Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has released details of his new album which has been recorded with REM guitarist Peter Buck, along with Belle & Sebastian drummer Richard Colburn, fellow Snow Patrol touring member Troy Stewart, Scott McCaughey and Iain Archer.
The new group, called Tired Pony, will release their debut record, ‘The Place We Ran From‘, on July 12th. The LP was recorded over the course of just one week with producer Garret ‘Jacknife’ Lee, who has previously worked with both Snow Patrol and REM. The record will also feature takes from Editors frontman Tom Smith, and rising indie stars She & Him.
Speaking about the project, Lightbody said: “It’s inspired by my love of Wilco, Calexico, Lambchop, Palace, Smog, these bands that look at the darkness in America. I wanted to write a twisted love-letter to the States.”
While Peter Buck added: “It felt really powerful and emotional, and also real free. I don’t know if Gary went into it planning it to be something that was to last longer than the week of recording, but it certainly felt at the end of the week like it was a band, and that this was a good place to start. It would be crazy not to pursue this.”
The first single, ‘Dead American Writers‘, and the album will be released simultaneously, with tour dates expected to be announced shortly according to Lightbody, who told BBC 6Music: “We just wanted to do a gig as soon as possible, to let people see that it was a proper band, not just this odd floating idea.”
“It seemed crazy to do something as good as this record is and just walk away from it,” added Buck. “There’ll hopefully be some shows and maybe another record.”
‘The Place We Ran From’ tracklisting:
‘Northwestern Skies’
‘Get On The Road’
‘Point Me At Lost Islands’
‘Dead American Writers’
‘Held In The Arms Of Your Words’
‘That Silver Necklace’
‘I Am A Landslide’
‘The Deepest Ocean There Is’
‘The Good Book’
‘Pieces’