WAYPOINTS #157
1/05/20
"IF YOU FALL INTO THAT PIT OF DESPAIR"
FEAT: GOOD DOG, PICTISH TRAIL, V I S I T ▲ T I O N S , MARTHA FFION, STING vs JIMMY NAIL + MORE...
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There are those in the Lost Map family who love the limelight like it was their own personal wild stallion, riding that majestic beast onto the disco floor wearing a shimmering diamante-encrusted cloak of finest silk and assless chaps of patent leather (Johnny), and there are others who prefer to hang back in the shadows, keepin' it chill. And then, chiller still, there's Suse Bear. Suse you may recognise as bassist/keyboardist/vocalist with Lost Map's own Tuff Love and Pictish Trail, as well as The Pastels, Tracyanne & Danny, Malcolm Middleton and loads more. She is a lynchpin of our little scene, and as talented/versatile musicians tend to be, she is very much "in demand". But would you ever catch Suse walking around in a T-shirt with her own face on it, emblazoned with the words 'I'M SUSE BEAR, I'M GOOD AT MUSIC AND THAT'? No you would not because that's not Suse's style.
Good Dog is Suse's low-key solo project, and we are extremely delighted to announce that we have released her debut single 'Floating' b/w 'Bumblebee', both as part of our PostMap Club subscription service (info on that below), as well as, for freeloaders, via digital streaming services. A 100% excellent full debut album titled Creature will follow on May 22, 2020, on limited-edition CD-R and on digital services (for freeloaders). Here's a bit o' chat from Suse about the record's 15 tracks which represent, she says, “kind of a diary of my 20s”.
“I wrote them, played everything on them, recorded and mixed ‘em all on my computer in my home studio in Glasgow or some on my dad’s Sony tape player from 1981. I’m proud of that but for next time will try and collaborate with people more I think.
“I quite like just making stuff and having it live inside my computer and most of the time amn’t bothered if people hear it or not. But now I’m no longer in my 20s (THANK GOD) and am able to zoom out and reflect on that time, I thought it would be a nice idea to share these songs so I can move on with finishing more recent stuff. These songs are mostly about dealing with loss; getting dreams, films and memories mixed up; the struggle of trying to evolve into your final form as an adult; struggles with mental health; and struggling to fit into society as queer person sometimes."
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SHOP LOST MAP ON BANDCAMP FRIDAY
Musicians being a bunch of broke-ass bitches at the best of times, this whole virus situation has exacted a grim toll on the finances of many of your favourite rock and pop stars. For instance just the other day we saw Sting fighting Jimmy Nail behind the bins over a pair of trousers. If that's how far Sting and even the mighty Jimmy Nail have fallen already, think how tough it must be out there for our humble Lost Map artists, whom we pay mainly in empty promises and old jam jars full of ancient copper coins.
But wait there's a way you can help and it's by... buying clothes. No, not to donate to Sting'n'Jimmy so they stop fighting (too late anyway, Jimmy killed Sting dead with a powerful kick to the thorax), but for your own personal wearing pleasure. As part of Bandcamp Friday today, May 1 – whereby 100% of all sales on the site go to vendors such as us, with Bandcamp generously waiving their usual 10-15% cut – we're making available a whole bunch of rare Lost Map garments'n'accessories. They include Howlin' Fling and Pictish Trail T-shirts, bobble hats and a new Lost Map tote bag (see pic above), all of which can be worn with your body or, if you're buying as a gift, someone else's (body).
Today is also your last chance to purchase anything from the Pictish Trail live fundraiser album collection on Bandcamp before it goes offline tomorrow, May 2 – merch on offer includes a tote, a cap, stickers and mugs, basically everything a growing boy or girl could possibly need. Shop now, help yer old pals Lost Map remain solvent, and get some stylish new garb into the bargain. Sting died for this, don't let his sacrifice have been in vain .
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ALABASTER DEPLUME
x BON IVER FTW
We hate to brag about having loadsa 'sleb mates etc, but our Alabaster dePlume's song 'Visit Croatia', from his latest album To Cy & Lee, has only gone and been sampled by yer actual Bon Iver on his new single PDLIF. Here's a review by Pitchfork if you don't believe us (we do lie a lot, e.g. the Jimmy Nail vs Sting thing). All proceeds help humanitarian aid organisation Direct Relief vs Covid-19. Go Gus!
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VISIT EIGG (NOT LITERALLY) WITH
V I S I T ▲ T I O N S
Can you believe it was almost an entire year ago that we were on Planet Eigg getting absolutely off our knackers at Howlin' Fling 2019? Sadly there's no festival this year – actually that's a good thing because probably it would have been cancelled by the virus hell – but that doesn't mean we can't all travel to Eigg through the power of, like, music (*hits bong, exhales*) maaaaaan.
V I S I T ▲ T I O N S series two is a three-part set of special limited-edition releases, written and recorded in residency in splendid isolation and rural seclusion on our island home. The three EPs by Arthur King, Rachel Aggs and Rozi Plain are being released respectively across the course of 2020 on both 12” vinyl (with download) and as a download only, exclusively as part of a subscription service, which can be signed-up to now from just £25.
Already winging its way to people now is EP 1 by Arthur King, a revolving collective of musicians, visual artists and filmmakers including Jason Lytle, frontman with alt-rock pioneers Grandaddy. Arthur King arrived on Eigg in the week leading up to Howlin’ Fling last year. They stayed for a week and made a load of weird trippy visuals, some of which was projected onto the side of a house, and a load of weird trippy music sampling things like sheep and flags, some of which is captured on their V I S I T ▲ T I O N S EP. You can hear them explain it all for themselves by listening to the latest episodes of the Lost Map Podcast. |
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MAY POSTMAP CLUB:
MARTHA FFION + UNDERMEDVETENHETEN
SIGN UP NOW
Like Cher or Marty McFly or Aqua do you ever wish that you could turn back time and correct terrible mistakes of the past? Do you ever wish that you could patch things up with a lost lover before it was too late, or save your mum from having sex in a car with the wrong man, or add extra cheese to your Subway® Meatball Marinara (that's what the Aqua song was about right)? We can't help you do any of those things, sorry (other than the sandwich maybe, we have cheese), but what we can do from now on is offer you this: if you sign up to our PostMap Club subscription service, not only will you get the current month's postcards sent out straight away, but you'll also get the previous month's postcards sent out too. It's like time travel! Incredible!
May's postcard selection is a particularly juicy paring, including a poptastic new single called 'After the Fact' by Martha Ffion – there's a whole whack o' great new stuff coming from her soon which we'll tell you all about in due course – as well as a mysterious ambient kosmiche/Scandi-soundscapey piece by Undermedvetenheten, which is a new project by John from Lost Map lifers Monoganon (album coming soon). Sign-up to the PostMap Club now if you haven't done so already, and you'll also get postcards from last month by Fell, Pictish Trail and Good Dog. That's (*counts on fingers*), eleventeen postcards! Incredible!
Here's a reminder of the full benefits of being in the PostMap Club and the two membership tiers on offer:
REGULAR BREW
- (£3 + postage, per month)
- Postcards! At least two collectible PostMap postcards sent to your door at the end of every month – each containing download codes for a mixture of brand new music on Lost Map, alongside a random selection from our archives. When you sign up you'll also receive the previous month's postcards, completely free
- Badge! Plus a new badge for every year of your subscription
- Monthly newsletter! Containing hot goss / farmyard shite
- Discounts! On other Lost Map releases, merchandise and gigs
- Feelgood glow! Help support a young independent record label to continue its business in challenging circumstances
GOLD BLEND
- (£5 + postage, per month)
- All of the above except with a bigger badge
- Extra cheese
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THE WAYPOINTS PLAYLIST: NEW FROM LOST MAP
It's been a while since we made you a playlist isn't it? Sorry. Here is a playlist for listening to with your ears.
LISTEN WITH YOUR EARS
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