November Newsletter

 

WELL THEN! How are we all feeling at the end of a nippy November - unscathed? Apart from dry lips and a case of the auld "bassplayer's thumb" I'm doing fairly ok, mental disorders accounted for. Hope is well with you and yours - BUT THAT'S ENOUGH PLEASANTRIES! What have "Four Blokes" been up to in the 11th calender month of the Gregorian cycle? Read on, reader, read on...

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Reader's Digest

A new special feature, how very enthralling! After the release of our new gramaphone record "I've Settled on Molly" at the end of October, I was very eager to see how it would be received... would people welcome the new sound or would I receive death threats and molotov cocktails via Royal Mail! I have compiled comments on the new tracks from readers of this very newsletter - a cross section of society's greatest minds to be sure. Here's what you lot thought of it:

"I really like it -especially the bit about executive dysfunction and onward. It gets the Four Blokes American fanbase seal of approval." - Sadie, amateur poet

"I can’t help but think this is easily the Blokes' most expansive and mature release so far - excellent lyricism, especially in Muscovado - i’m glad i can actually make out what (the words) are now it’s been recorded. The breakbeat section in Molly is fantastic, I like how the spoken word is unaffected by the shift in texture underneath it" - Harvey, music student and part-time football manager

"Quite like MOLLY I wish there was more backing vocals going on - Muscovado, lovely catchy riff thing." - Tiago, purveyor of red wines and former member of Four Blokes

"Muscavodo is by far the highlight - what a phenomenal B-Side and what a brilliant song. I just think it has your best vocal performance, it’s so charming and whimsical, it makes you want to skip." - Charlie, Arsenal fan

"Genuinely might be your best work yet" - Tom, of the French Laundry

Also a brief excerpt from Rave Reviews' substack article on the release:

 "When it clicks, it really clicks. There are wonderful flourishes here - especially a disassociated, stumbling breakdown that loosens the whole track into something dreamlike before it swells into a thunderous, full-bodied close. It’s in these moments that the band’s bold genre-hopping ambition begins to excite.

It’s an imperfect but compelling first step into a new era."

All around pretty positive and multiple people reckon it's our best work yet - if you lot are happy I'm happy. Think we'll all have to go for a big biriyani meal and get a crate of Cobras in to celebrate the joy of being.

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At the beginning of the month I thought our lengthy search for a new drummer had finally ended when a fella at windmill seemed dead keen to join the band and even gave me his account on a "social media platform"! Upon finding this account I realised it was the drummer from The Orchestra (For Now) who've just been on a sold out UK tour as well as playing in European Swinger's Capital "Iceland". I put two and two together and realised he had actually been trying to pick me up and not join Four Blokes - which is why his opening line was "Who did you have to kill to get that hair?" (Kiki had to point out to me this was flirting I thought he was just being nice). Sorry mate I've got a wife! But good luck with the band. 

First actual activity of the month was laying down a drumtrack for "Galactically Enclined". The uni's studios are pretty hard to book so I took what I could get, with the very unfortunate side effect that I'd have to hang about drinking lovely pints of bitter and doing sneaky bumps in West London toilet blocks after class! Eventually the hour of my booking arrived and after a quick trip to Sainsbury's for some sweeties (you can't expect a man to lay down the rhythm track on an empty stomach" I got cracking. The major difference since the last session apart from being full of ale and ketamine was I'd learned you have to push the little "48V" button to power the condenser mics! Got a track down, Glyn Johns 3 mic set up as per, and head home to stare at the high high low ceiling.

Mucked about for a week or so then headed back in to tape the bass - now it was sounding like a hit gramophone record... the following day I was back in and once again behind the drumkit, although sober (funding issue). This was the first session for "Back on The Drink", the jazz instrumental that closes the album, so I got the auld brushes out and everything. According to my research jazz drumming is based around a repeated pattern on the ride so that's the sort of thing I did...

Writing...

Recording!

Sat down at the keyboard in my horrid little prisoncell and had a go at making a part for "Galactically Enclined"- got to have a few 7th chords haven't we lads. A little jazzy reprive from the suffering of days. I recently had it pointed out to me that I don't use my thumbs to play piano, I didn't realise you were supposed to - wonder if this has ever revealed itself in our tracks... the next day I went and dubbed it on at Tom's over a nice cold can of "Birra Moretti" which is an Italian lager from a macrobrewery, must say it's not as nice as lukewarm ale with bits of dust in it but it is a refreshing treat for a thirsty keyboard player - added a few freakout bits and all. We then went to Jaguar Shoes to drink expensive pints of house lager "Milk", I made a trade deal with the Soviets (BAG!) and see various bands including "Persuade".

Right ladies - one more recording session to NOTIFY YOU OF and then a few housekeeping bits to close. Up the stairs to the studio with my maraca 🪇 what are they playing at now! Added bass to Back on The Drink first using a tiiiiiny bit of tape manipulation to help me record the part - this worsened my "Bassplayer's Thumb" and they discovered me bleeding out on the floor of the studio - scranned a Crispy Mo and up and at em again. 

Whacked vocals on "Una Vida, Con Ella" which we recorded back in March in Tiago's little room that smelled of the flesh of mortals - first verse only took a few goes but I really must have been on duolingo to write that second one - whacked a little bit of Latin percussion on there which I may or may not use, you'll have to bloody listen to the album to find out won't you. Last activity of the day was vocals on Galactically Enclined, meaning it would be complete if only Tom had access to a bloody guitar! But yeah album coming on well IN GENERAL 10 tracks fully recorded, 2 nearly done and 2 left to start. I'd be able to give you a certain release date if only those last 2 weren't a piece for string quartet and a piece for sitar and tabla. It could be tricky but we LIVE IN HOPE! Apparently the fella from Dura Mater is sorting me a Sitar player but if he takes much longer I'll go on Fivver and send a fella on the banks of the Ganges my score - as for the strings I've got a man called Will on the job who is apparently going to find me a "non-zionist string quartet" at Trinity Labbats.

Well, it's been a while since i last spoke to you - and that's about all. That's about all. I ended the month with a weekend back in Southampton during which I meditated on it's role in my adolescence and growing up in dull suburbia where nothing much happened caused me to create an inner world and become a writer. Also saw my lovely wiiiiife! Anyways, that's about all. Please be notified that in December you'll receive TWO newsletters - an extra special one on Christmas day recapping the whole year complete with a few festive photographs, and then your regular monthly one new year's eve that'll briefly recap the month's events. That's about all.

Kindest winter warming wishes

Harry x