A tiny memento of a crazy three weeks across Europe, from Rotterdam to Vienna and many beautiful places inbetween. In the company of the delightful Benni Hemm Hemm. Thanks to everybody who came to the shows, listened, bought records, showed kindness, and just said ‘hi’….
Belated 4* from MOJO magazine (March 2010)
Deceptively downhome 10 tracker, part-funded by the Scottish Arts Council
Fans of Viking Moses ‘Crosses’ and Sufjan Stevens ‘Seven Swans’ will warm to the rustic instrumentation and visionary undertow of Edinburgh’s Withered Hand. And at times on this impressive debut Dan Willson’s alter ego attains the celestial lustre of that holy grail of lapsed evangelical folk nouveau, the first Palace Brothers album. The individual lines which jump out on first hearing – from the sardonic “Why did Nirvana ever bother to play here?” to the frankly disconcerting “I beat myself off when i sleep on your futon” – settle back luxuriously on subsequent listens into beautifully constructed lyrical frameworks. And while Withered Hand may lack the commercial clout of previous Scottish Arts Council beneficiaries Snow Patrol and Belle and Sebastian, converts to his banjo-tinged brand of Caledonian gospel will sing its praises with a zeal worthy of John Calvin.
Ben Thompson
Here’s a wee video featuring ‘No Cigarettes’ (the You’re Not Alone EP version), spliced with footage taken at Fence Records’ Halloween Weekender 2009, by Forest of Black.
You may also be interested to hear that we’ve planned a few WH live appearances around the UK:
21/01/10 : BRIGHTON Hotel Pelirocco
22/01/10 : LONDON The Wilmington Arms, EC1 (SOLD OUT)
28/01/10 : ABERDEEN Peacock Visual Arts
29/01/10 : NEWCASTLE in-store @ RPM Records (5pm)
29/01/10 : NEWCASTLE Morden Tower
25/02/10 : LONDON Popfest @ Cafe Oto (w/ Rose Melberg!) – SOLD OUT
12/03/10 : ANSTRUTHER Fence Records’ Homegame Festival – SOLD OUT
18/03/10 : GLASGOW Mono
20/03/10 : EDINBURGH Limbo @ The Voodoo Rooms
25/03/10 : SHEFFIELD The Red House
26/03/10 : NOTTINGHAM Lee Rosy’s
… and in April, Dan goes to Europe for three weeks in support of Benni Hemm Hemm! Those dates to follow shortly.
If you’d like to arrange a WH show in your town, please get in touch! wh666 at withered hand dot com is the address.
Good News, Withered Hand’s first full-length album, was released through SL Records on September 14th. Isn’t that great news? Funded by the Scottish Arts Council, the album was recorded by Pete Harvey (The Leg) and produced by cult indie rock hero Kramer (Low / Galaxie 500 / Daniel Johnston).
“It is quite some time since a debut release has placed 10 such perfect songs back to back.” (The Herald, *****)
“Willson’s sing-a-long afflictions and satirical narratives are marvellous. ‘Lord… won’t you listen to me, your unfaithful servant’s filthy fucking language’, he importunes on ‘Love in the Time of Ecstasy’, a sonorous ‘so-what’ to the hereafter.” (The List, ****)
The album is available to buy NOW through the SL online shop and in surviving independent records shops near you.
