All proceeds from this pay-what-you-want album go to Music Venue Trust, supporting grassroots music venues in the UK with their #SaveOurVenues campaign.
RELAY is a new series of download albums dreamed up during lockdown and featuring an on-going chain of cover versions recorded by artists from the independent music scene.
Created during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown it's a small way to keep a community of musicians in creative contact in the wake of all tours and live events being postponed or cancelled.
The idea behind the project is simple: an artist records a cover version of someone else’s song, someone they’ve crossed paths with through their zig-zagging community of touring musicians. When an artist’s song is covered, the baton is then passed to that artist, and they in turn cover someone else’s song, and so on – a kind of song-relay that has quickly begun to take on a life of its own.
These recordings were made with whatever resources were available to each artist - sometimes a home studio, sometimes just a phone recording in someone's living room - capturing raw and intimate performances of songs they love.
All artists have contributed their work to this project for free - it's our hope that this is also a way of turning you, dear independent music fan, onto new artists. Please follow the musical jellybean trails and check out all of the artists you may not know on this record (links below), and where possible show them some support in whatever way you can - and try catch them live when we can all be in rooms together again!
Until then, stay safe, keep listening, and thank you for supporting independent musicians and music venues.
released June 18, 2020
Artwork by Mariya Brachkova
1. Brooke Sharkey – Easy (Mesadorm)
Written by Mesadorm
Warner Chappell North America Limited
Performed by Brooke Sharkey
Recorded by Aksel Undset
Mixed by John Elliott
brookesharkey.co.uk
www.babylegsrecords.com/mesadorm
2. Odette Michell – Tomorrow Will Follow Today (Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman)
Written by Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman
Published by PRS
Odette Michell – vocals and guitar
Phil Beer – violin and slide guitar
Produced and mixed by Phil Beer
www.odettemichell.com
www.kathrynrobertsandseanlakeman.com
3. Oystercatcher – Sinner (Honeyfeet)
Lyrics: Ríoghnach Connolly (Real World Publishing)
Music: Biff Roxby (PRS)
Arr. Honeyfeet (Wah Wah 45s)
Performed by Oystercatcher
Mixed and mastered by Alex Armstrong-Holding
www.facebook.com/OystercatcherMusicMCR
honeyfeet.org
4. Adam Beattie – The Bad Book (Fiona Bevan)
Written by Fiona Bevan
Concord Music Publishing
Adam Beattie - vocals, nylon string guitar, electric guitar, double bass
Fiona Bevan - backing vocals
adambeattie.bandcamp.com
fionabevan.bandcamp.com
5. Sean McGowan – Get Better (Frank Turner)
Written by Frank Turner
BMG Rights Management UK Limited
Produced / Engineered / Lead & Rhythm Guitar / Vocal - Sean McGowan
Additional Production / Keyboard / Mixing & Mastering - Jay Malhotra
www.musicglue.com/seanmcgowan
frank-turner.com/home/
6. Charlie Dore - I Didn't Try Hard Enough (Kris Drever)
Written by Kris Drever
Reveal Publishing
Charlie Dore: vocals, piano, harmonium and xylophone
Julian Littman: guitar, mandolins, bass
Produced by: Charlie Dore and Julian Littman
www.charliedore.com
krisdrever.com
7. Katherine Priddy – Virginia (Scott Matthews)
Written by Scott Matthews
Metropolis Music Publishing Limited
Performed by Katherine Priddy
George Boomsma – electric guitar
www.katherinepriddy.co.uk
www.scottmatthews.uk
8. Fiona Bevan – Man Running (Adam Beattie)
Written by Adam Beattie
Published by PRS
Performed and produced by Fiona Bevan
fionabevan.bandcamp.com
adambeattie.bandcamp.com
9. Luke James Williams – Crocuses (Becky Mills)
Written by Becky Mills
Published by PRS
Performed, recorded and mixed by Luke James Williams at home
www.lukejameswilliams.co.uk
www.beckymillsgigs.co.uk
10. Becky Mills – Top of the Hill (Waking the Witch)
Written by Patsy Matheson
Published by PRS
Live performance by Becky Mills, recorded in her garden in North Yorkshire
www.beckymillsgigs.co.uk
twitter.com/patsymatheson
11. Frank Turner – Northbound (Grace Petrie)
Written by Grace Petrie
Published by PRS
Performed by Frank Turner
frank-turner.com
gracepetrie.com