STRAWBS REACH A SETTLEMENT
Dave Cousins says his veteran band prove they’re still fresh with latest LP.
Strawbs will release what they describe as “extraordinary” new album Settlement on February 21 via Cherry Red. Leader Dave Cousins notes that they’ve been releasing LPs for 51 years – but reports there’s still plenty to say. “I can’t think of another band who can go from metal grunge to the lilt of an Irish ghost story – or from a song in 6/8 time to singing in 4/4 over a 5/4 backbeat – in half an hour,” he argues.
He adds that the lyrics reflect the “political and social upheaval” of 2020, which saw the band working on the record remotely. “‘Once we went dancing through quicksilver days’, or ‘What the autocrats are selling you is sturm und drang’, or ‘All bear witness, come together, we are everyone’ – I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved,” he says.
Producer Blue Weaver oversaw the efforts of Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk, Dave Bainbridge, and Tony Fernandez from his studio in Germany. “Strawbs dusted off their instruments and set up the necessary technology to make it happen, ranging from state-of-the-art recording equipment to an ironing board!” he explains.
“It’s unprecedented that a recording of this quality could be made without a single face-to-face meeting. There comes a time when every Settlement is due!”
Guests on the 12-track follow-up to 2018’s The Ferryman’s Curse include vocalist Cathryn Craig, bassist Schalk Joubert and former Strawb John Ford.
For more information, visit www.strawbsweb.co.uk.