Star Wheel Press: Lost EP
(Dull and Indifferent Records)
Some of the best Americana you'll hear this year comes from deep in the heart of Perthshire. Like Bon Iver, Bill Callahan and Willard Grant Conspiracy, Aberfeldy's Star Wheel Press favour a melancholic muse, where the sourness of disappointment is sweetened by the ache of the melody.
Debut album The Life Cycle Of A Falling Bird sold well in Scotland's independent record shops (Ian Rankin counts himself as a fan); on this EP the band rework five of those songs while offering one solitary new track that promises big things for album number two.
Most of the changes are cleaner but subtle (Subbuteo has more stomp to its beat, for example, while the now prominent banjo on Hey Lord adds a back-porch feel to the original's gospel blues, with Northern Irish singer Foy Vance guesting on backing vocals). New song Multiple Personality Murder is a standout, balancing Ryan Hannigan's cracked baritone with Craig Milton's nimble finger-picking and mining a dark humour that's reminiscent of the Handsome Family at their best.
If you're a newcomer, the EP is a bargain as a £3 download from starwheelpress.bandcamp.com, but it's worth shelling out an extra two quid to get the CD version too, as it comes packaged with Hannigan's cover artwork.
Alan Morrison, The Herald

Star Wheel Press… new song, new video, Foy Vance collaboration and new EP!

Aberfeldy’s alt.country troubadours Star Wheel Press are back with their first new material since 2011’s acclaimed first album The Life Cycle of a Falling Bird.

New EP Lost, due for release on April 19 features reworked versions of five Falling Bird tracks plus a new song, Multiple Personality Murder, ahead of recording their long awaited second album, expected in the autumn.

The re-recorded version of Hey Lord also features haunting guest vocals from rising Bangor singer-songwriter Foy Vance who released his own second album Joy of Nothing in a packed 2013, which included an appearance on Dermot O’Leary’s Saturday afternoon show on Radio 2.

Guitarist Craig Milton said:

“We’re incredibly proud of the songs on Falling Bird, even though they were basically a collection of home recordings. The reception for that album was phenomenal so Lost feels like the bridging point between Falling Bird and the second album. We have plenty of songs ready to record so studio time is imminent, but hopefully Multiple Personality Murder will give everyone a taste of what’s to come.”

The band spent 2013 rehearsing and keeping their hand in with the occasional gig including support slots for Eric Pulido of Midlake, Meursault and Adrian Crowley, plus a headline set at the Aberfeldy Festival which also featured King Creosote and James Yorkston. On working with Foy Vance, Craig added:

“Foy has been a fan for a while and I was very privileged to play on his new album alongside the likes of Bonnie Raitt. The new version of Hey Lord came from a bit of jamming at my house in Aberfeldy.”

The release also marks the first steps taken by the band’s new label Dull and Indifferent, put together with former Tidal Wave of Indifference blogger and the band’s manager Stu Lewis. Singer Ryan Hannigan said:

“Falling Bird did incredibly well as an independent release with some record store support, but we want to work ourselves a little bit harder and the idea of a label will help us meet those ambitions. At the minute the label’s more of a concept than an entity The name might look a bit odd, but I’m from a wee village called Dull and Stu used to be indifferent – it makes perfect sense to us and I’m sure others will get the joke.”

The new video for Hey Lord (featuring Foy Vance), also starring Ryan’s dog Seamus Heaney, is streaming on Youtube.

Praise for The Life Cycle of a Falling Bird:

“Beautifully unravelled music of Star Wheel Press” Bob Harris (BBC)
“A really charming record” Ricky Ross (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I absolutely love it…very beautiful record” Lauren Laverne (BBC 6)
“My album of the year” Ian Rankin (Novelist)
“Lovely grounded rootsy music” Tom Robinson

**** Scotsman
**** The Skinny
**** The List