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News for 2011 31st May 2011
Despite the lack of updates to the website, much has been happening with the band. Preparations are advanced for the recording of the fifth Thieves' Kitchen release, as yet untitled. The compositions are complete, and the recording process proper will begin in the last week of June 2011 at Aubitt studios with Rob Aubrey at the controls.
The band itself is now reduced to three permanent members with Mark Robotham and Andy Bonham leaving the band earlier this year. Such a dramatic piece of news deserves some explanation: Thomas's career has taken him back to live in his native Sweden again. Practically, this meant that it was no longer possible for the band to meet and rehearse as frequently as it has done over the years. Whilst Thomas, Amy, and Phil are keen to continue the writing partnership forged for the Water Road in 2008, working at a distance in this way left Mark and Andy with little prospect of band interaction outside of the learning and recording of their parts. Understandably perhaps, they both felt little prospect for continued fulfilment with the project.
Whilst an adequate summary, the previous paragraph does little to convey the months of effort where we each explored all other conceivable avenues to keep the five piece band together in a form satisfying to all members. We can only offer our deepest thanks to both Mark and Andy for their incredible contribution over the years, both musically and otherwise, and wish them well on their future journeys.
Finding two musicians to fill the shoes of Mark and Andy is no small task, but we are happy to announce that Paul Mallyon and Brad Waissman from the remarkable Sanguine Hum will be playing Drums and Bass respectively on the new album. Technically breathtaking, and yet eminently sensitive to the music, both Paul and Brad's playing are significant factors in Sanguine Hum's sound. If you've heard Sanguine Hum, you'll understand why we're so excited about Paul and Brad being involved in new TK music. If the name Sanguine Hum is new to you, do yourself a favour and check out this wonderful band.
Not dead! 16th March 2010
Firstly, many apologies for the lack of updates to the website. At times, it's like news is happening every week and updating the website becomes a big part of things, but at other times there's so little to report that any update sounds silly.
2009 was not the year the band originally hoped it would be. We started the year with a booking to play the FMPM festival and were gearing up for full on rehearsals and touring. My problems with my left arm just wouldn't go away and we sadly ended up having to cancel FMPM and, indeed, had to wait patiently whilst the medical boffins poked, prodded and scanned their way to some sort of diagnosis and treatment.
The first bit of good news is that there's been no lasting damage to the tendons and muscles in my hand and arm, and after a long period of physiotherapy, I was finally able to pick up a guitar again last October. Rather than get frustrated I think we all just got on with the things we could accomplish, and I spent the bulk of last year re-equipping the home studio ready for the next album.
The second bit of good news is that the TK machine has started rolling again, and material has started to appear for a follow up to The Water Road. It's too early to tell yet just what the new album is going to sound like. If the Water Road is any guide, large pieces of music were written, amended, rewritten or discarded many times before the final songs were recorded and mixed. Somebody asked me a while back just how much material was written for The Water Road, and I guessed at about 3 hours worth all in all. The Long Fianchetto was close to 50 minutes long at one point.
Two years down the line (is it really that long?) it's clear that The Water Road has been the most successful TK release to date. We sold more albums, to more areas of the world, and received more critical acclaim for TWR than any previous release. Also of note is that the album is still selling two years later which suggests that, not only are people buying it and liking it, but that they are recommending it to their friends also. I can't put into words just how appreciative we are that you have done that, and supported us over the years. In the darkest times, such as the frustrations of 2009, it's that sort of thing that keeps us all going.
So, 2010 has started much more positively and, with a following wind, a new album looks possible for the start of 2011.
We will try to keep you posted as things develop and, if enough people request it, we may even share some rough demos as things progress just to whet the appetite.
Thanks for your continued support and all the best
Phil Mercy - March 2010
Radio two-parter 6th Aug 2009
You may have heard it. You may just have heard of it, mentioned in reverential tones by Them in The Know. If you haven't listened to it, then you've been missing out, my friend. The awesome Epileptic Gibbon Podcast Music Show is an auditory adventurer, gleefully gambolling across boundaries no ordinary gibbon would dare to traverse, and is one of the most intelligent and best-loved progressive music radio shows on the interweb.
 So we were thrilled to bits to be asked to come along to Gibbon Towers for a quick interview, although that's not quite how things turned out, and now you can hear the results on the latest edition of the podcast: the first of a two-part Thieves' Kitchen special with music, interviews, revelations and rambling diversions from TK's Phil Mercy and Amy Darby. Released this week, the 1 hour 19 min show includes tunes from Thieves' Kitchen's first three albums, and a very in-depth interview where His Gibbonness asks some great questions and gets some unusual answers (and Phil tries manfully to pretend he remembers anything he wrote before 2003!).
We had such a great time doing this interview, and can't wait to hear the second part that'll be out in a few days time, with songs from "Shibboleth" and "The Water Road", as well as more chatter, bizarre excerpts, declarations of love and the secret history of Om Tare. Perhaps. You'll have to tune in to find out! Visit http://epilepticgibbon.wordpress.com.
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