Mark Strong‘I Still Don’t Understand’, the debut album from ‘my grey horse’, released on 16th June and preceded by the single ‘Days Shall Follow’, is, according to the band, “In the most direct way possible, about ‘do you ever really learn anything?’, ‘do you ever change as a person’.”
“The sound of ‘I Still Don’t Understand’ was very important,” says Peter Butler, whose brothers John and Oobah are also in the band. “We wanted the instruments to sound honest and like the instruments they are, in the room they’re recorded in. This was all part of being true to the themes and songs of the album. We didn’t want anything to be over produced at all, so we recorded really quickly in an old cylindrical Hop Kiln in Hampshire onto analogue tape.”
“To me,” adds Oobah, “the record captures those moments when you’re aware that your life is about to change and, though it’s upsetting, there’s nothing you can do but enjoy those last drips of what it used to be. ‘I Still Don’t Understand’ isn’t an obituary, but instead a bittersweet celebration. Whether it’s in the sound or the sentiment, there’s warped optimism.”
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The Butler brothers are joined by close friends Joe Nicklin on drums and Tom Mott on bass. Their collective creative skills include an illustrator, an animator, a writer, and a film-maker, meaning that they are able to produce all of their own artwork and videos and have complete control over every artistic aspect of the band, which has enabled them to broaden their creative horizons.
“The album artwork is consciously trying to convey the atmosphere of the record, they’re completely related,” says John Butler, who designed the beautiful, thought provoking, cover sleeve. “The front cover in particular has a ‘calm after the storm’ feel; it’s a retrospective image that’s stained with lingering regret.”
‘my grey horse’ will be announcing a UK tour soon.
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