{"title":"The Zephyrs","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"for-sapphire-needle","title":"For Sapphire Needle","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Zephyrs release their brand new album \u003ci\u003eFor Sapphire Needle\u003c\/i\u003e, their first since 2010. With only 2018’s double A-side single “The Witches” and “The Crown Prince of Lies” in between, this represents their first collection of new songs in 13 years: from short and tightly constructed country-folk introspections to sprawling, spaced-out psychedelia, including a couple of extremely sharp pop glimmers and a killer Morricone-like instrumental. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginally conceived of as a series of 4 track EPs based on the seasons in which they were created, the recordings spanned into a patchwork of sessions with long-time collaborator and producer Michael Brennan at his Substation studio, neighbouring a naval port in Rosyth. The ongoing recording sessions were made possible with the kind support of Robert Dillam, drummer for The Zephyrs and ex-guitarist for Creation band Adorable. With songs ranging from short and tightly constructed country-folk introspections to sprawling, spaced-out psychedelia, what resulted was an album near to double length. The collection presented as “For Sapphire Needle” is a cut-down selection of these songs. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe record opens with “Leatherback”, a Crazy Horse inspired wall of distorted guitars drawing on lyrics from The Zephyr’s first album and pre-history, followed by the four songs earmarked for the first of the seasonal EPs – Winter – whose artwork was photographed in the alley behind Traceyann Campbell’s (Camera Obscura) house in Glasgow. Elsewhere on the album, “I tell you what” had much of its writing and recording initiated in a wooden shack near Aviemore and “Bolder” tells the story of overheard bar-side conversations and delayed flights in Denver airport, where lizard people live underground and some say the new world order lays dormant. The domestic depression of “How have you been today” precedes closing opus “Aliens”, inspired in equal measures by the maturation as social control science fiction of The Tripods and the schlock b-movie imagery of Rocky Erickson’s The Evil One. The album is the work of older and more consistent The Zephyrs. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStuart, David and Robert joined by collaborators: guitarist John Brennan and keyboardist Will Bates. The songs and sounds are sculpted out of slabs of time with friends at the Substation, a de facto weekly youth club for musicians who refuse to grow old. The triple bridges of Queensferry, the shipbuilding cranes of Rosyth docks and Babcock's shop - one of the few places in Scotland you can buy a real periscope over the counter - are just some of the backdrops as the Zephyrs rehearse for nobody but themselves. Yet, ever since Jean-Luc Picard himself told us that \"this is not a holiday\", it has become a unique and unbeatable way of peering up above the waterline, reinventing themselves and returning to the scene. Indeed with 10 songs in 46 minutes which wade across Gram Parsons and Big Star, Slowdive and spaghetti Western: folk, rock and shoegaze… as if they were trying to shorten the path to the California sky passing through Scotland and then Almería in Spain. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Acuarela","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50383763636555,"sku":"2005201","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/The_Zephyrs_-_For_Sapphire_Needle_354aa613_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726277180"},{"product_id":"fool-of-regrets","title":"Fool Of Regrets","description":"\u003cp\u003ethe stunning fifth album by edinburgh's psychedelic magicians, the zephyrs, their first release for five years. originally tipped by mogwai's stuart braithwaite, the zephyrs have recorded for mogwai's rock action label, spain's acuarela label and setanta, and now sign to club ac30 for 'fool of regrets'. starting as a solo album for stuart nicol, the recordings soon embraced the other members of the band and 'fool of regrets' began to take shape at diving bell lounge studio in glasgow, produced by michael brennan and marcus mackay, with a set of friends and guest players - mogwai's barry burns contributed richard manuel-esque piano, lisa jen brown, in the middle of a gruff rhys tour added backing vocals and gruff rhys sang harmony; and mary macmaster (contributor to sting's recent 'early music' project) played harp. the zephyrs do a beautiful and seemingly impossible thing - they manage to combine the epic grandeur of mogwai with the country-rock of gram parsons. the songs flow with a psychedelic, somnambulant ambience - country music in slow motion.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50470560432459,"sku":"330816","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/b79303c2-7d6b-438d-b51f-c7c9c8a3989a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727378594"},{"product_id":"the-witches-the-crown-prince-of-lies","title":"The Witches \/ The Crown Prince of Lies","description":"\u003cp\u003eOnce upon a time there was a band called The Zephyrs. They were regulars of the Scottish East Coast rock and roll scene, aguarantee of wit and energy. The Zephyrs’ first album, \u003ci\u003eIt’s OK Not To Say Anything\u003c\/i\u003e (1999), was released by a tiny label from Edinburgh and limited to 700 copies. In 2000, their friends of the notorious instrumental band Mogwai signed them up to their Rock Action roster of bands from Glasgow. It took Southpaw in 2001 to issue their LP, \u003ci\u003eWhen the Sky Comes Down It Comes Down On Your Head\u003c\/i\u003e, an appropriately fateful title; not because of the songs, which revealed a majestic orchestral rock and recalled This Mortal Coil, Bedhead or Low, but because Southpaw declared bankruptcy 1 week after it was released!! After that, Spanish label Acuarela released2 albums (their third \u003ci\u003eA Year to the Day\u003c\/i\u003e licensed to Setanta, and the fourth \u003ci\u003eBright Yellow Flowers on a Dark Double Bed\u003c\/i\u003e. They played festivals such as Primavera Sound and FIB, toured Spain and Portugal, and found a unique sound: a blend of their influences (intimate pop and country, noise-pop) which resulted in a perfect mix of Simon and Garfunkel \/ Mogwai \/ Mojave3 and Auburn Lull. Those albums were recorded by a band in constant change. The Zephyrs were a group with a membership always in transition, every recordreleased on a different label. In fact, their last release to date, \u003ci\u003eFool of Regrets\u003c\/i\u003e (2010), started off as a solo project and ended up accidentally reuniting The Zephyrs. It was released by Club AC30, a retro-shoegaze label from London connected to Rachel Goswell (Slowdive) and ex- Adorable guitarist Robert Dillam, now drummer for The Zephyrs. And now, after a silent 8 year period, The Zephyrs have started recording a brand new LP in a self-conscious approach of being a chaotic collaboration of musicians around Stuart Nicol’s songs. They return to Acuarela to offer a foretaste with double A-side single \u003ci\u003eThe Witches\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Crown Prince of Lies\u003c\/i\u003e. There is much of their spontaneous elegance (of clouds anticipating a storm) in their renewed pop that wades across Chris Bell and Gram Parsons, Slowdive and even Grandaddy, as if they were trying to shorten the path to the California sky passing through Scotland. The 2 songs flow thanks to a dim slow-motion psychedelia, sleepwalker pop glimmers, a sort of herding country music with a great melodic appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Acuarela","offers":[{"title":"7\"","offer_id":50497747517771,"sku":"1041222","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e211cf96-f97d-40cb-8ce5-d1ec28120aa7_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727731600"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/the-zephyrs.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}