Welcome to day six of our free downloads advent calendar – we trust that you’ve been enjoying the musical treats thus far.
The tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas is often linked back to the Victorian era, when the supernatural was very much in vogue, with friends gathering around the fire to weave fantastical tales. The era also saw the rise of stage magicians, who often played on this appetite for the otherworldly, and one of the best known was David Devant, whose stage exploits inspired the name of today’s advent calendar act David Devant & His Spirit Wife.
The band gained a cult following at the artier fringe of the Britpop era with a string of oddly marvellous glammed up singles and albums and a live show that was as much performance art as it was a standard gig. That following has endured over the band’s two and a half decades, with a packed live show at The Islington taking place in November.
They have been working on a new album, Sublime, due for release in the new year, which will be their first new studio LP since Power Words for Better Living in 2004 and today we have a track from that album to whet your appetite.
Download ‘Data Stream (Who Am I?)’
David Devant & His Spirit Wife frontman The Vessel was our guest on The Joyzine Radio Show in November, giving us a few glimpses of the new album, including a live ukulele rendition of ‘This Rough Magic’. Check out the podcast here.