As he continues to support the release of his mesmerising debut solo album ‘Art’, lifelong musician Paul Archer has returned with his latest single ‘Heavy Soul’!
Creative rebirth:
There are many “firsts” with ‘Art’: the first Paul Archer solo album in a 30-year recording career; his first vinyl album (conceived as such from the start); and the first time his visual art has intersected with his musical world, featuring on the cover and inserts. It is also the first album of a new career phase back home in Northern Ireland after many years in East Anglia with Burning Codes – and fans are already telling him it’s the best thing he’s done.
After 30 years of rock ‘n’ rollercoaster travails – major label deals that happened but nothing eventuated, management meltdowns, publishing disasters – Paul’s positive energy is undimmed. ‘Art’ is not the lonely drinker in Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, wondering how it all slipped away – it’s an explosion of power, passion and grace, the sound of a man with fabulous melodic gifts still seeing chinks of light whatever the darkness.
Paul’s new solo album called “Art” also includes various sonic collaborators including Terri Hooley (Good Vibrations Records, Undertones), Jim Lockhart (Horslips), Iain Archer ( Grammy nominated and Ivor Novello winning singer and songwriter – James Bay, Snow Patrol, Jake Bugg, Tired Pony, Liam Gallagher…) and Nathan Connolly of Snow Patrol and Jonny Quinn previously of Snow Patrol, both of whom have contributed to Paul’s work.
‘Heavy Soul’
Paul reveals how “‘Heavy Soul’ was written after extensive thought in regard to how often as a species we seem to struggle to realise what a precious gift this beautiful planet really is and how by not looking after it we are in turn hurting ourselves.
The song further examines this relationship in terms of the individual and how love begins at home inside each of us and if we struggle to love ourselves then consequently it can often follow that we can struggle to fully love others and our precious planet, environment and ecosystem.
The track features Andy Hawkins and myself. With Andy on drums, guitars, bass and keys and myself on vocals and guitars. The song was written by myself and produced and mixed by Andy Hawkins with the recording done by the both of us.”
Biography:
Paul’s music journey began in Belfast in the mid-90s with Disreali Gears, a soulful psych-rock experience beloved on the then thriving local scene. One album and a lot of great memories remain. Out of that, the Ghears [sic] emerged (1998–2003, four albums) – a new band, a relocation to England and a sound that incorporated Paul’s love of Krautrock locked grooves with his deeply compassionate worldview, crunching guitars and rich vocal gifts.
The Burning Codes era (2008–18, six albums) ended on a high with the album Liberator and single ‘Loss Leader’, with the valedictory East Anglian line-up of the band widely celebrated as a thrilling live experience.
Returning to Bangor, NI in 2018 for family reasons, Paul rode out the impasse of Covid and its long-tail damage to the NI live scene with a series of digital singles, including an embryonic version of the song ‘Art’ (2021). This approach had begun with the glorious one-off homage ‘Belfast (Place of My Soul)’ in 2017 – attributed to Burning Codes but effectively a Paul Archer collaboration with various luminaries of the place where his music began, including ‘Godfather of Punk’ Terri Hooley, Snow Patrol’s ‘Nathan Connolly and Paul’s brother Iain Archer, an award-winning co writer to the stars. Marry Waterson has created the live/animation promo for ‘Fear Destroyer’, ‘Art’ will be a lyrics visualiser.
Paul Archer also contributed vocals to five tracks on Snow Patrol’s multi-platinum ‘Eyes Open’ album.
‘Heavy Soul’ is drenched in musical influence, whilst also being a refreshingly new approach to alternative rock. Paul Arhcer has released a track that hits hard, and it’s a perfect starting point for any new listener!