Blake Shelton – Some Straight Up Lost Love
“The thing that struck me about ‘Texas’ immediately was how different it sounded for me, and I’m always looking to push myself,” said Shelton. “I think there’s something really special about this record and important for me.”
The song finds a man left in the dust by a free-spirited woman who has no clue where she has gone but speculates that she’s probably in Texas. It’s wrapped up in classic Texas charm, with a catchy call-and-response that invites listeners to sing along.
Written by Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock, Josh Dorr & Lalo Guzman, ‘Texas’ is Shelton’s debut for BBR MUSIC GROUP/BMG NASHVILLE and Wheelhouse Records. The song is produced by Shelton’s longtime, award-winning producer, Scott Hendricks.
“This is the perfect opportunity to come back with something so different, and it easily felt like it should be the first single,” said Shelton. “It’s connected with what I’ve done but moves forward at the same time, and it’s the perfect start to the next chapter of my career.”
With 29 #1 singles, Shelton recently topped the charts with Post Malone and the smash hit “Pour Me A Drink.”
On November 20, Shelton will take ‘Texas’ to the stage of Jimmy Kimmel Live for an interview and outdoor stage performance of the song.
With 29 #1 singles, 52 million singles and 13 million albums sold and nearly 11 Billion Global Streams, Shelton has received numerous awards, including six ACMs, three AMAs, ten CMAs, 11 CMTs and six People’s Choice, among many others.
Shelton has a wide array of shows in 2025, with his “Live In Las Vegas” Residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The residency will occur on February 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, and 15. His “Friends And Heroes” Tour will Kick off February 27 in Lexington, KY, and feature Craig Morgan, Deana Carter, Trace Adkins and Emily Ann Roberts.
The Grand Ole Opry member also remains focused on his Ole Red partnership with Ryman Hospitality, with locations currently in Tishomingo, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Orlando, and most recently, Las Vegas, with a stand-alone venue complete with a roof-top stage and bar on the Las Vegas strip.
JELLY ROLL & LAINEY WILSON – Nominations for 2025 GRAMMYs®
BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville Continues Monumental Year with Nominations for 2025 GRAMMYs®
BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville are proud to celebrate a trio of nominations for the 2025 GRAMMYs® with Jelly Roll earning two nominations for his latest Stoney Creek Records/BMG Nashville/Republic’s #1 single “I Am Not Okay” and reigning Best Country Album of the year winner Lainey Wilson returning to the category with her latest Whirlwind.
Jelly, now a four time GRAMMY® Nominee, saw his ode to mental health “I Am Not Okay” secure a Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song nomination. BMG Publishing is elated to see their writer Jelly Roll procure the two aforementioned nominations. In addition, Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II also saw a nomination for Song of the Year for “Die with a Smile” (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars).
Jelly Roll nominations:
Best Country Solo Performance – “I Am Not Okay”
Best Country Song – “I Am Not Okay”
Lainey Wilson nomination:
Best Country Album – Whirlwind
BMG Publishing nominations:
Best Country Solo Performance – “I Am Not Okay” – Jelly Roll
Best Country Song – “I Am Not Okay” – Jelly Roll
Song of the Year – “Die with a Smile” (Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars) – Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II
JELLY ROLL: Award-winning, GRAMMY® nominated Nashville native singer/songwriter Jelly Roll (Jason DeFord) bowed at #1 on the Billboard 200 All Genre Chart for the first time with his acclaimed 2024 album, Beautifully Broken—which also earned the highest critical praise of his career so far from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Associated Press, NPR, and more. The release concluded his most successful year yet and followed his sold out Beautifully Broken Tour in arenas nationwide.
Just a year earlier, Jelly debuted Top 3 on the Billboard 200 All Genre Chart and #2 on the Top Country Album charts with his debut Country Album, Whitsitt Chapel (released June 2nd, 2023) – earning the biggest Country debut album in Billboard Consumption Chart history. Following his sweep at the 2023 CMT Music Awards where he earned three awards to become the most awarded artist of the night, the Billboard Country Power List Cover star and “country’s ‘most authentic’ new artist” (The New Yorker) received Billboard’s 2023 Breakthrough Award and the People’s Choice Award for Male Country Artist of the Year. Nominated for Best New Artist and Best Duo/Group Performance for “Save Me (with Lainey Wilson)” at the 2024 GRAMMY® Awards, along with eight genre-spanning nominations at the 2024 iHeartRadio Awards and a win for Best New Country and Pop artist, Jelly is one of three artists alongside Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs to have scored three Country Airplay #1s in 2023 and the first to do it with his first three singles. He has earned six consecutive #1s to date at Country radio and is “one of Nashville’s fastest rising stars” (The New York Times). A 4X winner at the 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards and the most nominated male at the 2023 CMA Awards, with five total nominations capturing his first CMA Award for New Artist of the Year, Jelly continues to break boundaries. His #1 hit single “Save Me” — a confessional, vulnerable expression of self-doubt— set the stage for his new season of life and took him to new heights including a Platinum certification from the RIAA on the heels of his 28-week reign at No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and earned Jelly his first ACM win for Music Event of the year. He released his new album Beautifully Broken on October 11, topped the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, and earned the star two Grammy® nominations – for Best Country Song and Best Solo Country Performance.
Not just an artist but a humanitarian, Jelly continues to resonate with fans on a global scale while racking up numerous milestones – from playing his sold-out hometown show for 18,000 fans at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to donating a recording studio at the juvenile detention center he served in as a teen, to the release of his record-breaking documentary by ABC News, “Save Me” – the most watched music documentary on the platform – to his visits with rehab centers and those incarcerated across the US. Featured by Nightline, GMA, GMA3, The New York Times, LA Times, The Tennessean, Billboard, Variety, American Songwriter, CMT and more, his self-built, unconventional industry rise and unique fan connection has garnered praise from numerous outlets, with Variety noting, “for everyone who’s facing the same struggles, Jelly Roll is their Springsteen,” and American Songwriter echoing, “with a string of accolades and an extremely dedicated following, Jelly Roll has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.”
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK | X
LAINEY WILSON: GRAMMY® award winning, prolific singer-songwriter, Lainey Wilson has earned the enthusiasm and praise of the industry. Critically acclaimed and touted as ‘Entertainer of the Year,’ the Louisiana native who has often been described as a “bona fide storyteller at work,” has made a name for herself as a next generation icon. Constantly defying the traditional norms and conventions of the Country music genre, Wilson’s “rulebreaking” achievements have led her to numerous accolades and a diehard fanbase.
Nearly 10 years to the day after leaving her small farming community in a camper trailer to chase her dreams in Nashville, she earned her first PLATINUM certified song, with “Things A Man Oughta Know,” and won over legions of fans across the globe with her signature sound and aesthetic, blending traditional Country with a modern yet retro flare. Thus far, her music has taken her worldwide with headlining shows in Europe, the UK, Australia, and more. With seven No.1 songs to date, Wilson has become the lead female artist with the most No.1’s this decade along with two GRAMMY® nominations, nine ACM awards, seven CMA awards, and becoming an official member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Making her acting debut in Season 5 of Paramount’s smash hit series Yellowstone, Wilson has become a triple-threat in the industry, claiming the roles of singer, songwriter, and actress. Fans can also catch Wilson on her “Country’s Cool Again” headlining North American tour this Summer and pre-order/pre-save/pre-add her forthcoming studio album, Whirlwind, now. For more information, please visit laineywilson.com.
French Horn Rebellion – Brahms And Beats
French Horn Rebellion (FHR) is a delightfully bizarre indie electro-funk project led by Milwaukee-born brothers Robert and David Perlick-Molinari.
Known for combining dance-punk, French touch and electro-pop sensibilities, FHR has carved a niche in the music world that’s simultaneously fresh and classic.
The story began in 2007, when Robert, then a college student studying French horn performance at Northwestern U, was balancing days filled with Brahms and nights filled with electro beats and house parties. Finding more joy in creating electronic dance music than in classical recitals, he teamed up with his brother David, a talented producer fresh off working on MGMT’s Time to Pretend EP. What started as a playful “rebellion” against the classical world soon grew into a full-fledged movement, blending genres and uplifting dance floors worldwide.
Now, more than a decade in, FHR boasts three full-length albums, numerous EPs, and countless collaborations that have taken their live DJ and band performances across five continents. Their unique sound and ethos have attracted collaborations with some of the most influential names in indie and electronic music, (official remixes for Beyoncé, Sia, Two Door Cinema Club) as well as recognition from major media outlets like The New York Times, Billboard, and The Huffington Post. The LA Weekly lauded them as the kind of band America “needs a million of,” while The Guardian praised their work as “killer dance-pop.”
Today, Robert and David continue to innovate from their Brooklyn-based studio complex, YouTooCanWoo, which boasts 4 beautiful studio rooms, and a 100-cap private event space, where they also manage toucan sounds, an alternative house and disco label.
Their new EP Brothers is a special four track nostalgic collection celebrating their long time friendship, artistic collaboration and growing up together. Brothers also discusses an important theme: toxic masculinity. Robert of the band confides, “being brothers we sometimes hide from our feelings behind being ’tough.’ That said, the bond of brothers is deep. When we get to the other side, I imagine our brothers will be the first to greet us in the afterlife with open arms. “
Join the “rebellion” and dance like no one’s watching.
Robin Guthrie – A Rich Crucible
Following up his luminous ‘Atlas’ EP, released this summer, legendary Scottish songsmith Robin Guthrie is back to kiss off 2024 with his new ‘Astoria’ EP, released via his Soleil Après Minuit imprint.
Delivering another four powerful and captivating instrumentals recorded earlier this year, ‘Astoria’ takes further inspiration from his post-pandemic travels and produced in his studio in Bretagne.
A rich crucible of sound packed into four tracks, Guthrie takes the listener on a peaceful and contemplative journey of dreamy and atmospheric instrumentals. Like a Part 1 and Part 2 of his 2024 output, ‘Astoria’ and ‘Atlas’ represent Guthrie’s first output since 2021, a prolific year that marked the end of a nine-year hiatus with the release of his ‘Pearldiving’ album and three EP’s – ‘Mockingbird Love’, ‘Riviera’ and ‘Springtime’.
“My EP ‘Astoria’ picks up where my release ‘Atlas’ had set off towards – a conclusion of a journey, like an arrival at a far-off destination. I enjoy the continuity, and the EP format allows me to express these ideas in an episodic form,” says Robin Guthrie.
Nearly 45 years since founding legendary dreampop / ethereal wave band Cocteau Twins, Robin Guthrie has certainly been its most prolific member, offering a steady and stellar stream of material over the years with a production style and signature guitar sounds that have shaped multiple genres and generations.
Guthrie’s approach to music is akin to that of a painter or a photographer. The adept use of light and shade, melody and counter melody, the carefully and precisely arranged instrumentation, musical textures and colorings gives his music a depth and level of detail which marks a master craftsman.
In his time, Guthrie’s output includes film soundtracks and collaborated with many outstanding people, the latest impactful release happening with 2021’s ‘Another Flower’ with Harold Budd, released just a few days before Budd’s untimely passing. They had also jointly composed the film scores for Gregg Araki’s ‘Mysterious Skin’ and ‘White Bird in a Blizzard’. Other notable collaborators include John Foxx, Mark Gardener, Telefon Tel-Aviv, Eraldo Bernocchi and Jay Jay Johanson.
He has produced and remixed countless artists, including Lush, The Veldt, A.R.Kane, Dif Juz, Chapterhouse, Felt, Mahogany and Violet Indiana, which he’d formed with Siobhan de Maré in 1999. More recently, Guthrie worked with Heligoland, Jack Colwell, Resplandor, Fawns of Love, Ummagma, Hatchie and Tamaryn.
The ‘Astoria’ EP is out now, available on CD and also digitally from fine platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where Guthrie’s rich back catalogue can also be found. Released via Soleil Après Minuit, the EP is distributed in North America via The Orchard and in Europe by Cargo.
TRACK LISTING
1. A Most Remarkable Woman
2. Starting Fires
3. Jura
4. Smoulder
CREDITS
Written and performed by Robin Guthrie
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Robin Guthrie at his studio in Brittany
Album cover by Robin Guthrie
Released by Soleil Après Minuit
Product Code SM2402
EAN: 0767461008876
Robin Guthrie photos by Violette Guthrie and Jeanne Aimon
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
The Lines – A Unique Energy
Unapologetically Scottish, The Lines are a post-Brexit, alt-indie sensation who write music for those who don’t, nor want to improve themselves and flirt with unresolved expectations.
Following the basic tenants of indie rock, but with unique aspects of our wide range of influences interwoven, this presents in elements of rhythmic beats, funk, and more traditional rock solos.
In every live performance we hope to demonstrate to, and include the audience in, our chemistry as a band and as friends. With our passion, driving rhythms, melodic chords, and unique energy, are certain to pull any fan to the front of the barrier!
New single ‘Just See Grey’ will be released 22/11/24
at 00:00 GMT across all streaming platforms.
Previous singles ‘Heart Soup’, ‘Wah Wah Lightning’, ‘Ephitet’ and ‘Pete The Punter’ have been influential in building a platform for the band. All 4 releases received favourable feedback and reached a global radio audience with airplay and streaming numbers both rising in considerable numbers. In such a short time the band have increased their visibility and already have support slots under their belt with the likes of Triple G Music and Scruff of the Neck backing them, and following their 1st sold-out show in the Garage Attic, Glasgow, they have been invited to play the Garage main hall supporting Hard-Fi later this month, which will be their biggest show to-date! Their name is on the radar up and down the country as one of the freshest and most exciting young bands on the scene!
“Just See Grey sees a tale of change, and how a life once filled with thrill and excitement can be swiftly dulled through the catalyst of disappointment and loss. How the once hidden truth of betrayal can question one’s lifestyle, morals and capacity to trust” – The Lines
Written by Harry Gallacher, Marc Sermanni,
Michael Macgee and Sam Lamb.
Recorded/ Produced by Roddy McIlwraith
Pre-save link
https://emubands.ffm.to/justseegrey
Sun Atoms – A Genre-Defying Fusion
Portland psychedelic gaze-wave outfit Sun Atoms present their sophomore album ‘Everything Forever’, was released on November 8 via Little Cloud Records.
Meticulously crafted with cosmic energy, their magnum opus features notable guest appearances by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, Jasno Swarez of The Vandelles, and Lauren Andino of Tremours, amongst others.
This sophomore album realizes the promise that was there in the debut not only musically, but in a sacred sense. This album gets between the ears, then heads south down past the brain and into the heart.
Sun Atoms is made up of vocalist Jsun Atoms (The Upsidedown, Daydream Machine), producer and bassist Peter G. Holmström (The Dandy Warhols, Pete International Airport), multi-instrumentalist June Kang, saxophonist-trumpeter-guitarist Mars de Ponte (LoveBomb Go-Go), drummer Eric Rubalcava and guitarist Derek Spencer Longoria-Gomez (Hi Hazel).
Homström and iconic mixing engineer Jagz Kooner had just finished The Dandy Warhols’ latest album, generating an extraordinary symbiosis. Credited with creating some of the most genre-defining songs of the last 30 years, Jagz Kooner began his career working with Andrew Weatherall, remixing and producing for the likes of Bjork, The Chemical Brothers and New Order, as well as mixing for Primal Scream, Massive Attack, Oasis, Garbage and Killing Joke.With Pete producing and Jagz mixing in one of the greatest marvels of prehistoric Britain (Avebury Henge) at Jagz’s Stone Circles Studios, the pair elevated the songs by pushing the sonic envelope out into the great abyss. The coup de grace was having Keith Tenniswood (Spiritualized, Death in Vegas) master the album at Curve Pusher UK.
Last week, the band shared the surreal, psychedelic fever dream of a video for ‘Narco Polo’ featuring Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, which Jsun Atoms says “feels like a dada ice cream party inside a Salvador Dali painting”. Holmström and Brock have been friends and collaborators for years, and Sun Atoms recently supported Modest Mouse for some West Coast shows. Earlier in 2024, Sun Atoms released the lead single ‘Ceiling Tiles’ with Leonard Cohen tribute ‘Tower of Song (in the key of JAMC)’, and fantastic sonic odyssey ‘Take This Love’ with B-side ‘And The Lion Saw The UFO’.
A genre-defying fusion of psychedelic rock and indie pop, Sun Atoms push the boundaries of their own sonic exploration. Their debut album ‘Let There Be Light’ (2021). mixed by producer Stephen Street (Blur, The Smiths, The Cranberries), also involved The Black Angels’ Alex Maas,The Vandelles’ Jasno Swarez and Gregg Williams (Sheryl Crow, Blitzen Trapper).
This year, Sun Atoms played a series of sold-out concerts with Dinosaur Jr., crowning the list of shows they have played with Fishbone, Modest Mouse, Federale, Besnard Lakes, The Veldt, New Candys and TREMOURS. They’ve also shared the stage with the likes of Ty Segall, A Place To Bury Strangers, Neko Case, Built To Spill. Allah Las, Broncho and Night Beats.
As of November 8, ‘Everything Forever’ is out everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp.
CONCERTS
Nov. 09 PORTLAND – Show Bar at Revolution Hall (with The Veldt, Asteroid #4 & Los Mundos)
Nov. 16 SEATTLE – Belltown Yacht Club (with Valley Suns)
Dec. 11 PORTLAND – McMenamins Mission Theater (with LSD & The Search For God & TREMOURS) – Little Cloud Records Showcase for The Dandy Warhols 30th Anniversary
Feb. 1 PORTLAND – The Get Down (with Elephant Stone & Asteroid No. 4)
ALBUM TRACK LIST
1. Take This Love
2. Ceiling Tiles
3. Mandatory
4. Idiot Speaker
5. Narco Polo (Feat. Isaac Brock)
6. Bus Stop Gospel
7. Black Ink
8. I’ll See It When I Believe It
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud | Apple Music | Spotify | BandsInTown | SongKick
ALBUM CREDITS
Written & performed by Sun Atoms
Produced & Engineered by Peter G. Holmström at Air Traffic Control
Additional drums recorded by Gregg Williams at The Trench Studio
Lead vocals & Track 1 recorded by Tommy Dietrick / Joshua Tree Recording Studio
Isaac Brock vocals on Track 5 recorded at his Ice Cream Party studio
Initial tracking by Eric Crespo at Red Lantern Studios
Mixed by Jagz Kooner at Stone Circle Studios (Avebury, England)
Mastered by Keith Tenniswood at Curve Pusher (Hastings, England)
Sequencing by James Scott at Populist Recording
Jsun Atoms – vocals, guitar
June Kang – MPC, synths, percussion
Derek Spencer Longoria Gomez – guitar, vocals
Mars de Ponte – guitar, keys, vocals, horns
Eric Rubalcava – drums, percussion
Peter G. Holmström – bass, guitar, sequencers, keys, xylophone
Gregg Williams – hand drums on Tracks 4,5
Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) – vocals on Track 5
Allison Green (The Black Doors) additional vocals on Tracks 1,7
Jasno Swarez (The Vandelles) additional vocals on Tracks 6,8
Lauren Andino (TREMOURS) – additional vocals on Track 6
Maria Atoms – additional vocals on Track 7
Album cover by James Coffman. Layout by Sea Gothman
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
‘NARCO POLO’ VIDEO CREDITS
Directed & edited by Brady Tuazon
Produced by Brady Tucson and Jsun Atoms
Director of Photography – Nigel Coutinho
Filmed by Nigel Coutinho and Erik Meharry
Carter Craft Services – Herbert Ha
Dwight Yoakam – Back With A Bang
21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner and country superstar Dwight Yoakam unveils new song ‘I’ll Pay The Price’.
On November 15, Yoakam will release his first new album in nine years, Brighter Days, on Via Records/Thirty Tigers. Pre-order/pre-save Brighter Days HERE.
Last month, Yoakam released the music video for his new track ‘I Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)’ with Post Malone. Watch/share the video HERE and listen to/share the single HERE.
Written and recorded over the last three years, Brighter Days features 12 brand-new songs written/co-written by Yoakam, as well as three seemingly disparate covers of ‘Keeping On The Sunny Side’ by the Carter Family, ‘Bound Away’ by Cake, and ‘Time Between’ by The Byrds artfully woven into the same body of work in the unmistakable style that could only be Dwight Yoakam.
At once timeless and timely, Yoakam self-produced Brighter Days, infusing a modern appreciation for country music’s history with the trailblazing rock and roll spirit of California. The result is an album that reflects a sense of craftsmanship and immediacy, capturing the quintessential Dwight Yoakam “cool” that has set him apart from his country contemporaries since the beginning of his legendary career. As always, Yoakam’s lyrics throughout the album are both deceptively effortless and profoundly poignant. The album was mixed by world-class engineer Chris Lord-Alge.
Dwight Yoakam has sold over 26 million albums worldwide, with five reaching the #1 spot on Billboard. He is a 21-time nominated, multiple Grammy Award winner. He has 12 Gold albums and nine Platinum or multi-Platinum albums. Yoakam is the recipient of the Artist of the Year Award from the Americana Music Association, the prestigious BMI Country Awards’ President’s Award, and has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received a Lifetime Achievement Honor at the 2024 Americana Music Awards. He has collaborated with everyone from Beck to Kid Rock, ZZ Top, Hunter S. Thompson and Jack White. He has toured with the likes of Buck Owens, Johnny Cash and Hüsker Dü. Yoakam’s last album, Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars…, was released in 2016. Rolling Stone Country raves, “Yoakam sounds right at home on these new versions,” while NPR Music praises, “You can hear Yoakam making masterful choices on every phrase.”
In addition to his musical career, Yoakam has appeared in more than 40 feature films including Sling Blade, Panic Room and Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky with Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig, plus a role in the Amazon series Goliath. Over the course of his storied acting career he has worked with the likes of Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey and more.
In 1977, Yoakam left Kentucky for Nashville to embark on a music career but found that the Music City was moving away from traditional country roots to more pop-country. He found himself better suited to the post-Bakersfield movement and became one of the founding fathers of the “L.A. Cowpunk Scene” influenced by second-wave rockabilly and punk alongside X, Los Lobos, The Knitters, Rank & File and The Blasters.
Dwight Yoakam—Brighter Days
TRACKLIST
1. Wide Open Heart
2. I’ll Pay The Price
3. Bound Away (Cake cover)
4. California Sky
5. Can’t Be Wrong
6. I Spell Love
7. A Dream That Never Ends
8. Brighter Days
9. I Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom) (with Post Malone)
10. If Only
11. Hand Me Down Heart
12. Time Between (The Byrds cover)
13. Keep On The Sunny Side (The Carter Family cover)
14. Every Night
Peter Murphy and Boy George – A Blooming Good Pair
Legendary artists Peter Murphy and Boy George have combined forces for a gorgeously majestic new single entitled ‘Let The Flowers Grow’.
Produced and co-written by Youth, their duet on what is a profoundly emotional orchestral masterpiece is available on Metropolis Records.
Murphy recalls: “I was recording my new album in Spain with Youth and, while listening to a playback of a song, I heard another piece of music coming from his mobile phone. It caught my ear for its melodic beauty as well as a Roy Orbison-like voice that was singing it.” Upon learning that it was an unfinished demo written by Boy George, he was intrigued and asked Youth if he could work on the partial song. “In a matter of twenty minutes, we had ‘Flowers…’ finished.”
“When I heard the mix, I was satiated in every way,” beams Boy George. “I have always loved Pete’s voice and his writing on this adds a beautiful darkness. The production feels very epic, like Scott Walker.”
‘Let The Flowers Grow’ carries an air of elegance, the iconic voices of both singers delivering a message of hope and tolerance. Originally written by Boy George, its initial message was one of personal acceptance about being gay. As the song developed, it took on a more expansive and universal scope, its lyrics extending beyond sexuality and embracing race, gender, creed and religion. “With everything going on in the world about identity, it feels very powerful,” he explains.
The mutual adoration between the duo has spanned decades. “I first met Boy George when he asked to be allowed backstage to meet Howard Devoto when Bauhaus were supporting Magazine,” recalls Murphy. “He struck me as a super-original, self-styled 17th Century fop. The second time I met him was when we walked into the BBC to do ‘Ziggy Stardust’ on Top of the Pops where Culture Club were also making their debut on the show. George greeted me very warmly and I discovered he was a Bauhaus fan.”
With the single unveiled, Boy George adds:“It makes me dizzy and proud,” while Murphy concludes: “Boy George loves it and I’m so glad.”
PETER MURPHY : photo by Jolene Siana | BOY GEORGE : photo by Dean
LET THE FLOWERS GROW
Written by Peter Murphy/Boy George/Youth
Lyrics by Peter Murphy/Boy George
Produced by Youth
Recorded and Mixed by Michael Rendall
Assistant Engineers – Eddie Banda and Lore Young
Mastering by Tim Debney
Voice: Peter Murphy
Voice: Boy George
Guitars: Youth
Drums: Eddie Banda
Synths/Programming: Eddie Banda
Synths/Programming: Michael Rendall
Flamenco Guitar/Bouzouki/Arabic Oud/Electric Guitar: Amir John Haddad – EL AMIR