Cashmere if you can
May 14 '10
Chris Difford’s new album ‘Cashmere If You Can’ will be released song by song over the next few months. The track list is:
1. 1975
2. Like I Did
3. The Still And The Sparkling
4. Back In The Day
5. Sidney Street
6. Cottontops
7. Upgrade Me
8. Who’d Ever Want To Be
9. Passion Killer
10. Goldfish
11. Wrecked
12. Happy Once Again
‘Cashmere If You Can’ is produced by Leo Abrahams and engineered by Cameron Craig (Paolo Nutini, Duffy, Placebo, U.N.K.L.E.)
Here’s the latest Press Release for Chris Difford’s new album:
The new album by Chris Difford
Songs Available in instalments from May via Saturday Morning Music Club*
First single ‘1975’ Available May 15th
Chris Difford has cemented his position as one of Britain’s premier songwriters with his eye for detail, turning even the grittiest observations into pithy vignettes with his dexterous and witty wordplay. On his new album ‘Cashmere If You Can’ – his third as a solo artist – Chris frequently turns his ever-watchful eye on himself for an album that is uncharacteristically autobiographical, but typically frank.
Opener ‘1975’ sets the tone, with a polished glam-rockabilly riff over propulsive drums while the lyrics recount the story of a young man forming a band in South London – seemingly to great success, but, as has been Chris’ way right from Squeeze’s earliest days, with a devastating sting in the tail – “I threw away a family, a fortune and a wife”. Would he trade it all in for the chance to be young and naïve again? “Sounds like I’m complaining, but I’m happy to be here. It’s been a pleasant journey” he tells us – but throughout the album these conflicting references continue. Would the real Mr Difford please stand up!?
Although the album isn’t nostalgic, much of it is focused on Chris’ maturation – where once he wrote he “never thought it would happen with … the girl from Clapham”, now he’s almost proud as he watches his children run around making the exact same mistakes (‘Like I Did’). ‘Back In The Day’ remembers the Chris whose cockney affectations in ‘Cool For Cats’ made living for the weekend seem so attractive. Throughout the album Chris imbues his songs with some heartbreaking truths, yet his deftness of touch, along with some instantly memorable melodies and choruses, prevents them becoming maudlin. ‘Goldfish’ – a duet with Kathryn Williams – describes a relationship breaking down by focusing not on vague emotions but on the petty trivialities and modern-day pitfalls that will be recognisable to anyone, while the ‘Girl From Ipanema’-esque strains of ‘Upgrade Me’ confront preparing for death and the afterlife by comparing it to the mundane requests of an air traveller.
Written with unflinching candour, ‘Sidney Street’ is a heartfelt, piano-led paean to his grandfather going off to war, a chilling reminder of just how different his life could have been if he’d been born in a different generation. Closing track ‘Happy Once Again’ sees Chris accepting a long-term relationship end with good grace – perhaps addressing himself. Having posed a lot of questions and contradictions throughout the album, this song seems to be the final resolution. Chris has always had a smart social conscience; these songs see him coming to terms with himself and his past, laying ghosts to rest.
As an artist, Chris has never been so vibrant. Although Chris is often noted for his lyrics – having won two Ivor Novello Awards – his baritone voice has rarely sounded so rich as it does here. As well as regular collaborator Boo Hewerdine, Chris has enlisted the services of Leo Abrahams, who has produced or written with Brian Eno, David Byrne, Brett Anderson, David Holmes and Carl Barat. The results have energised his music and given the whole album a rock-pop sheen reminiscent not just of Squeeze at their best or The Kinks but also shows the contemporary likes of Brendan Benson, Supergrass and Razorlight – all of whom owe a debt to Chris – how it’s done.
*The release of ‘Cashmere If You Can’ will be the first of its kind. Although it will be released on CD later this year, from May fans will be able to download the album track-by-track on a weekly basis through the new innovative digital distribution venture ‘Saturday Morning Music Club’, created by Chris and his manager. Over the course of a 10-week period, a ‘cluster’ of media will be delivered direct to fans’ desktops each Saturday morning, either to stream from the app or to burn onto CD: the week’s lead album track, 2 b-sides, videos, photos, lyrics and notes – just for one overall price. For Chris, “it’s not an album, it’s an experience … I’d love to bring that excitement of rushing to the record shop every Saturday back to music.”
The album’s release method reflects Chris and ‘Cashmere If You Can’ perfectly – at once looking back, while at the same time forging ahead bravely. As he sings on ‘Back In The Day’; “I’m still living my improbable dream!”
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Saturdays, like before
May 14 '10
irst release announced
The innovative new digital distribution service SMMC Media is set to launch its first venture, the Saturday Morning Music Club later this month. Set to enhance the way we buy and listen to music online, Saturday Morning Music Club is a big step forward in how an artist can connect with and reward their fans.
The first release will be Squeeze man Chris Difford’s new solo album Cashmere If You Can, although other artists and releases will be announced through the year.
With Difford’s Saturday Morning Music Club, the premise is simple: once you sign up for it, you receive one chapter a week every Saturday morning for the duration. As well as the week’s lead track from the album, each chapter comes complete with a “cluster” of media: 2 b-sides, a video, photos, lyrics and song notes, gradually building up a whole library of music and content. This all comes for only one price. All the content is delivered straight to a single desktop application, which will allow users instant access to the music and other media, in an engaging and interactive way – and unlike other desktop services such as Spotify, this can then be saved to the computer or transferred to portable devices. Media content will not be DRM-protected. Latecomers to the Saturday Morning Music Club need not worry about missing out on previous weeks’ releases as once material is made available it stays that way.
For ‘Cashmere If You Can’, pre-orders for the set will begin on Saturday 15th May. The pre-order will come with an immediate download of the app, and include the ‘Introduction’ – which is the first cluster of content, and includes the album’s lead single ‘1975’.
Chapter One will include ‘Like I Did’.
Chapter Two – ‘The Still And The Sparkling’ on June 5th.
Chapter Three – ‘Back In The Day’ on June 12th.
Chris Difford is thrilled to be launching the new service: “Its not an album, it’s an experience … Like in my childhood, the excitement of rushing to the record shop every Saturday … I’d love to bring that feeling back to buying music.”
The idea came about after collaboration between Difford’s manager Matt Thomas – a former Universal and Warner Bros marketing executive, and boutique application design agency G-Raff. For Thomas, “this started out as a fun idea to get around the lack of physical distribution outlets, and to take the artist/fan relationship to the next level in a creative and more intimate way. It turns out that quite a lot of people are interested in using it. For the unsigned artist with a good fanbase, or small label, it’s a pretty cool addition to the mix. We’re not trying to replace existing distribution outlets, just add to them. Incremental sales are good sales. Direct to fan is even better”.
The engine and software behind SMMC Media are incredibly versatile; the app is customisable and can be changed and skinned to suit individual artists branding and artwork requirement. Delivery can be timed content or one time only – for singles or EP’s. Deployment is simple, straightforward and quick.
www.smmcmedia.com
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Love
Sep 21 '09
Its Monday,
There is nothing to report, apart from the following, im writing for my next album and organising more touring for next year. Next week i play in Nottingham but there is not much else in the book. Squeeze are festival bound again next which will be fun, but no new recordings as far as i can tell. Its been a good summer, its still here which is very nice. I love writing and more than ever im pushing the boat out to write about life in an up tempo kind of a way. All good people come together in the end, whats meant to be is and im happy and very grateful to have such great friends and followers. When i have nothing more to report i will let you know.
keep coming back
Cx
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Brighton
Apr 28 '09
The whole touring crew got together for a nice lunch after a very early sound check, the reason being that our venue was in a picture house The Duke of York, they show films all day hence the 10am sound check. Our lunch lasted most of the afternoon and then onto the beech for some tea and cakes, it was a lovely day in the sun on the prom with Ella her man Dan, Buddy and his man, Dorie and his man Jim, John and Emily, myself and Em. The show itself was very kindly filmed by a friend from Eastbourne, and amazingly for the first time on the whole tour every song was in time and locked with the films, I was over the moon. The audience were thin on the ground but the feeling was one of love. A great way to end a massive tour like this, I'm getting into this touring lark now after over thirty years and thousands of shows for some reason it now all makes sense weather you make money or not, its what I do. And its what I'm good at. It was sad to say good night to everyone but the party is over and life carries on.
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Barton Upon Hull
Apr 28 '09
A great show, what a swing from last night, nice people great sound, small but full venue, tidy and clean. A good curry, our last of the tour. In the car and home. A big day, with local ice cream as well. John is from Hull, he looked wistful as we crossed the bridge with the chocolate river.
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Hebden Bridge
Apr 28 '09
What a drive, over five hours in the car, I was covered in chocolate peanuts that melted down my by crutch, not a nice sight. Peter Kay came to see us play, sadly he was bothered by local young drunks and he had to leave before the end, I was so upset. Our show was dusty and nervous again, well being on stage in front of Peter and me trying to make people laugh it was never going to be easy. He introduced us. He said….the man who put the fun in the word Funeral, the man who when he played Madison Square Garden never imagined he would end up here, welcome to the stage, if you can call it that, Mr ….. and so on. I laughed so much I could not sing for the first two verses of Cowboys. A third of the way through the set I heard Peter shout at the drunks, hey, he said, listen to the turn, what do you think this is a boot fair, and then he was gone. Then we were gone to our hotel across the street for some sleep, it was a long drive. Thanks to the Police man who made sure we found the hotel ok.
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