The Rails
New Album ‘Cancel The Sun’ out August 16th
Single ‘Call Me When It All Goes Wrong’ Out Now
London Lexington Show – July 31st
9 Date October UK Headline Tour
After launching with the stunning ‘Mossy Well’, The Rails (Kami Thompson and James Walbourne) today announce the details of their fantastic new album ‘Cancel The Sun’ – out August 16th on Thirty Tigers. As part of the announcement, the duo have also released their brand new single ‘Call Me When It All Goes Wrong’ – listen here.
The pair headline a sold out show at The Lexington in London on July 31st, as well as an appearance at this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival the next day.
The Rails will head out on a UK headline tour in October. Dates below:
October
Sun 20th MANCHESTER, Deaf Institute
Mon 21st GLASGOW, King Tuts
Tue 22nd NEWCASTLE, Cluny
Wed 23rd LIVERPOOL, Phase One
Thur 24th HEBDEN BRIDGE, Trades
Fri 25th WINCHESTER, Railway
Sun 27th BIRMINGHAM, Hare And Hounds
Mon 28th BRISTOL, Louisiana
Tue 29th LONDON, Oslo
Written by the Rails and produced by Stephen Street, best known for his work with The Smiths and Blur, the album marks a welcome return for these fine purveyors of 21st century folk and it’s the first new music since the 2017 release of their ‘Other People’ album.
“We’d been knocking some names around,” Thompson says. “On the last record I had kept thinking about Graham Coxon’s solo records, and that in your face guitar. We unravelled the thread of Stephen’s discography and realised we would absolutely love to work with him. I loved that there was no fucking around: get there in the morning, work solidly, and then go home knackered. He was involved in every little element of the sound.”
There’s something different about The Rails on their brilliant third album. It’s not just the sound of the record, which is harder, tougher and rockier than ever before. ‘Cancel The Sun’ is melodic and immediate, and brings together the musical pasts of Kami Thompson and James Walbourne in a record that sounds like a pure version of themselves.
Following on from previous track ‘Mossy Well’, that Clash Magazine described as “joyous folk-rock with a highly personal twist”, new single ‘Call Me When It All Goes Wrong’ signals that revitalised, tougher guitar pop edge and marks “a big step forward for us,” Thompson says. “We were freed up by working better together to draw in our influences.”
What makes The Rails so special are their trademark harmonies, evident throughout the album. “We sing together, and we can’t wait till the other one joins in,” Walbourne says. “That is something that’s great and very natural, and we can telepathically do it now, which is a great thing to be able to do with someone. I don’t get that from anyone else”.
Kami Thompson is folk royalty, daughter of Linda and Richard Thompson and sister of Teddy. James is an extraordinary guitarist who worked with Son Volt, the Pogues and the Kinks before joining the Pretenders.
The Rails are right on track with ‘Cancel The Sun’. It’s a record to make you hope they stay on them forever, the end of the world notwithstanding.
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