Séamus Foley announces his new EP ‘Into the Night’
13 October 2022
Newsdesk
UK-born Americana artist and acclaimed singer-songwriter, Séamus Foley announces his new 6-track EP, ‘Into the Night’ and re-releases the titular title track’s lockdown-filmed, remote collaboration video as a taster of his style and material. Further singles will be released before the ‘Into the Night’ EP drops in February 2023.
As Séamus explains, “This EP came about after I recorded the single (of the same name) remotely during lockdown. I realised I wanted to further explore these ways of recording, which were new to me, to see where this group of songs could go. “I had enjoyed working with Miles and the musicians on the first recording so much and it was very exciting. Most of the arrangements came easily and the recording process was lots of fun, as well as an interesting challenge.
“All the songs on this recording deal with struggle in some form, whether complex feelings of loss or longing or more simple affairs like the call of the road or having writer's block. I’ve always been amazed when a song I hear manages to articulate something that I’ve been feeling, and that’s a piece of magic that I’d love to be able to embed in my work: to capture a feeling that people can relate to.”
‘Into the Night’ feels steeped in Americana, though Séamus himself was born in Manchester to an Anglo/Irish family. The UK has been adding homegrown artists to Americana and Country in recent years, who’ve got a love of the forms, their own takes on them and are adding to creatively to the genres. As with Séamus. As can be seen in the remotely filmed session, CJ Hillman’s sweet, haunting pedal steel guitarwork opens ‘Into the Night’, doubling up with CJ’s electric guitar and interweaving with Séamus’ deft acoustic guitar fingering so that the cleverly interwoven hook snags you, then tugs you right into the vivacious melody, with subtle initial percussion touches from Lee Smith on drums, leading into a catchy, foot-tapping rhythm. Tom Collison provides pleasing piano & Hammond organ and Stuart Taylor, solid bass underpinnings. The parts, including double duties, weave together into a seamless whole, to which Séamus — also multitasking — bringing his slightly husky but expressive and engaging vocals to the party, bringing his lyrics to life.
“I’ve been recording using a mixture of live and remote techniques,” he reveals. “The process has opened my eyes to the ease, if you have the right musicians, of getting sessions done remotely. Lockdown did me a favour in that sense – I’ve learned the value of doing things differently.”
The ’Into The Night’ EP’s track list brings together six original songs: ‘Into The Night’; the slow-building but satisfying ‘Letters To Victoria’; the haunting, folk-sounding ‘Black & White’; the wanderlust, resonant voice and layered guitar road trip of ‘Colorado Skies’; the languid lyrical imagery of ‘Ground’; and the rolling, full-voiced self-reflection of ‘Old Rivers Flow’, complete with acoustic guitar and harmonica-like keys (all c/o Séamus).
Séamus describes his music as a mixture of several different styles, all essentially based around the guitar. “I grew up listening to a wide variety of music,” he explains, “and I have never been drawn towards being a purist of any particular genre. It’s folk, rock n’ roll, country, pop, blues and more but none of those things in their original form. Being able to mix and change styles has always been part of who I am as a songwriter.”
Get a taste of that from Séamus Foley’s ‘Into the Night’ video re-release and listen out for further releases from his excellent 6-track EP.
