Buzzin Pop Music

Gwyneth Herbert is a singer-songwriter with one foot in the jazz world and one somewhere in the world of pop music , with pierrot-dotted eyes, polka-spotted shoes and swanny whistle in hand she may appear as whimsical as a Bonzo Dog, but writes beautiful melodies and has a poet’s grasp of the world around her. Musically her influences range from the junk yard clunk of Tom Waits to the Brechtian punk of the Dresden Dolls and from the minimalism of Steve Reich’ to the banging drum ‘n’ bass of Hackney’s pirate stations.

So what has Gwyneth Herbert been up to lately….

Her cover version of Neil Young’s ‘ Only Love Can Break Your Heart ’ was used in a Hollywood film, she appeared at Wilton’s Music Hall alongside Sian Phillips and Marc Almond, written a song-cycle about the sea to debut in Aldeburgh this autumn, sung a series of 18th Century murder ballads on Radio 4, and composed and performed a specially commissioned soundtrack to silent film The Patsy at the BFI. But while this breathtaking range of activities reveals Gwyneth Herbert to be very much a 21st century artist able to draw on a formidable range of talents, she remains at the very heart of it all a storyteller with a fine ear for a catchy hook, as her latest single, the charming Perfect Fit amply demonstrates.

Perfect Fit is taken from Gwyneth Herbert’s forthcoming album, Clangers & Mash , a mini-album that draws on the many sides of her musical world from stripped back ukulele strums through recent classics to dark-hearted remixes that present her work in a brand new light. As Herbert herself puts it:

“I wanted to do something a bit different to mark the release of our new single, Perfect Fit, so I scrabbled around for a few backstage scrapings and asked a handful of my lovely and varied musician friends to present some Herbert tracks as they’d never been heard before.  The result is Clangers and Mash:  bleepy, tappy, pleasureful ear food to tickle your bellies.  Tuck in”

Gwyneth Herbert Live Dates

15th October – Lowdown Hall, Nottinghamshire
22nd October – The Bear Hotel, Devizes
24th October – 606 Club, London
13th November – Lichfield Guildhall, Lichfield
14th November – Hideaway, Streatham, London

Gwyneth Herbert – Clangers & Mash Tracklisting

1.    Perfect Fit (Radio Edit)
2.    My Mini & Me (Polar Bear Remix)
3.    So Worn Out (In The Bedroom)
4.    My Narrow Man (Girl After Shower Remix)
5.    Perfect Fit (Mr Solo & The Voluntary Butler Scheme Remix)
6.    Petite Cacahuete
7.    So Worn Out (Temper D Remix)
8.    Perfect Fit (Original Version)
9.    Midnight Oil (A cappella)

Clangers & Mash – About The Songs

The Clangers

Perfect Fit (Radio Edit & Original Version)
I wrote this in two hours, sitting in Victoria Park in the sunshine.  It’s only got four chords on it ‘cos I’d just learnt the ukulele and that’s all I could play at the time.

So Worn Out (In The Bedroom)
This track showcases my equally virtuosic talents on the radiator, metal bin and, of course, the notoriously complex stylophone.

Petite Cacahuete
We recorded this song, written for my sister Kit (my Little Peanut), during the original ‘All the Ghosts’ sessions at Real World.  Sound wizard Robert Harder breathed new life into the mix and we decided to give its first material outing.
The Mash

Perfect Fit (Mr Solo & The Voluntary Butler Scheme Remix)
I’ve been a proper fan of both Mr Solo and Voluntary Butler Scheme for some time, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the joy of this cover; it’s as if David Bowie has taken all of my favourite childhood toys for a sunny picnic in a swimming pool and they’re happily jamming through our single.  Yum.

My Mini and Me (Polar Bear Remix)
I’ve had the honour if working with Seb as producer of previous album ‘Between Me and the Wardrobe.’  He has wise ears and magic hands.  Here, he’s transformed what was a kind of roadtrip bluesromp into a stark, mind-blowing escape plea.

My Narrow Man (Girl After Shower Remix)
I always write too many words. In this near-instrumental, Girl After Shower have just used three of them, and it’s lovely.

So Worn Out (Temper D Remix)
My soft spot for banging drum and bass goes back to my Uni days, jumping up and down in the sweaty cellar dives of Newcastle’s backstreets, hands waving through fug, feet sticking to floor.  Many of these occasions were in the company of banging supertalent and longtime friend Temper D, and it’s a proper treat to have him reinvent my 2am Hackney homeward song with his tummy shuddering beats.

Gwyneth Herbert releases mini-album Clangers & Mash on 1st November.