Jess Morgan to release limited run of handmade 7” records for Record Store Day
DIY singer/songwriter Jess Morgan takes the do-it-yourself concept to new levels creating handmade vinyl records in her Norwich home. Jess has made a limited run of 7” vinyl of the song ‘Still In Fashion’ (from her album ‘Edison Gloriette’) for release exclusively at Relevant Records in Cambridge for Record Store Day on April 22nd 2017. Jess will also perform an acoustic set at 12pm at Relevant Records.
This limited run of ‘Still In Fashion’ follows 2016’s run of ‘In Brooklyn’, released as part of the PledgeMusic campaign for ‘Edison Gloriette’ as featured on The 405 who called her “a true DIY artist in her element. Seriously, she does it all”. Jess talks about the process on her BLOG in which she says:
“It took a while to hit upon the right recipe - ratio of catalyst and silicone mix to pick up the grooves of a record while still holding its shape and not shrinking back. I also used paper / car / demo tape / duct tape and foil to build up texture in relief which would become the mould and transfer a raised design onto the resin. Eventually I used a thick kind of foil tape - which I think is used for insulation in plumbing - as I wanted to see if I could recreate the fine lines of a sketch in relief. Since working out how to successfully 'clone' a record, I spent almost a year - on days in-between touring and recording - experimenting with different ways to make the records special. In the early stages, I found colour mixing - within the resin really quite difficult. I experimented with dye, ink and paint to add a colour injection.”
The artwork for ‘Still In Fashion’ is designed by Jess, with a disc cut from the sleeve and trapped in the centre of each record.
‘Still In Fashion’ also appears on Jess’ album ‘Edison Gloriette’ which will receive a full commercial release on April 22nd 2017.
"musicianship dovetails well with her clever and understated songwriting" - The Telegraph
"Gorgeous country folk" - The Guardian
“Some of the most sublime tunes you are likely to hear in a long time. ****” – R2
“A real treat… an enormously gifted songwriter” – Songwriting Magazine
Tour Dates
Thursday 23rd March – The Burston Crown
Friday 25th March – Portico, Lincoln
Thursday 30th March – Relevant Records, Cambridge
Friday 31st March – The Courthouse, Thirsk
Thursday 13th April – Loughton Folk Club
Saturday 22nd April – Record Store Day session – Relevant Records, Cambridge @ 12 noon
Saturday 22nd April – Elmslie House, Malvern
Sunday 23rd April – Nights at the Circus, Birmingham
Sunday 30th April – Big Session Festival, Buxton
Thursday 4th May – Cuffern Manor, Pembrokeshire
Saturday 13th May – Hebden Bridge Roots Festival
26th May & 27th May – Ireby Festival, Cumbria
Jess Morgan – background
Jess Morgan is a songwriter’s songwriter. A cerebral storyteller. On her new album she pens personal, creative folk & roots tunes that paint a vivid picture for the listener.
When it came for the Norwich-based singer-songwriter to start recording tracks on ‘Edison Gloriette’ Norway was calling. Jess returned to Bergen team-up with collaborators from her 2010 debut, producer HP Gunderson and producer and studio engineer Daniel Birkeland. She wanted to record slowly and meaningfully following a mad 5 years of touring and rapid releases. 2 weeks in a quiet cabin, alongside a fjord on the outskirts of Bergen was just the right change of pace. ‘We recorded against the most incredible backdrop taking breaks for walks, drinking beer at the water’s edge’ explains Jess.
Back in the UK Jess brought on friends Stephen MacLachlan - to work on percussion - and Ben Savage and Hannah Sanders to record backing vocals. Noel Dashwood also joined the ‘Edison Gloriette’ dream-team to add some soulful dobro solos to ‘Red Rubies’, the true story of an unusual bird eating man, and ‘Still In Fashion’ which Jess describes as being about, ‘the fear of tomorrow that casts a long shadow over today’.
Jess’ songs are acutely observed tales of life, love, people and places. Album opener ‘Longest Arm’ is a snapshot of an encounter between a man and a waitress and the feelings stirred in their shared moment. Rousing track ‘Hymn In The Morning’ is about priorities changing as you get older, ‘I started writing this song in the wake of one of those mornings where you haul yourself out of bed and feel like you just can’t do nights out like you used to!’ says Jess, ‘I imagined the story set in the small hours, spending the morning in bed, shaking off the night with someone you love’. Rootsy-ballad ‘In Your Life’ is both challenging and optimistic.
The past 5 years have seen Jess cement her place in the burgeoning folk, roots and Americana scene throughout the UK and Europe. Her music has attracted the ears of BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, Uncut, The Telegraph, The Guardian, R2 and Folk Radio UK, to name a few. New album ‘Edison Gloriette’ follows on from Jess’ 2010 debut ‘All Swell’, 2012’s ‘Aye Me’ and her highly acclaimed 2014 release ‘Langa Langa’. In summer 2015 Jess released ‘The Bournemouth EP’ which sold-out its limited edition run in less than 24 hours.
