After the bilingual charms, international genre-spanning adventures, and picture postcard images of pan-European culture of their debut album ‘Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?’, Galen & Paul now share the new EP ‘Uno Más’. It continues the vibrant connection established by the acclaimed solo artist and multi-instrumentalist Galen Ayers and Paul Simonon, the legendary bassist and occasional vocalist for The Clash.
Today also brings news that Galen & Paul will play two headline shows at London’s Bush Hall on April 24th and 25th. Tickets for both shows will be available HERE from 9th November at 9.00 am GMT.
Arriving like an encore after the main set of the album, ‘Uno Más’ features four previously unreleased songs from the same recording sessions. They show the depth of the duo’s creativity, each song more than living up to the standard set by the album even if they didn’t make the final cut – clearly for reasons of simple conciseness or flow rather than quality.
Galen says, “We were faced with the daunting task of selecting 10 songs for our first album, as there were 14 tracks that we both adored. It felt as challenging as being asked to decide on your final meal or pick your ultimate favourite band, both of which seem impossible to answer, at least in my opinion.
This collection of songs resembles the various viewpoints one would see from different sides of a ship’s portholes. Each track offers a unique glimpse into alternative perspectives of a shared reality embarking on a journey forward.”
Paul adds, “Speaking as an enthusiastic no-star chef I’m fully aware of the expression, ‘Too many cooks can spoil the broth’… but in this case I would disagree. Like a musical paella, we created an album of shared ingredients that would grace any turn-table. Please enjoy this 4-track tapas from the Galen & Paul kitchen.”
The EP opens with ‘Get A Life’, which sees the pair trading lyrics about staying true to yourself to a backdrop of jaunty acoustic guitars and a luminous organ earworm, all with the leisurely vibe of a midsummer jam session. Next, Galen Ayers ’beguiling Spanish vocals grace ‘A La Deriva’, a song that simultaneously conjures images of waves rolling off the coast within its hauntingly desolate ambience.
‘One More For The Road’ then switches the location to last orders, comparing and contrasting a bohemian bar full of poets with the seaside drinking dens favoured by British expats on the Spanish south coast. Finally, the dusky, dreamy simplicity of ‘While We’re Waiting’ provides the space for Galen to shine, living up to previous comparisons to Julee Cruise and delivering the memorable line, “You think like Ginsberg, but you look like Elvis.”
Three of the four songs are previously unreleased, while ‘Get A Life’ was only previously available as a bonus track on the Japanese CD edition of ‘Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?’. The song was also performed at both of their sold-out headline shows to date at London’s Tabernacle and La Maroquinerie in Paris.
Ultimately ‘Uno Más’ shows that Galen & Paul have the potential to take their collaboration to new vistas should they forge ahead with a second album together.
‘Uno Más’ tracklist:
‘Get A Life’
‘A La Deriva’
‘One More For The Road’
‘While We’re Waiting’
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