Songs for Harmonium and Drum Machine

Songs for Harmonium and Drum Machine
Side A
1. Andrew McCarthey
2. Judd Nelson

Side B
1. Emilio Estevez
2. Ally Sheedy
Released December 2008

Photos from Darren's show in Quebec October 2008
(photos by Luca Albanese)

Songs for Harmonium and Drum Machine is a four track vinyl 7 inchEP being released on p572 records. Limited to 600 copies.

SONGS FOR HARMONIUM CAN ONLY BE BOUGHT BY MAIL ORDER FROM WWW.P572.COM OR FROM DARREN AT GIGS. DOWNLOADS WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON.

Samuel Murdock runs p572 records in Quebec City, Canada. I'd known his name because when he bought Hefner records by mail order he always bought two copies. He asked me to do a record for him and I said yes, mainly because he wanted to do it on vinyl. I'll do a record for pretty much anyone if they want to do it on vinyl. Sam wanted something conceptual, a bit like the holiday EPs. Baring that in mind I wrote 4 songs about some of the actors that form the 1980s brat pack. Conceptual enough?

Samuel also managed to convince me to go over to Quebec and Montreal and play some shows. I don't know how he managed to do it. There was no money, but it was a real adventure.
Samuel also prepared a band for me, the fantastic French Canadian wing of the Secondary Modern; Sam (bass), Pascale (drums), Mary Beth (accordian) and Jane (keyboards, voice).

These are some pages from my journal.

	Mary Beth is a fantastic musician. It isn't so much the notes she plays as the way she hurtles herself towards them. She is a natural singer and writer too. Her album under the name Bette and Wallet is my favourite record this year.

	All around the world I keep finding these beautiful little music scenes. Bands and labels that are unrecognised but work harder than anyone I know in London. Everybody is unpaid. Everybody loves what they do.

	Now this guy was interesting. He re-paints the sleeves of my records whilst listening to my records. He says it relaxes him. It sounds like being John Malkovich inside John Malkovich's head, if you follow. We decorated the stage with them in Quebec.

	Never by design but my bands have always been guys. In Canada I had an all girl band. (in the nicest possible way, Sam is also a girl, really.) Pascale the dummer is 15!

	This is what Sam wears on his feet. He says he has no problems with the ladies. Really!

	I love Cajun music almost as much as I love Ska. Jane organised a cajun breakfast for me. They made sure I understood what the British did tot the Arcadian people before I got my crepes though. The British suck.

	This is Greg scratching out of date lotto cards that he was supposed to give to his mother three years ago.

Two Live Videos by Darren Hayman and the Canadian Secondary Modern

China Crisis (Live in Quebec 2008)	Half a Life (Live in Quebec 2008)