Anthony Reynolds releases the single ‘A Painter’s Life’ this month through Rocket Girl Records. It’s the title track from his forthcoming album released August 2nd 2019. Today we unveil the video which you can watch above.
‘A Painter’s Life’ is a sprawling opus, Reynold’s crumpled nicotine stained baritone opining for all the tragedy and majesty, beauty and ugliness of being an artist. Set against the backdrop of a squalling artful song that seers itself onto your skin with tumbling drums, samples and caustic guitars, it’s a glorious epic that sounds like it’s about to fall apart at any second but just about pulls itself back from the precipice. It features Rob Dean, ex Japan and Cool Cymru legend drummer Carl Bevan formerly of The 60FT Dolls.
Reynolds says: ‘I was Born’ is basically my homage to Gil Evans, “L.A. Tango” in particular. ‘Yves Saint Laurent’ could almost be a Japan out-take. I guess writing about Japan (for the biography I wrote on them; A Foreign Place) and getting to know the ex-members of that group rubbed off somewhat. I… uh, wanted to make Fretless Bass cool again…hehe.
The origins of the record are from an Opera I wrote about the Ghetto in Cardiff I grew up in. A Place called ‘Splott’. I tried to make the slums sound beautiful….. Someone has to, right?”
Anthony Reynolds was born in South Wales in the early seventies. Between 1993 and 2004 he was founding member of the groups Jack and Jacques, releasing five albums. Since 2004 he has released various albums and also worked as a writer, publishing four biographies which have been translated into 14 languages and two volumes of poetry which haven’t been translated at all. He has collaborated with the likes of Momus, Dot Allison, Peter Walsh (Scott Walker), Colin Wilson and Vashti Bunyan.
‘A Painter’s life’ is the title track of the album of the same name and the lead track of the ‘Smoking is my Life’ EP released today.
http://www.anthonyreynolds.net
