“One of the best records you’ll hear this year - fact” – BBC Introducing 

"Opaque, mysterious, great string arrangements with harmonic surprises galore and a restless driving bass line.." - Tom Robinson BBC6Music

With a bunch of songs swirling around in his head but having no desire to repeat himself, Alex Highton locked himself away in the studio with producer/multi instrumentalist Jonathan Czerwik, and started putting together the songs that would fill "Welcome To Happiness". 

In their downtime they discussed artists they loved and would inform the new album - Can, The Flaming Lips, Beck, Prince, Steely Dan, Bon Iver, Serge Gainsbourg, Here We Go Magic, The Beach Boys, Bowie, Neu, tons more...

This recording/listening session took over their lives somewhat more than they expected, and two years later they emerged, somewhat frazzled with something that is at once infinitely more direct & complex than anything Alex had attempted before, and possibly quite out of step. 

Highton isn't particulary interested in the zeitgest (as he himself says on "Voices") and he insists that they only rules they had were no rock (which they possibly broke) and no acoustic guitar (which they didn't). 

Otherwise they just followed their noses until they were happy, they just didn't realise that it would take two years to reach the point where they felt happy.

Highton insists that the whole album was one massive collaboration, firstly between Jonners & himself, then the arrangers and players, each bringing something new to the table. Claire Hollocks' epic string arrangements, Andrew McNew's horn section all the way from Boulder Colorado, Robert Rotifer's Brydsian guitar solo on "Love Kills" & Boudewijn Bonnerbaker (ex-lead guitar in Gorfest no less) wah wah on "Voices".

Alex said "I was just trying to stretch out a bit, go somewhere I'd not been before and it was fun, to just say, whatever goes, goes... 

"I wanted to do something that had funk, that could be upbeat but also weird and jazzy. Full of strings and horns, old analogue synths and battered keyboards. 

'Welcome to Happiness' is me saying, I’m not sure there's any meaning to anything, and life may be shit at times, but you might as well enjoy it while you can."

tracks:
01/A1: Benny Is A Heartbreaker - (04:14)
02/A2: Love Is Enough - (04:23)
03/A3: I Don't Have A Clue How To Fill Your Cup - (04:24)
04/A4: Can You Let Me In - (02:50)
05/A5: Getting Fucked Up (It's All You Ever Do) - (03:08)

06/B1: There's A Part To Everyone That You Can('t) Love - (03:34)
07/B2: Love Kills - (04:19)
08/B3: Voices - (04:11)
09/B4: Try Tony's - (02:41)
10/B5: Nobody Can Touch Us Now - (05:21)

All songs written by Alex Highton

Produced By Jonathan Czerwik. 
Mixed By David Bear Dobson
Mastered By Simon Francis
Horn Arrangements by : Andrew McNew
String Arrangements by : Claire Hollocks
Art Direction & Design : Christopher P Hilton
Collage & Illustration   : Stephen Alan Yorke

The Band
Alex Highton - Vocals, Guitar,  Bass, Piano, Synths, Electric Piano
Jonathan Czerwik - Drums, Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Synths, Piano, Electric Piano
David Dobson - Bass, Synths, Backing Vocals
Barry Thirlway Jnr – Bass (Do We Love Do We Kill + Getting Fucked Up)
Robert Rotifer - Guitar  (Do We Love Do We Kill)
Boudewijn Bonebakker - Guitar (Voices, Try Tony's, Getting Fucked Up)
Chopper - Backing Vocals (There’s A Part To Everyone)
Lee Marchi - Backing Vocals (Benny Is A Heartbreaker + There’s A Part To Everyone)
Ellie Jamison – Backing Vocals (Voices + Can You Let Me In)
Claire Hollocks - Cello
Penny Snelling - Viola
Sally Merson  - Violin
Andrew McNew - Trombone
Brian Ebert - Clarinet   
Mathew Wilcolak - Trumpet
Matt Planet – Trumpet
Ben Johnson – Tuba
Steff Adams _ Synth (Try Tony’s)
Rosie Highton – Synth
Molly Highton – Synth

©+(p) 2018 BB*ISLAND, under exclusive license from Alex Highton

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Music CD: cat# BBI 0342, barcode 4260064998422
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contact email: info@bbisland.de