Ian King ~ Inebriate of Air
After a decade building drystone walls and cultivating olive trees in Tuscany,
Ian King returns with an extraordinary new album – setting poems by Emily Dickinson to his own music.
The world changed in 2020. Many of us learned to live in a more restricted world – holding our nearest and dearest close, exploring the beauties near at hand and
re-examining our hopes and fears. Isolating on a small Italian olive farm,
Ian King began to explore the poetry of Emily Dickinson.
Inebriate of Air sees Ian set sixteen of her magnificent poems to music. His gentle, exquisite, jewel-like arrangements grow from and around the musicality of Dickinson’s words in a most magical manner. The album was composed, arranged, performed and recorded by Ian at home. Shaped by some extraordinary events globally and locally, the music speaks directly to these days and our dreams for those days to come.
Track list:
1. It’s all I have to bring today 1:49 2. These are the days when Birds come back 2:51. 3. The Skies can’t keep their secret! 2:59 4. I taste a liquor never brewed 3:385. We grow accustomed to the Dark 3:01 6. I’ll tell you how the Sun rose 2:30 7. I Years had been from Home 2:21 8. The Love a Life can show Below 3:11 9. Because He loves Her 2:05 10. Long Years apart 1:23 11. You cannot put a Fire out 2:56 12. If I can stop one Heart from Breaking 2:27 13. Some say goodnight 2:07 14. “Hope” is the thing with feather 3:04 15. I think to Live – may be a Bliss 4:16 16. Blazing in Gold 2:02
IAN KING ~ Inebriate of Air. Songs for Emily
CD / DL ~ Fledg’ling FLED 3113. 5020393 311328
Release date : 1st October 2021
This is a very special album for me that in some ways represents numerous personal developments on so many levels. My first ever fully self-produced recordings and a delightful safari into the world of Emily Dickinson poetry. In writing songs to these poems – the idea was to try animate the words, bring them to life in a new way.
I feel blessed to have worked alongside my dear friend David Suff at Fledg’ling Records who not only designed the beautiful sleeve artwork for a limited CD run, (with concertina booklet for the poems) but his invaluable attention to detail and care along the way has been so important and precious to me. It is safe to say that without David and my wife Heather, this album might not have got much further than the starting blocks, and I am delighted, grateful and humbled to be sat here, ready to embark on another chapter of music adventures.
There is a podcast planned to support and explore each track/poem on the album and I am hoping to invite guests to talk about the poems and share thoughts. Most likely one a month over the next year or so.
I hope that you like the songs and arrangements.
IAN KING ~ Inebriate of Air. Songs for Emily.
CD / DL ~ Fledg’ling FLED 3113. 5020393 311328. Release date : 1st October 2021