Photo: Chris Almeida

A year on from the release of the magnificent and critically acclaimed GOLD, Alabaster DePlume has announced the release of a new album titled Come With Fierce Grace. All of the songs on the upcoming album were recorded during the same sessions as GOLD, but Come With Fierce Grace is not a collection of leftover material or outtakes. As the press release describes, “it’s a continuation of the organic collaborative and improvisational process that he established… almost as if GOLD has grown a new limb or aged into a new phase.” After spending most of 2022 touring GOLD, Alabaster spent the beginning of this year revisiting the material from the album sessions and guiding it towards a new becoming.

Come With Fierce Grace is mostly an instrumental affair, with the exception of a few tracks that feature vocal contributions from Momoko Gill (aka MettaShiba), Falle Nioke, and Donna Thompson. Alabaster thrives on collaborations and the new album features contributions from a wealth of talented artists, including Sarathy Korwar, Tom Skinner, Rozi Plain, Tom Herbert, Matthew Bourne, Ruth Goller, Conrad Singh, Ursula Russell and many more.

We’ll have to wait until September 8th for the record to be out through International Anthem but Alabaster has already shared a tender and emotionally powerful first offering, ‘Did You Know’,  featuring Momoko Gill on vocals. Take a listen below.

Photo: Julia Foster

New music from ingenious, thought-provoking and unpredictable spoken word artist, bandleader, composer, saxophonist and activist Alabaster DePlume is always a blessing. He has today shared ‘Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem’, his first new single in a year, following the release of his magnificent album, GOLD, last year. Alabaster composed ‘Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem’ live in a Vienna soundcheck alongside Rozi Plain on bass, drummer Momoko Gill and Conrad Singh on guitar, collaborators he calls “one of the most creative yet resilient groups I’ve put together”. Speaking about the track, he comments:

“Even this very second, passing your eyes over these words, is a victory. Breathing, you are victorious. Childishly standing with my flag and my anthem of “I’m alive” I’m victorious. See inside, how you have your own permission, to be. Celebrated or not by others, in one moment, always, or never. You know you are here and you know this is a victory. We can always be more ourselves, and we can always be less so. But there is no ceremony we must wait for, no test, no judgement, before we can sing our victory anthem.”

In addition to the digital release, the single will be available as a 7” flexi disc on May 19th though International Anthem, backed by a new digital-only track called “Child Playing In Forbidden Ruins,”.

Now lend your ears to the jubilant ‘Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem’.

Next week Alabaster DePlume will be gifting the world with his eagerly awaited album, GOLD. So far he has released two magnificent double singles, ‘Don’t Forget You’re Precious’ b/w ‘‘The Sound of My Feet on this Earth is a Song To Your Spirit’, and before that ‘Mrs Calamari’ b/w ‘Who Is A Fool’, both of which have left us itching with anticipation for the full album release. As we near release day, the aboundingly inventive composer, artist and activist is offering the third double single from his upcoming album, ‘I’m Good At Not Crying’, b/w ‘Visitors XT8B – Oak’. ‘I’m Good At Not Crying’ comes with a brilliant and witty video by TENTACLE, directed by Jordan Copeland. Here’s the statement that accompanies the video:

“The sun never set on the British Empire…

Alabaster draws attention to an outdated tendency to inhibit emotional expression & healthy communication using the the best example he can find – himself. Dressed in drag as a fading representative of empire, he boasts to the viewer of his ability to not cry, while beside him a choir of men sing in women’s voices. His lion is long dead and stuffed, staring with glassy eyes, and behind him, repeatedly, (and contrary to the age-old saying), the sun is indeed setting, on the British Empire.”

Check out both songs below and find out how it is impossible not get engrossed in DePlume’s life-affirming new album.

GOLD is out on April 1st through International Anthem, Lost Map and Total Refreshment Centre.

Photo: Chris Almeida

February started on a high note with the release announcement of GOLD, the new double album from ingenious, thought-provoking and unpredictable spoken word artist, bandleader, composer, saxophonist and activist Alabaster DePlume. After giving a first glimpse of the album with a magnificent two-song single, ‘Don’t Forget You’re Precious’ and ‘The Sound of My Feet on this Earth is a Song To Your Spirit’, DePlume is enticing us again with another set of double singles, ‘Mrs Calamari’ and ‘Who Is A Fool’. ‘Mrs Calamari’ is offered with an accompanying video shot on 8mm film, which marks the directorial debut of Dan “Danalogue” Leavers (The Comet Is Coming / Soccer 96)). Speaking about the video, Danalogue says:

“The film explores the archetypal hero’s journey, the symbolism of circles (transformation/death/life cycles). Mrs Calamari is represented as a squid goddess, a teaching of the ‘other’. It is essentially a story about growth and being guided by love. I felt strongly about the magical, organic sound of the music, recorded live and to analogue tape. This gave me inspiration to film on Super8, an antiquated format that holds within a mystery and timelessness.”

Watch the video below and watch out for the release of GOLD on April 1st through International Anthem, Lost Map and Total Refreshment Centre.

In other related good news, Alabaster DePlume is embarking on his first ever US tour next month, with live dates in Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Knoxville, Tennessee, where he will be artist in residence at Big Ears Festival. DePlume will perform with a different ensemble in each city, having invited local artists from the International Anthem family to curate his ensemble.

Photo: Chris Almeida

Ingenious, thought-provoking and unpredictable spoken word artist, bandleader, composer, saxophonist and activist Gus Fairbairn, aka Alabaster DePlume, got us under his spell a while back. So we’re a little bit more than excited to know he’s following his divine To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1, which was one of our Album Picks of 2020, with a double album called GOLD. An artist who thrives on collaborations and is known for mixing and connecting people, DePlume surrounded himself with the most talented musicians to bring the music of GOLD to life, including Rozi Plain, Conrad Singh, Sarathy Korwar, Tom Skinner, Tom Herbert, Danalogue and Matthew Bourne, amongst many others. Recorded at London’s Total Refreshment Centre, GOLD catapults us to a profoundly beautiful, earnest and gentle universe, brimming with positive energy.

We’ll have to wait until April 1st for the album to be out through International Anthem, Lost Map and Total Refreshment Centre but DePlume has already shared a magnificent two-song single, ‘Don’t Forget You’re Precious’ and ‘The Sound of My Feet on this Earth is a Song To Your Spirit.’ ‘Don’t Forget You’re Precious’ comes with an accompanying video directed by Jordan Copeland. Here’s both songs.