FESTIVALS UNITED COMMUNITY
28.06.2004 18:59
15.06.2004
Press Release: Gravity released on Independiente on August 30th
Embrace have always taken the organic approach to songwriting. They believe in writing what comes naturally. And what comes naturally are songs that are life affirming, heartfelt and all embracing. These themes have remained a constant throughout Embrace's career and hence it's no surprise that they recur once more on the band's latest album due for release in September.
Heralding the album's release is debut single Gravity, a song that bears all the hallmarks of a Danny McNamara composition. Expressive, panoramic in scope and featuring McNamara's most powerfully emotive vocal to date, Gravity would sit comfortably alongside any one of Embrace songs. And yet it was written by Coldplay singer and songwriter Chris Martin.
The decision to record another artist's song might seem surprising were it not for a long standing friendship between Martin and McNamara dating back to when Coldplay supported Embrace at the Blackpool Empress Ballroom in 2000.
Martin originally wrote the song for Coldplay but as it developed it became clear to him that the song might be better suited to Embrace. As he explains, "We've always loved Embrace and Danny is one of my best friends. When we wrote Gravity we thought it sounded far too much like them for us, but not too much like them for them, so I asked Danny if he wanted the song and that was that".
On hearing the song, McNamara felt it was just what was missing from the album. "There was no out and out love song, something there'd always been in the past" he says, "You could say there was a Gravity shaped hole waiting to be filled". And whilst he admits to some reservations about recording someone else's song he's had to concede that Gravity sounds like "the best ballad I never wrote".
Gravity will be released on August 30th, prior to the album's release on Sept 13th. Produced by long time collaborator Youth, and in it's final stages of recording, the album will feature 10 Embrace compositions in addition to the single.
Coinciding with the release, Embrace will play their first live date since February 2002 with a one-off headlining show at Shepherd's Bush Empire on Sept 3rd. Tickets are on sale from June 15th, priced £15 and available from Shepherd's Bush Empire box office on 0870 771 2000 / 020 7403 3331 or 24 hr credit card hotline: 0871 2200 260.
Tracklistings and details of the single will be announced over the coming weeks, along with details of some other gigs around the time of the singles release. Stay tuned for further information.
http://www.embrace.co.uk/
