David Gilmour today announced his new album 'Luck and Strange', which will be released on September 6 on Sony Music. The album's first track, 'The Piper's Call', will be released this Thursday, April 25, following its first worldwide exclusive play on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
'Luck and Strange' was recorded over five months in Brighton and London and is Gilmour's first album of new material in nine years. The album was produced by David and Charlie Andrew, best known for his work with ALT-J and Marika Hackman. Of this new working relationship, David says: “We invited Charlie to the house, so he came over, listened to some demos and said things like, “Well, why does there have to be a guitar solo in there?” and “Do they all fade away? “Can’t some of them just finish?” He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine. He is very direct and in no way intimidated, and I love that. “That's very good for me because the last thing you want is for people to give in to you.”
Most of the album's lyrics have been composed by Polly Samson, Gilmour's co-writer and collaborator for the past thirty years. Samson says of the lyrical themes covered in 'Luck and Strange', “It is written from the point of view of being older; “Mortality is the constant.” Gilmour elaborates, “We spent a lot of time during and after lockdown talking and thinking about that sort of thing.” Polly has also found the experience of working with Charlie Andrew liberating, “He wants to know what the songs are about, he wants everyone who plays them to have the ideas of the lyrics that influence their interpretation. I particularly loved it for that reason.”
The album includes eight new tracks along with a beautiful reworking of the Montgolfier Brothers' 'Between Two Points' and features artwork and photography by renowned artist Anton Corbijn.
NEW TRACK 'PIPER'S CALL'
AVAILABLE THURSDAY, APRIL 25 FROM DIGITAL PLATFORMS
WORLD'S FIRST EXCLUSIVE PLAY ON BBC RADIO 2 BREAKFAST SHOW TOMORROW AFTER 9AM
VIDEO PREMIERE ON FRIDAY, APRIL 26
Watch the album trailer – BELOW:
Musicians contributing to the album include Guy Pratt and Tom Herbert on bass, Adam Betts, Steve Gadd and Steve DiStanislao on drums, Rob Gentry and Roger Eno on keyboards with choral and string arrangements by Will Gardner. The title track also features late Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright, recorded in 2007 at a barn jam at David's home.
Some contributions emerged from livestreams Gilmour and his family performed to a global audience during the 2020 and 2021 lockdowns; Romany Gilmour sings, plays harp and appears on lead vocals on 'Between Two Points'. Gabriel Gilmour also sings backing vocals.
The album's cover image, photographed and designed by Anton Corbijn, is inspired by a lyric written by Charlie Gilmour for the album's final song, 'Scattered'. About working with his family on 'Luck and Strange,' David says, “Polly and I have been writing together for over thirty years and Von Trapped's live broadcasts showed the great combination of Romany's voice and her harp playing and that led to a feeling of discarding part of the past to the that I had felt tied down and that I could throw away those rules and do whatever I wanted, and that has been a great joy.”
'Luck and Strange' will be released on September 6 on Sony Music.
DAVID GILMOUR
LUCKY AND STRANGE
VINYL
Fold-out cover and brochure with photography and design by Anton Corbijn.
SIDE ONE
Black cat*
Lucky and strange
The Pied Piper's Call
a single spark
Brief life*
Between two points** – with Romany Gilmour
SIDE TWO
Dark and velvety nights
sings
Scattered***
CD
Album plus two bonus tracks.
Digipak and brochure with photography and design by Anton Corbijn.
Black cat*
Lucky and strange
The Pied Piper's Call
a single spark
Brief life*
Between two points** – with Romany Gilmour
Dark and velvety nights
sings
Scattered***
ADDITIONAL TRACKS
Yes I have ghosts
Lucky and Strange (Original Barn Jam)*
BLU-RAY – AUDIO ONLY
Album in Dolby Atmos and high-resolution stereo mixes plus four bonus tracks.
Digipak and brochure with photography and design by Anton Corbijn.
Black cat*
Lucky and strange
The Pied Piper's Call
a single spark
Brief life*
Between two points** – with Romany Gilmour
Dark and velvety nights
sings
Scattered***
ADDITIONAL TRACKS
In Dolby Atmos and high-resolution stereo
Yes I have ghosts
Lucky and Strange (Original Barn Jam)*
A Single Spark (Orchestral)*
Scattered (Orchestral)*
Deluxe LP and CD box sets will be announced in the coming weeks.
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