Letters I Haven't Written
Letters I Haven't Written, the seventh album by British singer-songwriter Gwyneth Herbert,[1] was released on 12 October 2018.[2] It was produced at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth and, like Herbert's previous album The Sea Cabinet, was crowdfunded.[3] The songs on the album, all written by Herbert, have been described as "exquisitely crafted".[4] On the subjects of "love, gratitude and protest",[5] they are about the lost art of letterwriting.[1][6] Reviewing the album for Jazzwise magazine, Peter Quinn said that "Letters I Haven't Written is by turns moving, thrilling and entrancing".[6]
Letters I Haven't Written | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 12 October 2018 (UK) | |||
Studio | Rockfield Studios, Monmouth | |||
Genre | Singer-songwriter | |||
Label | Monkeywood (MONKEYWOOD-03) | |||
Producer | Gwyneth Herbert | |||
Gwyneth Herbert chronology | ||||
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Singles from Letters I Haven't Written | ||||
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Music from the album was previewed in a touring show which Herbert and her band performed at UK venues in 2017.[7]
Production
The album cover features artwork by Julia Andrews-Clifford and a photograph of Herbert by Ian Wallman.
Track listing
- "Fishing for Squirrels" (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "More of Everything" (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "Reading My Breath Away" (Gwyneth Herbert/ Krystle Warren)
- "From Here to Over There" (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "Frosting on Your Windows" (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "You're Welcome" (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "Until the Dust Settles" (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "Tick Tock TICK" (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "Don't Call Me That" (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "And You Are..." (Gwyneth Herbert)
- "Not the Kind of Girl" (Gwyneth Herbert)
Songs
Herbert wrote "Not the Kind of Girl" for a screening, in 2010, of Marion Davies’ 1928 silent comedy classic The Patsy, at BFI Southbank's Birds Eye View Film Festival.[8] Ian Shaw covered the song on his 2017 album Shine Sister Shine.[9]
"You're Welcome" was inspired by the journey of the Windrush generation, the early migrants from the Caribbean who settled in the UK. It was released as a single in September 2018.[10]
Personnel
- Gwyneth Herbert – vocals, backing vocals, piano, ukulele, French horn, glockenspiel
- Sam Burgess – electric and acoustic bass, backing vocals
- Al Cherry – guitars, backing vocals
- Corrie Dick – percussion, drums, backing vocals
- Ned Cartwright – piano, keyboards, backing vocals
- Krystle Warren – vocals on "Fishing for Squirrels" and "From Here to Over There"
- Alice Zawadzki – strings
References
- Lake, Camilla (3 October 2018). "Communication of a meaningful message in song with album from Gwyneth Herbert". Hastings & St Leonards Observer. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- Herbert, Gwyneth (10 October 2018). "Why one musician is turning private letters into song". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- "Gwyneth Herbert – Letters I Haven't Written". Indiegogo. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- Quinn, Peter (26 December 2018). "Albums of the Year 2018". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- Fordham, John (12 October 2018). "What to see this week in the UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- Quinn, Peter (20 September 2018). "Gwyneth Herbert – Secret Stories". Jazzwise. No. 234. London. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- Gibson, Colin (27 October 2017). "LETTERS I HAVEN'T WRITTEN, Gwyneth Herbert at The Kino Teatr Nov 29th". Hastings Independent Press. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- Shipton, Alyn (12 March 2010). "Review: The Patsy/ Gwyneth Herbert". London Jazz News. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- Fordham, John (23 November 2017). "Ian Shaw: Shine Sister Shine review – beautiful homage to female vocal stars". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
- "You're Welcome – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 31 March 2020.