New Single out Wednesday! Please write, speak, shout & generally spread the word about this song! Don't have time to read all 9? Check out the 1-page Press Kit linked on the release post for the basics on this release, or scroll to the bottom to watch the video!

How it works

(previous '9 facts about': "Ever After")

💡 fact or insight

🖼/📺 associated media

🔗 click the link emoji to find out more

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I also drip-post these as a 9-piece 🧩Jigsaw Puzzle on IG with❓social talking points, with 🔗 links as usual on my Ceru.Li/nkstagram (though with this one it's a little hard to find some of the cerulean pieces as they are floated in a sea of Cerulean Mode!)

1.

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💡 "island" will be released by Cerulean Sounds, which is the vehicle for all my sonic projects. As an independent artist, I'm not represented by a traditional record label. I'm learning how to do record label duties (mostly PR & marketing) myself, so I slap my own 'label' on works I'm involved with, including putting the Cerulean Sounds logo in the bottom right of the artwork!  It sends the message that this music is coming direct from me to your ears, without going through a contrived industry factory line. It's very intimate & special releasing music that directly!

Bonus fact: the Cerulean Sounds logo gives a recipe for Cerulean: if you mix the right ingredients - Cyan, Magenta & Black (sorry Yellow!) in the right ratios - you can print my colour!! 🐳 It's a good metaphor for my collaborative multimedia projects!  

🔗 CeruleanSounds.com

2.

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💡 like many of the songs on my debut album, "island" was first demoed back in December on "The Jester's Song", my weekly Wednesday livestream on YouTube which is still going, and this week is all about the music video premiere at 5pm!  

🔗 go check out that demo to see where it began!

🖼 the new artwork now that I'm doing it solo with Ben

3.

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💡 before posting the next Fact later today about the origin of much of the lyrics of "island", I wanna give some context: I love to perform Mr. William Shakespeare's (and don't let anyone tell you they weren't the words of a middle England individual, I recently read Bill Bryson's takedown of the conspiracy theorists) plays.

🖼 My first outing was donning the regalia to play Watchman No. 3 @tower_theatre_london back in 2017, I've been hooked. So much so I learnt much of Hamlet for @quicksilvershakespeare in Chicago, which was a very modernising take where casting was, not just gender & colour blind, but actually *randomised*.

🔗 my take on 'the famous bit' of Hamlet for the "Mercury Hamlet" promo video

4.

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💡 after demoing a shortened version, just about encouraging a loved one to get out of their head and go outside, a beautiful occurence happened.  When my brother Jonty got married to the lovely Rosie, they got the (intimate collection of) guests books each.  

Not only was I blown away that they got YOU gifts after putting on an amazing ocassion, but I was so delighted with the book they got me, given that it's a modern update on a Shakespeare play "The Tempest". I read it within a week, and immediately rewrote the 2nd half of the song to incorporate loads of the best phrases from that play, and refocused the theme of the song specifically on getting back in touch with the island upon which we live here in Britain.

🖼 this cracking snap was taken by Richard Skins Photography  

🔗 as featured in this article of wedding photos from Love My Dress

5.

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🧩🖼  "and" 9 other tracks on the A-side of the album

💡 "island" will be the centrepiece of my debut album "Smalltown Dreamer: A-side" out June 30th

🔗 The album's digital Liner Notes where you can preview the track listing

6.

🧩🖼 : ❌ marks the spot

📺 Opening of the Music Video, shot & co-directed with applomb by first timer in the form Lucy Parkinson (her website coming soon at LucyParkinson.me) with help of course from my brother Ben. She's got a very bright future! Wish I could just wave a wand and get her a job at the Beeb!

💡 That shot was at Dancer's Ledge, one of the South Coast's best kept secrets (until now!). We were directed there by a wise old owl who knows this island well 🧙‍♂️

🔗 see Lucy telling her story to my rapper alter-ego MC Beastly on Smalltown Dreamers: The Insterviews - my prototype show for my collaborative tour concept - "Smalltown Dreamers: Big City Gigs" (hit Productions above to find out more).

7.

🖼 I love to perform live and can't wait to perform this song in particular.

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💡 Folks who have previewed the track have remarked it's a "summer song", and they can envisage people enjoying it at an outdoor gig or festival. I've timed the release to coincide with the final stage of unlockdown and the start of summer.

🔗 Keep an eye on the album website for an announcement about live music in the next few days!

8.

📺 We went big on the visuals for your enjoyment! Here's a snippet of my fave section in the song.

🔗 The Music Video Premiere

💡 This section goes particularly hard on the "Tempest" references. It actually gives me such a warm feeling listening back to this section, and I hope you feel it too!

9.

📺 Here's the music video

💡 As an independent artist, I need your support. I don't have a label pushing my release online.

If you enjoy it, please share it with your pals!

🔗 my personal blog where I'll be posting my 4 stats updates of how the release is going. Please help me make this release a success!!

Many thanks for your support,

Cerulean

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