A sweet summer breeze of sailing melody and warming brass, Mr Blue is the new single from rising star Catherine Feeny and is released on Tallgrass/Charisma on August 20th.A heartfelt ode written to console a troubled lover, the song first came to prominence in the U.S having featured as a central theme of the film ‘Running With Scissors’ starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Mr Blue was also included in the opening episode of The OC’s latest series and subsequently reached No.1 in the US iTunes Charts with over 25,000 downloads. For it’s UK single release Mr Blue has been remixed by Jeremy Wheatley - who has lent his formidable mixing skills to the likes of Razorlight and Corinne Bailey Rae and will be available on CD, 7 vinyl and for download. The song is taken from Feeny’s sophomore album Hurricane Glass, which was originally released to critical acclaim on indie label Tallgrass last year. A groundswell of support in the UK however, and the success of Mr Blue stateside prompted EMI to sign Feeny and a repackaged and remixed version of her album is out now in the UK.
Philadelphia born Feeny started her musical career in LA, but moved to the more relaxed environs of Norfolk to record Hurricane Glass with producer Sebastian Rogers.
It’s a move that’s put her on the map here too, and a year of support slots with, amongst others, Martha Wainwright, John Prine, Suzanne Vega and most recently Wilco, has resulted in a burgeoning fan base.
Her album is one of big themes, wrapped in perfectly formed songs and given the deftest touches of production. As the Sunday Times so pertinently observed Feeny’s songs soothe the listener with strummed guitar and mellifluous vocal lines and only then coil their complications and ambiguities around you, and Mr Blue, all spectral piano, funereal brass and solicitous lyrics should soon be unavoidable on radio.
Feeny followed her recent sell out headlining show at Bush Hall with appearances at GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL on the Acoustic Stage on Saturday 23rd June and at the BEAUTIFUL DAYS FESTIVAL in Devon on Saturday 18th August ahead of her own headlining tour in September. Dates as follows with tickets on sale now:
AUGUST 30, ABERDEEN, Lemon Tree, (Box Office; 01224 642 230); 31 EDINBURGH. Cabaret Voltaire (0870 903 3444); SEPTEMBER 1 LANCASTER, The Dukes (0845 344 0640); 2 MANCHESTER, Club Academy (0161 832 1111); 4 NORWICH, Arts Centre (01603 660 352), 5 LONDON, Dingwalls (0870 400 0688); 6 BRISTOL, The Fleece (0117 929 9008); 7 EXETER, The Phoenix (01392 667 080), 9 SHEFFIELD, The Boardwalk (0870 145 1207), 10 GATESHEAD, The Sage (0191 443 4661), 11 BIRMINGHAM, Glee Club (0870 241 5093), 12 LEICESTER, The Charlotte (0116 255 3956), 13 BRIGHTON, Komedia (01273 647 100).