FOWL SWOOP by MarineVille (New Zealand)
MarineVille - Fowl Swoop
“I THINK I KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS - BRING ME A PLATE OF ICE-CREAM!”
FOWL SWOOP is the 3rd album from Wellington's MarineVille. Roaring out of the blocks with 6 minutes of psych-rock blast via 'The Birds in the Trees', FOWL SWOOP follows up with 9 moody pop miniatures crafted in the best tradition of post-punk and new wave.
Released as a 12” LP by Los Angeles label Last Visible Dog, each copy of Fowl Swoop comes in a screen-printed cover handmade by the band. Says guitarist Mark Williams: "We couldn't agree collectively over what should be Side 1, so one side of the LP is stamped FOWL and the other SWOOP…”
FOWL SWOOP is MarineVille's 3rd album and took three years to complete. Williams puts the long gestation of FOWL SWOOP down to the band members busy schedule playing with other acts. Drummer Greg Cairns recently toured Australasia playing drums for Will Oldham aka Bonnie Prince Billy. Guitarist Mark Williams released an album with Bad Sta-tistics in Belgium, Keyboardist Jeremy Coubrough runs his own cassette label Rampant Runes and plays with Signer. Since the recording of Fowl Swoop the band has been joined on bass by Denise Roughan, who last year played reformation shows in the United States and Britain with the 3D's.
Founding member Mark Williams describes FOWL SWOOP as a labour of love - “We real-ly worked hard on this LP, crafting the background, the spaces between things, adding lots of subtle instrumental shading. Producing a record like assembling a jigsaw – why doesn't this fit? Does it fit? Etc.”
Where MarineVille's two previous releases Ready for the Dance (Oak Park Records, 2001) and Diving the Wreck (Involve Records, 2005) were distributed in New Zealand through a network of record stores, Fowl Swoop will be available locally via online distribution, directly from the band at gigs or 1 or 2 independent record shops. Says Williams; “We could try and distribute the record in New Zealand through shops, but apart from Slow Boat in Wellington, what's left?
The LP is released in US label Last Visible Dog, who have a long history of supporting New Zealand music. Williams hopes the release of the LP in the United States leads to possibilities for future releases, and he says the group has already begun recording the follow-up to Fowl Swoop. “I've given myself 10 days to finish the vocals on 6 songs... there's no way our next record will take four years to make. Everything is very positive...”
Tracklist
| 1. | The Birds in the Trees | 6:06 |
| 2. | Frilly Fashion | 4:33 |
| 3. | Time | 3:20 |
| 4. | Get Along | 3:48 |
| 5. | Going to a Wedding | 3:21 |
| 6. | Here I Am | 4:42 |
| 7. | Digging for China | 2:57 |
| 8. | Burning the Man | 3:36 |
| 9. | Angry Blues | 3:57 |
| 10. | Feline | 5:44 |
Credits
MarineVille - FOWL SWOOP
Mark Williams - guitar, vox
Greg Cairns - drums
Jeremy Coubrough - keyboard, guitar, horns
Rebecca Rice - bass, vox
w/ Greg Malcolm guitar (9)
Initial Band Recordings at Happy, Wellington 2007, engineered by Bevan Smith. Completed at various locations in Newtown 2007-10, engineered by Jeremy Coubrough.
Mixed by Jeremy Coubrough, Bevan Smith and MarineVille.
LP pressed at Bill Smith Custom Records, Los Angeles (MVFS10). Cover designed by Jeremy Coubrough. Screen-printed by MarineVille.
Special thanks to: Mike Heynes and John Lake. Thanks also: Menno Huibers, Campbell Kneale, Scott Pearson, Denise Roughan, Chris Moon, YC Blue, Dan B, Emma B, Verily, Paul and the Adelaide, Happy, Freds, Andy at Blueprint Imaging, ex-Mariners David Hall, Geoffrey Trail.
Contact: mark_williams_1@yahoo.com
