S6E325 - Nick Drake 'Bryter Layter with Paul Chastain
When English singer/songwriter Nick Drake released his ambitious second album - 'Bryter Layter' - in 1971, he all-but-squashed any chance of commercial success by failing to promote it. Three years later the troubled artist was gone. This week's...
When English singer/songwriter Nick Drake released his ambitious second album - 'Bryter Layter' - in 1971, he all-but-squashed any chance of commercial success by failing to promote it. Three years later the troubled artist was gone. This week's guest, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Paul Chastain (Velvet Crush, The Small Square), helps us unpack this evocative collection of songs featuring musical backing by members of Fairport Convention, The Beach Boys and John Cale among others. Essential listening.
Songs discussed in this episode: Tomorrow Is A Long Time (Bob Dylan Cover) - Nick Drake; Hold Me Up - Velvet Crush; Twenty-Third - The Small Square; Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys; Rosie - Fairport Convention; Holocaust - Big Star; Introduction, Hazey Jane II, From The Morning, At The Chime Of A City Clock - Nick Drake; Forever Instant - Lou Barlow (Sentridoh); One Of These Things First - Nick Drake; All I Want To Do - The Beach Boys; Pink Moon, Hazey Jane I - Nick Drake; Heartbeats-Jose Gonzalez; Bryter Layter, The Fly - Nick Drake; Stephanie Says - The Velvet Underground; Poor Boy - Nick Drake; Marianne - Leonard Cohen; Northern Sky, Sunday - Nick Drake; It'll Take A Long Time - Sandy Denny; Baby Face - The Small Square
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Paul Chastain
musician/songwriter
The Small Square is building on its 2015 self-titled album with second collection Ours & Others, arriving from Farm to Label Records. The duo of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Paul Chastain and drummer, percussionist, and vocalist John Louis Richardson recorded Ours & Others at Richardson’s Drum Farm Studio, returning to the same studio space in a modified 18th century granary in which they created their first offering. The Small Square are also planning a rerelease of their debut album with wider reach in 2023.
Chastain is the songwriter and co-founder of Rock group Velvet Crush and has worked both live and in the studio with Matthew Sweet, Mitch Easter, Roger McGuinn, Susanna Hoffs, Tommy Keene, and more. Richardson has recorded and performed with the likes of Joey Molland (Badfinger), Gin Blossoms, Jay Bennett (Wilco), Tommy Keene, and many others.
Chastain and Richardson have a long association and their collaboration pre-dates The Small Square Small, where recording at Richardson’s Drum Farm Studio sees Chastain traveling from his home in Japan to work with contributing musicians for a week or more at a time, and then continuing to hone and expand tracks from his home studio.
Musical differences between Chastain and Richardson are also a source of productivity as each might suggest new directions for material that either has generated. Chastain and Richardson share producing duties, with production playing a major role in the songwriting process and in finalizing songs.
Key collaborators on the album include Adam Ollen… Read More