Simon and The Astronauts have returned with a new song, “Ten League Boots.” This trio has been making music together for a long time, and for their most recent release, they’ve enlisted the help of someone they highly respect: Rachel Haden. Simon and The Astronauts’ second self-titled record is set to be released on April 22nd, 2022.
Simon and The Astronauts are no strangers to collaboration, having worked with various artists over their history as a trio. The trio released their debut EP, The Entertainment Suite in 2019 and quickly followed this release with their debut, self-titled album later that year, spawning the viral TikTok hit ‘I’m Just A Cat.’
The group began as a project between songwriters Simon Wells and Ben Hewerdine, with producer and musician Chris Pepper when Ben’s father, the renowned English songwriter and record producer Boo Hewerdine, introduced them.
Rachel Haden is the co-founder of That Dog and The Haden Triplets and a solo artist and collaborator with Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Anais Mitchell, Todd Rundgren, and many others. When they began work on their second full-length album as a trio, Simon and The Astronauts decided that something was lacking in the group. They contacted Rachel to see whether she would be interested in collaborating, and she agreed. Simon and The Astronaut’s second album emerged from their collaboration.
In discussing “Ten League Boots,” Simon Wells of the band says, “It’s a song about change for yourself or whatever you choose. It’s my take on Seven-league boots to make your own moonshot.”
Seven-league boots are an element in European folklore. The boots allow the person wearing them to take strides of seven leagues per step, resulting in great speed. The boots are often presented by a magical character to the protagonist to aid in the completion of a significant task.
After Haden agreed to join forces, the quartet began their global collaboration, working remotely between Haden’s base in LA, and Pepper’s Cambridge studio, writing and recording this excellent album of 12 new songs. This new release effortlessly moves from alt-rock on ‘I Have A Name’ to lovely balladry on ‘Lost In London,’ through to the powerful guitars and cinematic atmosphere of ’10 League Boots,’ proving itself an ambitious and sonically diverse work overall.
Simon Wells said: “The album has always been a pleasure for me. They can be a mystery that can start with the name of the band, a track on the radio or just the artwork. ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ is an obvious example for me. Or ‘Kid A’ or ‘Universal Human’ by Weezer. For this recording, I wanted to capture the album mystery and for everyone involved to be part of the ride. It had to be about playing side A and turning the vinyl to hear the rest of the album and finish the journey/story. This all begins with the songwriting process through to the mixing and mastering. People always make the difference and the joy from hearing Rachel sing with such emotion made the songs complete.”
Simon and The Astronauts’ second self-titled also features additional contributions from LA studios Sea Grass Studios & Spirit Kid Sound, as well as English musician Boo Hewerdine, Swedish multi-instrumentalist Gustaf Ljunggren, lyrics inspired by Haden’s Jazz legend father Charlie Haden and the blessing of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo to interpolate their song ‘Surf Wax America’. ‘
The upcoming album from Simon and The Astronauts, is without a doubt going to appeal to listeners of all types! ‘Simon and The Astronauts’ will be released via the band’s own imprint on April 22nd 2022 with the possibility of summer tour dates on the horizon. Keep an eye out for news.
Listen to ‘Ten League Boots’ below:
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