At the end of 2018, Bill Ryder-Jones released the critically acclaimed Yawn – his beautiful fourth album. He has now reimagined the songs from Yawn, this time with only vocals and piano, opening an even more intimate window into his world. Taking inspiration from The Beach Boys, Bill has titled this alternative version of the record Yawny Yawn and it will be released on July 26th.
In his own inimitable style, Bill Ryder-Jones says: “I can’t remember why I thought it was a good idea to make a piano version of Yawn, I presume at some point I felt that the original had too much pep. Was actually quite fun to make although I’ve since developed a dislike for the way my hands look”.
Similarly to Yawn, the album artwork for Yawny Yawn features a family photo. Bill adds: “Much like the artwork for Yawn, this photo just looked like it should be an album cover. Whereas Yawn featured my brother, our babysitter and myself in the background, the artwork for Yawny Yawn shows me at my aunt’s house aged 3 and playing my keyboard.”
Multi-instrumentalist, producer, string-arranger and composer Bill Ryder-Jones has had a career spanning 15 years, a rarity in a world that so often looks to the new. From his musical interpretation of Italo Calvino’s ‘If On A Winters Night A Traveller’ ( If… in 2011), 2013’s A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart, West Kirby County Primary (2015) and last year’s Yawn, Bill has constantly widened his scope, weaving in an overarching sense of authenticity, intimacy and wryness as he goes.
In addition to a summer of festivals including Glastonbury and Green Man, Bill will head out to tour Yawny Yawn with special piano shows in September.
1. There’s Something On Your Mind (Yawny Yawn)
2. Time Will Be The Only Saviour (Yawny Yawn)
3. Recover (Yawny Yawn)
4. Mither (Yawny Yawn)
5. And Then There’s You (Yawny Yawn)
6. There Are Worse Things I Could Do (Yawny Yawn)
7. Don’t Be Scared, I Love You (Yawny Yawn)
8. John (Yawny Yawn)
9. No One’s Trying To Kill You (Yawny Yawn)
10. Happy Song (Yawny Yawn)
Tue 11 Jun – Musicbox, Lisbon
Wed 12 Jun – Hard Club 2, Porto
Fri 21 Jun – Cloudspotting festival, Slaidburn
Sat 22 Jun – Tipping Point Live, Newcastle
Fri 28 Jun – Glastonbury Festival, Somerset
Sun 30 Jun – Piece Hall, Halifax w/ Elbow
Sat 06 Jul – Electric Fields, Dumfries & Galloway
Fri 16 Aug – Green Man Festival, Crickhowell
Fri 23 Aug – Birkenhead Town Hall, Birkenhead
Sat 24 Aug – This Must Be The Place, Leeds
Sat 14 Sep – Lefflingeleuren festival, Leffinge
Tues 24 Sept – Bar 1886, Isle of Man – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Thurs 26 Sept – South Streets Art Centre, Reading – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Fri 27 Sept – Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Sun 29 Sept – The Phoenix, Exeter – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Mon 30 Sept – The Joiners, Southampton – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Wed 2 Oct – St Mattias, London – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Fri 4th Oct – Upper Chapel, Sheffield – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Sat 5 Oct – The Brewery, Kendal – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Sun 6 Oct – Band on the Wall, Manchester – Yawny Yawn piano tour
Sat 19 Oct – Future Days, Birmingham
Sun 20 Oct – SWN Festival, Cardiff
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