May 19, 2024

Skylight Webzine

Online since 2000

Liverpool’s Paul Den Heyer presents luminous psychedelia in ‘Technicolor Summer Sunshine’ video

3 min read

Liverpool-based indie pop artist Paul Den Heyer has revealed the new video for ‘Technicolor Summer Sunshine’, the lead track off his debut album ‘Everything So Far’, out now via A Turntable Friend Records. This light-filled optimistic psychedelic mini-film was directed and produced byIan Holmes.

Den Heyer is perhaps best known as frontman of 90s Liverpool band Fishmonkeyman, who produced the indie-hit ‘If I’ve Told You Once’, signed on with Warners and Virgin Music, and kept up active appearances on TV, radio and on the road.

More recently known as producer for Sunstack Jones and member of The Red Sided Garter Snakes with former members of The Chameleons, Bauer, Puressence and Inspiral Carpets, ‘Everything So Far’ is his first solo release, made with the help of good friends and recorded during a summertime spent on the Wirral peninsula.

“After a couple of meetings with my good friend and local film-maker Ian Holmes, who single-handedly directed, produced and edited the video, we both agreed the overall feel had to be in keeping with the song title and also reflect the ‘summery’ vibes of the rest of the album,” says Paul Den Heyer.

“It was all shot locally on the Wirral peninsula and happily the sun came out on the day of filming. I think it’s absolutely perfect for the song. Big shout out to the lads from Sunstack Jones who were kind enough to appear in it and of course to Ian Holmes for creating such a stunning video.”

Paul Den Heyer creates moody acoustic landscapes and melodic miniatures with fantastic harmonies and a rich set of instrumentation with hints of Mojave 3, Neil Halstead of Slowdive and Mazzy Star. Even The Byrds shine through.

He describes his musical style as ‘Britanicana’. Indeed his music blends British folk songwriting with 60s/70s American psych-pop, drawing on Influences from Syd Barrett, Nick Drake, John Martyn and Richard Thompson with a tip of the hat to Neil Young and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Den Heyer notes that his shoe-gazing 90s background also peeps through in his simple production.

“Everything So Far is a personal collection of songs triggered by a sequence of recent family and friend bereavements and a health scare of my own 5 years ago. Such things (as the members of Spinal Tap in their movie state) give a person ‘too much fucking perspective’ and often put them into an introspective state of mind. This was certainly the case with me and was enough to make me write my first new songs in almost 20 years,” says Paul Den Heyer.

“The songs came thick and fast and effortlessly, unusual for me, and were recorded quickly in between sessions for a Sunstack Jones album I was working on in the summer. Hence, the band feature on the LP heavily as they were good enough and only too happy to help out. Wouldn’t have happened without them!”

‘Everything So Far’ is out now on digital platforms, including BandcampApple Musicand Spotifywith worldwide distribution through London’s SRD (Southern Record Distributors)It’s aailable as a limited 9-track CD in gatefold and on limited run vinyl in your choice of black or milky-white (exclusive to BandcampLimited Runand Rough Trade orders). Both options come with download code. Vinyl orders also come with a lyrics sheet.

CREDITS
Produced with Christopher Jones, Richy Jones,
Lorcan Moriarty, Dave Jackson, Julian Connor,
Jason Riley, Nicholas Schuster, Bill Teags,
Jessica Den Heyer, Terry Lloyd & Alan Currie
at The Panic Room, Wirral.
Mastered by Danny Woodward at Whitewood Studios, Liverpool.

TRACK LIST
1) Technicolor Summer Sunshine
2) Clear Sunlight View
3) Illusions Shine Like Gold
4) Unfolding (Revisited)
5) Money Cloud
6) Passing Of The Season
7) Home Song
8) End Of The Summer
9) Everything So Far

‘Technicolor Summer Sunshine’https://youtu.be/1QHA1N8gypM
Soundcloudhttps://soundcloud.com/user-184628920/paul-den-heyer-technicolor-summer-sunshine
Bandcamphttps://pauldenheyer. bandcamp.com/album/everything- so-far
Rough Trade orderwww.roughtrade. com/gb/music/paul-den-heyer- everything-so-far
Digital ordershttp://hyperurl.co/35fdyc
Photo by Ian Holmes

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