Strange Boy announce their debut album, Love Remains

Commenting on the inspiration for the single, Brunt says: “The song is a little fictional vignette I came up with when I visited Boston some years ago. I went to the Harvard Art Museum and came across a Picasso painting from his 'Blue Period', and then did a very long walk down to the ICA gallery in Boston. I get lots of ideas for songs in art galleries, and wrote the lyrics while wandering round a photography exhibition.”

Expanding on the musical direction, he adds “The opening is an organ synth reference to Benjamin Britten's Sea Interludes, that then grows into a big cinematic soundtrack which I imagined might be playing in the character's head – or in their headphones – as they wander aimlessly downtown after a difficult break-up.”

“At very short notice I had to leave the studio space I had been using and forced to look for somewhere to move to in London to write in no time at all. The only place I could find ended up being the crypt of a Victorian church. I moved in very quickly, with just one day to sweep up the dust and the dead birds, fix the doors and touch up the paintwork, before I loaded in all of my synths, microphones etc and got set up. The space is a little spooky but very atmospheric, and the sonic imprint of the room is definitely audible in the vocal takes, which were all done down there," Brunt explains.

"I spent a lot of time working on the songs at the piano up in the Church's beautiful neo-gothic main space. Having sung a lot in churches when I was younger, it was funny to have gone full circle and make the debut Strange Boy album in one; I suppose it makes perfect sense, really. Working with Jack Warne on the artwork we decided to make church objects and surroundings integral to the imagery of the album. The first time we present these songs live will be in the church, in an intimate candlelit performance with organ and harmonium."

Tracklist:

1. Boston Blue Period
2. Follow The News
3. Oscar’s Song
4. Drunk In Iceland,
5. Whipping Boy
6. (I Count The Fleeing Hours)
7. Annunciation
8. Sofia
9. November Skies (feat. Anna B Savage)
10. 100,000 Fireflies
11. Love Remains