Announcement from Heather Findlay - The Phoenix Suite
After a few cryptic hints on Facebook over the last couple of weeks, there’s a long-awaited announcement today on Heather Findlay’s website
I am very happy to announce that my debut solo release, The Phoenix Suite is ready take flight!
General Release
On Monday 25th April 2011, both physical and digital versions of The Phoenix Suite EP will be available on Black Sand Records from all the usual outlets.
Pre-sales
A very special, strictly limited, collector’s edition of The Phoenix Suite (100 copies only) shall be available to pre-order from the store at www.heatherfindlay.net at 6pm GMT on Monday the 14th of March 2011. Set your alarm now!
Shipping for the limited collector’s edition will then commence on 28th March 2011.
Pre-release copies of the standard edition of The Phoenix Suite shall then be available to order from Monday the 11th April 2011 exclusively from the store at www.heatherfindlay.net.
(Please note – products will not be available to order before the above dates)
A detailed description of the limited collector’s edition follows. Please watch the short promo-film, linked below which features audio from The Phoenix Suite and some ‘making-of’ time lapse sequences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN74NDO6gNs&feature=player_detailpage
‘The Phoenix Suite’ - Limited collector’s edition - £30 (inc.P&P)
(Strictly limited to 100)
Each one unique!
The cover artwork for ‘The Phoenix Suite’ is an original 1.27 x 1.27 metre, multi-media painting on canvas by Heather Findlay entitled ‘Phoenix’.
The painting has now been carefully divided into 100 special, equal squares.
Each square of canvas has been mounted onto one of the one hundred limited collector’s edition sleeves of ‘The Phoenix Suite’, each one forming a completely unique version of Heather Findlay’s debut solo release.
Each unique hand assembled copy is numbered and signed by Heather; features handwritten track listings and lengths by Heather and comes hand packaged by Heather in black cellophane with a hand stamped wax seal.
Includes 8 page, full colour booklet including all lyrics.
You may also request Heather to personalise your copy.
Track Listing:
1. Red Dust
2. Phoenix
3. Cellophane
4. Seven
5. Mona LisaCatalogue Number: cdbsand1lex/100 (The ‘x’ here will be numbers 1-100 respectively)
‘The Phoenix Suite’ – Standard edition – £5.99 (+ P&P)
Jewel cased with 8 page, full colour booklet including all lyrics.
Track Listing:
1. Red Dust
2. Phoenix
3. Cellophane
4. Seven
5. Mona LisaCatalogue Number: cdbsand1
There will be a special show to mark the launch of The Phoenix Suite later this year. More news on that soon!
We will be playing at various festivals this summer with the same band that features on The Phoenix Suite: Heather Findlay, Chris Johnson, Dave Kilminster, Steve Vantsis & Alex Cromarty.
Please check the tour tab on my site www.heatherfindlay.net for confirmed dates.
See you very soon!
Love,
Heather xxx
These days there are people that claim music is an experience rather than a physical product, and ask questions as to whether physical artefacts are really worth anything at all. It’s precisely things like this that add value to physical products.
It will be very interesting to see how quickly those 100 limited edition copies sell out. It’s quite a high price for a five-song EP, and I’d expect the majority of people will be prepared to wait another few weeks for the standard edition. But I’m sure Heather must have more than a hundred fans who are prepared to pay £30 for a unique artefact.
It’s difficult to judge the music from a few brief snippets, but she’s clearly going for something very different from Mostly Autumn’s wall-of-sound approach; bits of it remind me of a harder-edged version of Thea Gilmore. But Heather’s vocals and songwriting style is still recognisable. The production is spikier and edgier, but still strongly melodic. It’s sounding like she’s going to pull off the difficult trick of appealing to broader audiences who aren’t into symphonic prog-rock, while managing to keep the vast majority of her existing fans on board. Can’t wait to hear the whole thing now.
While Heather’s leaving Mostly Autumn was traumatic at the time for many of us, it looks like we’ve ended up in the place where everybody wins. Heather’s making some creatively varied music she would not have been able to make within the confines of Mostly Autumn. Mostly Autumn meanwhile have taken the change of singers as an opportunity to re-invent themselves and give the band a completely new lease of life. And for those nostalgic for the sound of the Mostly Autumn of old, you need look no further than Liam’s superb solo album.
March 4th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
That is a pretty neat idea for a collector’s edition.
March 5th, 2011 at 10:56 am
Very nice though it is - i won’t be paying 30 quid for 5 tracks. I will of course buy the 6 quid version. The idea/unique quality of the special edition is great, but i’ll let other punters get their hands on it.
March 6th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
Indeed, Iain. Not suggesting that you (or anyone else) who decides not to go for the special edition is just a casual fan. I know that you’re not! One of two people may have misinterpreted that line.
March 7th, 2011 at 7:56 am
Have to say Tim.I am a true Fan of Heathers and also a friend, and if I can’t afford the £30 edition I will have to do without.At one time that wouldnt have been an issue, but I am not even able to attend the gigs due to lack of funds and also my work…..so,I do take a little offence to being classed as a casual fan, rather than a true fan.
I find your blogs interesting, and off course you are entitled to your own opinions which is what they are all about, but sometimes you let yourself in for trouble by posting comments that are misleading in certain ways.
Eg. Heather “would” have been able to make the music she liked within the folds of MA, that was never an issue.Its just that she now chooses to make her music as she feels fit.
Anyway Tim, good luck with helping the bands, because I know you mean well, but maybe just think a little before you publish what you have written.
Cheers
Peter
March 7th, 2011 at 9:00 am
PtG,
I know you mean well, but I’m not having anyone, however well-intentioned, telling me what I can and can’t say on my own site.
I want to be able to use this site to spread the word about the music and artists I love, and I have to be able to express myself here in my own words. I cannot do this if I’m forced to walk on eggshells all the time for fear of people picking apart my words, whether well-intentioned or out of malice.
I hope you understand this.
March 7th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Tim, that’s fine, but if you take attitude to kind remarks which are trying to help you not get into bother, then you are going to get into further problems ,and that just goes against what we all want which is to be happy, and for the bands to do well.
Of course you can write what you want on your own website, and I thank you for allowing me to do the same. I am just asking that you are careful with what you write.Its your choice whether you take any advice I offer, and I hope that “you” understand this….I also want what is best for the bands, and also for the people that take the trouble to write blogs like you do. If I can see potential “trouble” looming then, it is also up to me whether I choose to warn someone…On this occasion, I decided that you might be making trouble for yourself and chose to try to dampen the flames before they got too hot to handle…I too hope you understand this Tim!!
March 7th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
OK, since quite a few people who’s opinions I respect seem to have misinterpreted what I meant about “true fans”, I’ve reworded that bit slightly.
PtG, the bit about the music Heather would not have been able to make within MA comes from her own statement when she left the band a year ago. Certainly the snippets on the video teaser would have sounded out of place on any MA album.
March 7th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
well done Tim