Will Oldham, well-bearded folk musician of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy fame, is set to release a collaborative record with Glaswegian band Trembling Bells. Entitled The Marble Downs, it’s due for release on 9th April thorough the ever on-form Honest Jon’s label.
Trembling Bells, led by drummer Alex Neilson, have released several records in the past through the label. This collaborative project began when Neilson and Oldham met while working with Alasdair Roberts on his 2005 album No Earthly Man. According to Neilson the album shows off a "common vocabulary and identity being formed" between Oldham and Trembling Bells.
In advance of the album’s release an eight-track EP, Duchess, is now available for order at the Honest Jon’s site. The track samples available for streaming there should also give you some idea of what to expect from the full-length – all eight tracks are unique to the EP but four were recorded during the same sessions, and will feature alongside some Scott Walker material and "a side of unaccompanied folk singing".
In other Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy news, Faber & Faber are set to publish a book gifted with the fairly self-explanatory title Will Oldham on Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy on April 5th. At 400 pages, it gathers together a series of chats between Oldham and his long-time friend, musician/writer Alan Licht. According to Faber & Faber’s website, the interviews "probe his highly individualistic approach to music making and the music industry, one that cherishes notions of intimacy, community, mystery, and spontaneity." It will be released both as a paperback and a limited edition, boxed, numbered, 300-copies-only-with-exclusive-music edition that will set you back the princely sum of £150. More details at their website.
