Today, SEVEN SEALS release their previously lost album: ‘Owl Cage’, via Cosmic Glue.
LISTEN TO ‘OWL CAGE’ IN FULL HERE || ORDER ON BANDCAMP HERE
In celebration of the release finally seeing the light of day, the cult experimental post-rock quintet from Cumbria will be joining fans for a live listening experience in one of Tim Burgess’ Twitter Listening Parties. Tune in at 8pm here.
Expressing Cosmic Glue’s delight at releasing the record, Ben Robinson (founder of Kendal Calling & head of Cosmic Glue) and a longtime fan of the band said:
“Somethings are just for the pure love of music….In the summer of 2006 my top album of the year was Owl Cage, it wasn’t called that then it was just a CDR I’d made from Seven Seal EP’s and demos I’d got my hands on. It was my album of the year and Seven Seals were the helix in the centre of the live music scene that was emerging out of Kendal (the town). That summer alongside Sea Power they played in Abbot Hall Park in the centre of Kendal… that weekend Kendal Calling was born. The festival boomed in the years to come but it never left my mind that the trigger was lit by this band and that their debut album Owl Cage deserved to be heard by others. Over the years I’ve meddled beyond my remit, but always first and foremost as a fan, to get this record from an abandoned studio session in 2007 into a vinyl on my record player & a digital release on platforms that didn’t exist when it was recorded. Those close to the band know the trial and tribulations they’ve gone through over the years and more recently that could have stopped this record seeing the light of day so I give a massive love & respect to the band & the producers for the persistence in making this happen.
Finally it’s time to enter the Owl Cage…”
The album is fronted by the fierce current single, “Seventh Wave”, also out today. One of the album’s standout moments, the single is a call-to-arms that shakes with a vitriolic post-hardcore fist raised-high. Inspired by one of history’s most notorious escape artists, Papillon; “Seventh Wave” floats through references to the ‘butterfly’ himself, while reserving none of the bee-like sting Seven Seals fans have come to relish.
“Seventh Wave” follows the previously-released “Bikini” single, with both tracks featuring on: ‘Owl Cage’, an album which has slipped through the industry cracks for over 16 years.
Seven Seals is Simon Pickering (vocals, synths, percussion, songwriting, production, lyrics), alongside John Powney(vocals, drums, percussion), Jay Glover (vocals, guitar, synths, songwriting, production), John Bingley (guitar) and Jim Tyson (bass, vocals.) Initially meeting at school, it would be the acquisition of a set of mixtapes belonging to the late Chris Acland (of Lush) that would ultimately provide the catalyst for the cult Cumbrian band’s direction.
Produced initially by Yorkie (Space, Shack) in Liverpool all those years ago and finished by Grant Henderson (Noel Gallagher) at Loom Studios in Yorkshire in recent times, their remarkable debut record proves to be every bit worth the wait. Balancing fiery post/punk transmissions with thrift shop controlled chaos, the resultant album ‘Owl Cage’ is a high-octane exploration of incarceration through posthumously found sounds, telling a story of “murder, prison, wrestling with identity” and so much more.
Having truly served its time in exile, ‘Owl Cage’ finally sees the light of day today (25 Feb). It is available on ltd edition vinyl and streaming on all services.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
INSTAGRAM – @sevensealsig
FACEBOOK – @sevensealsmusic
TWITTER – @OwlCage