ever this time I’ve gone for how a song makes me feel and the emotional resonance it holds – reflective songs for an older artist, perhaps.
“I don’t change a song too much, take it too far away from why I like it,” he continued. “Too much emphasis is made on reinvention. I like to think that
I’m bringing a song in a new light to my audience who might not have heard it before or haven’t considered it until they’ve heard me sing it. Then they may reevaluate it.
“I could go through the album song by song but that takes away the joy of how you may hear it, and to me what is important is the overall feel.”
I’m Not Anyone also features his interpretations of songs by artists including Blue Cheer, Marmalade, King Crimson, Colin Blunstone, Johnny Rivers and Neil Diamond.
Celebrating his 45th year in music, Almond follows the LP’s release with a UK headline tour in September. In the spirit of the new LP, the setlist will consist only of covers. He also tours with Jools Holland from October to the end of December.