The official website for the band Hefner and songwriter Darren Hayman
Hefner John Peel Session 13.08.98, Lamacq session 15.07.98 and Lamacq session 24.03.99 all together in one bundle. Each one is a double seven inch with gatefold and sleeve notes by Darren Hayman and a total of 12 postcards.
Pre-order the Lamacq and Peel session together. Prices include P and P.
Third and final Hefner contribution to the Precious singles series … and what a contribution it is, a session from Steve Lamacq’s ‘Live Lounge’ with a Jonathan Richman cover in the mix. The download will also include ‘The Hymn For The Cigarettes’, which the band played live into the show from Maida Vale. Plus the package includes a set of four ‘Hefner does DiY’ postcards by Darren Hayman, which any self-respecting fan will surely want. And he’s done his usual top job on the sleeve notes.
Songsheet:
The Weight Of The Stars, The Hymn For The Things We Didn’t Do, Every Little Gesture, To Hide A Little Thought
Order now, prices include P and P.
Please take care to choose correct worldwide destination.
“It’s all about sex with Hefner, isn’t it?” – John Peel
Hefner’s unique brand of lo-fi indie folk made them a staple of John Peel’s show in the late 1990s, when they often took high rank in the annual Festive 50 chart voted for by the legendary broadcaster’s devoted listeners. Released on vinyl for the first time, this is the group’s first Peel session, featuring a Beach Boys cover plus three early Hefner songs – and free downloads of the original BBC files and a set of postcards featuring early gig flyers designed by Darren.
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Songsheet:
The Science Fiction
I Stole A Bride
You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
Lisa And Me
Pre-order now, prices include P and P.
Please take care to choose correct worldwide location.
Please note, this record should ship out on or around 1st March. If you order records together with it they will also be shipped at that time.
Pre-order the Lamacq and Peel session together. Prices include P and P.
Indie favourites Hefner were to become regulars at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios with both Steve Lamacq and John Peel vying for their services. This is the group’s first-ever BBC session, recorded for Lamacq soon after the release of their debut LP; among the four songs is live favourite Twisting Mary’s Arm, which was usually the closing song of their live set. According to Darren Hayman, they intended never to record it but eventually relented. Gatefold package also includes free downloads of original BBC files and a set of postcards.
Songsheet:
The Librarian
Tactile
May God Protect Your Home
Twisting Mary’s Arm
Pre-order now, prices include P and P.
Please take care to choose correct worldwide location.
Please note, this record should ship out on or around 1st March. If you order records together with it they will also be shipped at that time.
Pre-order the Lamacq and Peel session together. Prices include P and P.
double coloured vinyl 7″, with inner sleeves includes download
Darren covers Goldfinger with backing singers and everything.
Full track listiing…
Sleeper featuring David Gedge – Mr Kisss Kiss Bang Bang
The Left Outsides – Diamonds are Forever
Darren Hayman – Goldfinger
DJ Downfall featuring Theoretical Girl – Moonraker
SOLD OUT! SORRY!
I’ve tried a couple of times to group together some train related songs. Recently I was asked to write a song about my favourite train which is the Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit. I like it because you can see out of the front window.
Making this song inspired me to revisit some old train songs I had and prepare them for release.
The picture disk has sold out from me but I still have the CD version with 8 new songs.
Here’s a video for ‘Class 108 Diesel Multiple Unit’.
All prices include Postage and Packing.
Or buy download for £7
A limited edition seven inch single on Deep red vinyl with download code.
Darren and Emma used to be in the worst two named bands in the history of UK indie.
Darren met Emma in Sheffield and told her he was suspicious of a band who all wore hats. Then her band all put hats on and went on stage.
They started a friendship based on short scale basses.
Darren started writing a song and thought the melody in the chorus sounded like something Emma might write and sing. To avoid legal action he asked her to sing on it.
During the recording session they aspired to make the record sound as much like Bryan Adams and Sporty Spice as possible. If it doesn’t sound like that, then they’ve failed. That was their only objective.
Emma told Darren it was the best guitar playing she had ever heard in her entire life. Ever. Bar none.
There’s a video too, where they both play cat’s cradle beside canals. The video is less like Bryan and Sporty.
There are rumours that Darren and Emma are now making an album of duets.
Full artwork featured on both sides…
BUY THE SEVEN INCH HERE…
Or buy the downloads from Bandcamp
Darren Hayman releases a special four-track EP for Record Store Day (Saturday April 20th) entitled Four Queens, available on limited edition coloured vinyl 10″ and digital. The EP follows on from his critically acclaimed album, The Violence, released on Fortuna POP! last year, which has spawned an ongoing fascination with English history.
Comprised of one track from The Violence, the outstanding ‘Henrietta Maria’, plus three new compositions, the EP features (as the name suggests) songs about a quartet of English Queens. Sung from the perspective of King Charles I as he serenades his French Queen, ‘Henrietta Maria’ is beautiful and touching, and somehow Hayman manages to indulge in a brief history lesson without ever compromising his lyrical meter or the song’s integrity.
Elsewhere, ‘Nine Day Queen’ deals with the tragic tale of Lady Jane Grey, who reigned for a mere nine days before being beheaded at the tender age of 17. ‘Eleanor Of Aquitaine’ tells the story of a monarch who was Queen of both England and France who, as well as marrying two kings gave birth to two, lived to 80 (outliving all but two of her ten children) and caused a whole lot of trouble along the way. Perhaps the standout track here though is ‘Elizabeth The First’, which sees Elizabeth Morris from Allo Darlin’ taking lead vocals over Hayman’s plaintive backing.
As The Violence so clearly showed, Hayman is a master craftsman at the top of his game, and this EP continues the remarkable quality of his recent releases with these four, finely wrought royal vignettes.
Or buy downloads from Bandcamp here.
On OLD MAN Darren Hayman serves up the best bits of Prince, Dr Feelgood, the Laughing Clowns and Hefner in a pint of POP that’ll be lodged in your noggin til a week next Thursday… once it’s there, it ain’t budging, so you might as well strap on your air guitar and pour yourself a chaser of TUNE… in fact, just take the shade off that standard lamp and sing your way through the third spin, adding your own grunts and moans as appropriate (and they are ALL appropriate)… by the fourth round, as you collapse onto the sofa of SONG to soak up the sax solo (I know, I KNOW!), OLD MAN will be tattooed on your temporal lobe, permanent, forever… and ever… amen…
It’s REALLY good
OLD MAN was recorded in a day in Sidcup Working Man’s club; Ian Button arrived at 9:00 to set up, Darren and the Long Parliament arrived at 10:00 to get recording, the cameras started rolling, the bar opened, the magic happened, and by 5:00 we had a video, a photoshoot, and two HITS for wiaiwya-7777777…
wiaiwya-7777777 is a series of seven 7″ singles released during 2013, one on each day of the week, and always on the 7th of the month, in the 7 colours of the rainbow, with exclusive tunes from 7 of the most exciting indie, electronic, folk and alternative bands around… oh, they come in editions of 777 too…
there’s lots more information here – http://wiaiwya-7777777.blogspot.co.uk/
Buy Old Man Don’t Waste Your Time on 7-inch