Morcheeba share new single ‘The Moon”
|Morcheeba share “The Moon”, the third single from the upcoming studio album “Blackest Blue” due May 14th 2021. Released on a full moon “The Moon” follows on recently released singles “Oh Oh Yeah” and “Sounds Of Blue”.
“The Moon” is a cover originally by Irena Žilić, a Croatian singer-songwriter. Ross fell in love with the song when they shared a bill in Zagreb with Irena and asked her permission to cover it. Skye added another verse to it and that is where the album title “Blackest Blue” came from. Talking about the track, Skye says; ‘It’s about following the light of the moon and tapping into its powerful luminous energy, harnessing its positivity to escape the depression and darkness.’
Pioneers of the British music scene, “Blackest Blue” will be the band’s 10th studio album in a discography that spans three decades. 2020 saw Morcheeba unable to tour or perform live, which gave Skye Edwards and Ross Godfrey ‘time to write songs and really get to hone them,’ as Godfrey puts it. ‘There weren’t so many pressures so we could really take our time getting the songs right,’ adds Edwards. The result of this time is a refined 10 track album that fuses previous incarnations and sound of the band – such as downbeat, chill, electro-pop and soul – into one cohesive record that delves into the soul of the band’s genre-mashing musical heritage. As usual, the band didn’t approach the album with any pre-conceptions and instead created an organic journey that represents everything great about Morcheeba.
Edwards’ lyrics are primarily focused on positivity and overcoming personal adversity that lies within. “Sounds Of Blue”, is a stunning cut that puts Skye Edward’s sultry vocals to the forefront, floating high above an ethereal backdrop, and touches upon her recent free diving experience in Thailand and ‘my new found confidence and love of the ocean above and below,’ says Edwards.
The album includes features with Duke Garwood (known for his work with Mark Lanegan, amongst others) and Brad Barr (The Slip, The Barr Brothers). ‘I managed to get hold of him on the phone and asked him to be on our album,’ says Godfrey on how they came to collaborate with Barr. ‘I sent him a rough piano demo I had played and he sent back the bones of “Say it’s Over”. Skye completed the melody and a lyric and we had a stone-cold break up song on our hands. It is a real stand out track for me, heavy as a ton.’
Morcheebas global reach is impressive, taking them to every corner of the world. Their signature chilled electronic/organic sound has been border-hopping ever since the London-based band emerged as a household name. The past year has been one of introspection for the duo, as they take stock of their renewed global fan base and look forward to being able to play the new album live in the not too distant future. ‘This was the first time since I was a teenager that I’d spent a year off the road and I enjoyed the tranquillity, although I missed playing my guitar in far off lands,’ says Godfrey.
Morcheeba will be back on the road this summer, the band will perform on UK’s The Big Feastival’s main stage on Friday, August 27th, with more live dates to be announced.