Scotland-based WITHERED HAND releases Waking Up, heralding new How To Love LP

UK indie rock troubadour Withered Hand presents his uplifting new single Waking Up, released on February 14 via Reveal Records, just in time for Valentines Day. The accompanying video was filmed on location in Portobello, Edinburgh by Juliana Capes.

Withered Hand is the nom de plume of Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Dan Willson, originally hailing from London. Collaborating with Mark Freegard (The Breeders, Del Amitri, New Model Army, Lush, Pale Saints) on the radio edit, this is the first single from his How To Love album, officially released on April 28.

Produced, recorded and mixed by renowned producer Tony Doogan (Mogwai, David Byrne, Teenage Fanclub, The Twilight Sad, Belle & Sebastian, The Delgados) at Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow, the new album features guest appearances by King Creosote and Mercury-nominated English songwriter Kathryn Williams.

Waking Up is every bit as beautiful as his acclaimed New Gods LP (2014), which was released on vinyl via Slumberland Records and featured Scottish luminaries from Belle & Sebastian, Frightened Rabbit and The Vaselines, as well as Pam Berry of seminal 90s US noisepop band Black Tambourine, propelling Withered Hand into the charts. On the new album, he continues to live up to his reputation as one of Scotlands most gifted songwriters.

Dan Willson notes, "Its hard to put down your worries when youre so used to carrying them around that they seem like part of who you are. This song is about taking a long hard honest look in the mirror and about the unfolding process of trying to trim my rudder a little every day to do something about what I see there. In my mind I was channeling a Street Legal-era Dylan vibe with that strident chord pattern and Petes swirling Hammond organ and brass and the band bring a lot of joy to this arrangement, we had fun with it".


"Id put the pain down, Im afraid I wont see mercy
Teach me the song the new morning sings"
Willson started writing songs and singing in his thirties following the birth of his first child and the death of a close friend. With a wayward tenor and unaffected charm onstage, he has come to be celebrated as a songwriter and lyricist of rare wit and remarkable honesty. With songs picked up by MTV and cult series Skins, hes gained a legion of fans including Jarvis Cocker and Rolling Stone USA, who deemed him an Artist to Watch.

As of February 14, Waking Up is available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, where the How To Love album can also be obtained directly from the artist.

Having started the new year with a sold-out show at Londons Lexington, more 2023 shows are being added. Withered Hand will play two album launch shows - on April 20th at Manchesters Gullivers and April 28th at Edinburghs Liquid Room, involving special guests.

CREDITS
Dan Willson - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Malcolm Benzie - Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals
Fraser Hughes - Bass, Backing Vocals
Owen Curtis Williams - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Peter Liddle - Keyboards
Richard Merchant - Trumpet
Ross McCrae - Trombone
Lynsey Payne - Saxophone
Eva Willson - Backing Vocals
Eugene Willson - Backing Vocals
Produced, recorded and mixed by Tony Doogan at Castle of Doom Studios, Glasgow
Radio Edit by Mark Freegard
(c) Dan Willson (Rough Trade Publishing)

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