Today, The Big Takeover has the pleasure of premiering the new single ‘Technicolor Summer Sunshine’ from Liverpool-based singer-songwriter Paul Den Heyer. Ahead of his debut album Everything So Far, which is out May 17 via A Turntable Friend Records, who wouldn’t be chuffed to serve up this fine piece of chill Britpop on a platter. Likely the strongest disciple of Slowdive’s Neil Halsted out there, Den Heyer’s first offering is a lackadaisical sunray of positive psychedelic-tinged musical essence that wonderfully combines elements of The Verve, Mazzy Star, Red House Painters and even The Byrds.

The Big Takeover is pleased as punch to host the premiere of the appropriately named “Technicolor Summer Sunshine”, which shines on with a bucolic pop vibe. The track unfolds like an unhurried, hazy daydream filled with the laid-back strum of acoustic guitar, drifting harmonica notes, the curl of lap steel guitar and touches of soft piano and brushed drums, and through it all emanates Den Heyer’s hushed, warm, and dazed vocals.

Den Heyer is perhaps best known as frontman of 90s Liverpool band Fishmonkeyman, who produced the indie-hit ‘If I’ve Told You Once’, signed on with Warners and Virgin Music, and kept up active appearances on TV, radio and on the road. The spectrum of folks who are likely to fall in love with this music is surely broader than the run of artists cited in the press release (Mojave3, Slowdive, Mazzy Star, The Byrds, Sunstack Jones, The Springfields).

He also produces Sunstack Jones and is member of The Red Sided Garter Snakes with former members of The Chameleons, Bauer, Puressence and Inspiral Carpets – if that doesn’t sound like a ticket to uber-coolness, I don’t know what is.

Everything So Far is his first solo release, made with the help of good friends and recorded in Britain’s Wirral region. Paul Den Heyer creates moody acoustic landscapes and melodic miniatures with fantastic harmonies and a rich set of instrumentation. Dave Dix, producer of such luminaries as Alison Moyet, Black and Bat For Lashes, has gone on record to support this album, saying “This is truly a beautiful record. It’ll definitely be the most chilled out album of the year! It’s uplifting and thoughtful though there is tinge of sadness too. Mainly I would describe it lyrically as thankful to the earth and sun for having us around for a bit”

Den Heyer describes his musical style as ‘Britanicana’. Indeed, his music blends British folk songwriting with 60s/70s American psych-pop, drawing on Influences from Syd Barrett, Nick Drake, John Martyn and Richard Thompson with a tip of the hat to Neil Young and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Den Heyer notes that his shoe-gazing 90s background also peeps through in his simple production.

“Everything So Far is a personal collection of songs triggered by a sequence of recent family and friend bereavements and a health scare of my own 5 years ago. Such things (as the members of Spinal Tap in their movie state) give a person ‘too much fucking perspective’ and often put them into an introspective state of mind. This was certainly the case with me and was enough to make me write my first new songs in almost 20 years,” says Paul Den Heyer.

“The songs came thick and fast and effortlessly, unusual for me, and were recorded quickly in between sessions for a Sunstack Jones album I was working on in the summer. Hence, the band feature on the LP heavily as they were good enough and only too happy to help out. Wouldn’t have happened without them!”

As of May 17, Everything So Far will be released on digital platforms, including iTunes, Bandcamp and Spotify with worldwide distribution through London’s SRD (Southern Record Distributors).

It will be available as a limited 9-track CD in gatefold, and also on limited 9-track with a choice of black vinyl or milky-white vinyl (exclusive to Bandcamp Limited Run http://aturntablefriendrecords.limitedrun.com and Rough Trade orders). Both options come with a download code, while vinyl orders also come with a lyrics sheet.

CREDITS
Produced with Christopher Jones, Richy Jones, Lorcan Moriarty, Dave Jackson, Julian Connor, Jason Riley, Nicholas Schuster, Bill Teags, Jessica Den Heyer, Terry Lloyd & Alan Currie at The Panic Room, Wirral.
Mastered by Danny Woodward at Whitewood Studios, Liverpool.

TRACK LIST
1) Technicolor Summer Sunshine
2) Clear Sunlight View
3) Illusions Shine Like Gold
4) Unfolding (Revisited)
5) Money Cloud
6) Passing Of The Season
7) Home Song
8) End Of The Summer
9) Everything So Far

PAUL DEN HEYER
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