Withered Hand – dressed as Kenny’s sister, Pamela.
It’s coming to the end of the year, and instead of resting on our laurels, we want to warm up your cockles with some news about an impending set of releases on Fence Records in 2012.
We like putting things into sets, we do. Remember the Squeezebox Set? Remember Picket Fences, Fencezines and Secret 7’s? Yup, well NOW we’re putting together a series of 7” vinyl EP’s, showcasing a selection of Fence names old and new. Set your record player to 33⅓ rpm, because here comes …
F3NC3 R⅓CORDS’ CHART RUSE !
(it’s called that because the artwork is going to incorporate a collage of charts & maps, and it’ll be done in a delicious chartreuse colour … JUST GO WITH IT)
Each E.P. will collect 3 songs by an artist, and contain a remix by a Fence Collective member. They will initially be released on 7” vinyl only, but will also come with a means of downloading the tracks. HOWEVER, in inimitable Fence-styleee, the download codes will not become active until a certain amount of copies have sold! Ooh, incentive, children!
As if that wasn’t perverse enough … not all of the tracks will be downloadable, either! The remix on each EP will stay vinyl only, until such time as we decide to compile them all, digitally. OOH.
How can you get a-hold of these CHART RUSE E.P.’s?
1) SUBSCRIPTION. This would make an EXCELLENT Xmas present. If you subscribe, or subscribe on someone’s behalf, we will send out 3 different E.P.’s over the course of 6 months. You’ll also be put on a special mailing list that will entitle you to cheaper tickets for EP launch shows, other Fence gigs, and discounts on select releases over that period. Subscription to the 3 E.P. set costs just £18 – and that is INCLUSIVE OF POSTAGE!
>> YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE RIGHT NOW BY CLICKING HERE!
2) LAUNCH PARTIES. Each E.P. release will be marked with a special launch party. Every ticket holder can exchange their ticket stub at the end of the night for a free copy of the E.P. – how good is that?! Subscribers will already have their EP, so they can get into the gig for a MUCH MUCH cheaper price. Ooh.
3) SELECT SHOPS. After the launch parties, subject to availability, we’ll have a very limited batch on sale in our favourite indie shops – as well as the Fence webshop, and live shows.
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SO … who is going to be in the first series? WELL … we’re not going to give all that away right now, you’ll have to trust us. But we can reveal that the first EP in the series is by WITHERED HAND. This will be released, officially, on February 3rd 2012.
Dan Willson, aka Withered Hand, is no stranger to Fence. Over the past few years he’s played every Fence live event under the sun – various Home Games, Away Game, Hallowe’en parties, HaarFest, Karail, HottLoggz … THE WORKS. Our very own King Creosote produced his EP You’re Not Alone back in 2009, a joint release on Fence and SL Records. The EP contained a version of his song ‘No Cigarettes’ which was cemented into all our hearts and minds with a seminal video by Forest Of Black. Withered Hand’s debut album Good News came out on SL that same year, and has seen Dan touring it around the UK, Europe and America.
Now Dan has returned to Fence with an EP of his strongest material to date. Three songs recorded as part of a session with singer-songwriter and all-round indie legend Darren Hayman (he of Hefner fame). Lead track, ‘Heart Heart’, is a rollicking pop-stomp, replete with shouty refrain, and a racing piano chime that will keep the ol’ ticker going. ‘My Struggle’ keeps the pace up, with a knee-raising bounce and surf-pop tilt reminiscent of early B-52’s. Flipping to the B-Side ‘Gethsemane’, WH turns the lights down low and gently sighs one of his most touching ballads. What a smooothie.
Fellow Fence Collective member, Rozi Plain, coos and screams backing vocals on all three tracks to heart-heart-warming affect. Completing the Fence circle of love is King Creosote, who provides the all-important remix. His ‘Heart Rave Heart’ is a sinister cousin to the title track – just you wait for the drop!
