Claire Nicolson Unveils New Single – Hear It Here!
aaamusic | On 11, Jan 2011
Claire Nicolson releases a second single, ‘You and I,’ a collaboration with LA-based act Yellowhammer, on March 7 2011 through Canned Records.
Already on rotation on the current Surf TV ad, ‘You & I’ was written by and recorded with Claire’s brother, ex-Primal Scream producer Hugo Nicolson, for his new LA-based project Yellowhammer. A paean to cinematic lounge-pop, with its whistling hook, yearning strings, and nostalgic talk of breezes, rivers and whiskey chasers, it also sees Claire at her most fragile: ‘You and I, we can’t live it single-handed.’
Yet for Claire, laying down the vocal wasn’t quite the whimsical experience conveyed so atmospherically on song: “It was nothing so glamorous as recording it in LA,” she laughs. “I remember recording the vocal straight to Hugo’s laptop in his flat in London. The lead was too short so I had to bend down. He was very particular about the exact notes and way he wanted me to sing it. But I’ve always been a fan of my brother’s music, and was happy to oblige – and so here we are: together on the same record.”
The new two track release, which also features live favourite Quiet Company, an acoustic, country-tinged love song written by Claire, follows the critical success of debut single ‘Toothpaste & Whisky’. Featuring Alabama 3’s Nick Reynolds on harmonica, it won plaudits across both print and online press, as well airplay on BBC Radio 2 (Jeremy O Vine, Dermot O’Leary show), 6 Music (Chris Hawkins) and elsewhere. In December Claire began the inaugural UK leg of her acclaimed ‘Sing For Her Supper’ Tour across South West England, in which she pitches up at pubs offering a tune or two in exchange for a hot meal. As with her jaunt around Ireland earlier in the year, her efforts resulted in an onslaught of regional press attention – and an interview on the BBC.
‘You & I’ is out March 7. Don’t miss forthcoming album “52 Card Pick Up”, due early summer 2011.
