Following the release of their latest record Post-Christmas Lullaby in January, London based duo Huguenots today unveiled a new remixed and remastered edition of their 2014 debut EP, Heyford. Following in the classic British kitchen-sink songwriting tradition, these five vignettes, given a new lease of life by engineer Rowland Prytherch’s re-working, mix frontman Bayly Pike’s post-punk vocal delivery with multi-instrumentalist Tom Fleming’s Americana-tinged indie folk backing.
We caught up with Bayly and Tom and asked them to guide us through the EP’s five tracks.
Get Back To Me
When we started Huguenots the idea was to go back to basics, to make music played (mostly) on acoustic instruments that didn’t have need for a rehearsal or recording studio. We recorded this EP in my flat, played mostly live with minimal overdubs and as few takes as possible – aiming not for perfect performances but rather to capture the energy and essence of the songs via a simple, DIY set-up. I think the way this track starts, with a couple of mandolin strums, some banjo notes and a few hits of the cajon before the song starts proper, sets the tone nicely. ‘Get Back To Me’ is a story of lost love, regret and desperation. An abandoned holiday to Iceland forms the centrepiece of a breakup, a symbol of the potential of happiness and the sting of its passing. ‘Get back to me’ is also a desperate plea to turn the clock back to better times, to escape this ‘acid burning hell’ of heartbreak.
Boom Boom Times
This song had been kicking around for a while before we recorded it – we used to play an up-tempo, electric version of it in a previous band but decided to slow it down with finger-picked guitar and banjo leading the way. Written about an encounter with an older woman resulting in unrequited love, it’s a melancholy exploration of what might have been, and the pain of rejection, although there’s a hint of hope in the compulsion to ‘keep on dancing’…
Beehive
‘Beehive’ is a celebration of the sense of community that can exist with a local pub at its centre (and the threat of closure that many face). The song explores local characters who pass through, the sense of ease of being a part of a social circle – Beehive as well as being the name of the establishment also symbolising the constant coming and goings and bustle of a real beehive. The pub stands as a constant in a shifting world, a place of reliability, friendship and solace.
Easy Loving
A simple song about the simple joys of love and life, of waking up next to someone and feeling good!
The Way Around Your Heart
We let ourselves cut loose on the last track – and even let an electric guitar slip in…it’s always a fun song to play and I think it has great energy. Lyrically, it revisits the themes of ‘Get Back To Me’, but time has moved on. Although the lyrics again look back to the past, there is a more optimistic view of the future now – time has done some healing and the upbeat nature of the accompanying music suggests a brighter outlook…
Huguenots’ Heyford EP is out now as a digital download via Bandcamp.
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Introduction by Paul Maps
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