Married Christian missionary workers Andrew (Ryan Phillippe) and Sue (Mena Suvari) are forced to leave their station in the Kalahari Desert after their lives are threatened by a militant group. Hitching a ride with Grun (Emile Hirsch), a shady smuggler with his own agenda, their departure doesn’t go to plan when the plane crashes in the desert. With Sue gravely injured, Andrew decides to stay by her side while Grun leads the other survivors to find a rescue team.
From the look of the artwork of ‘Prey!’, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re in for an adrenaline-rush along the lines of the Idris Elba guilty pleasure ‘Beast’. Unfortunately, the lion that’s pictured on the cover doesn’t make an appearance until much later in the film meaning that you have around an hour of meandering plot to wade through first. ‘Prey!’ starts promising enough as the set-up builds and the urgency for Andrew and Sue to leave Africa ramps up. Once the inevitable plane crash happens, the film slips into a lull that it doesn’t recover from. Characters argue, many conversations are had but not much actually happens.
With a cast that includes Ryan Phillippe, Emile Hirsch and Mena Suvari, you’d rightly be expecting a decent watch. All three are capable actors but this low budget thriller does them all a disservice. Delivering stilted and cringe-worthy dialogue – at one point Grun drops Andrew down the side of some rocks, causing him to have a brutal fall and with a straight face he leans over the edge and asks if he’s OK – the actors all deserve better than this weak take on a survival thriller.
To their credit, the central three actors do their best. Phillippe tries to find some nuance in his two-dimensional character while Hirsch at least has some fun as the villain of the film. Suvari is woefully under-used and only gets a handful of lines. The supporting cast is adequate but you’ll likely remember nothing about them once the credits roll.
Credit: Signature Entertainment
‘Prey!” isn’t a very good film sadly. The premise is solid enough, if not particularly original, and the cast is capable but they are let down by an underwritten story, some shocking special effects and a third act climax that’s right up there with some of cinema’s greatest WTF moments. I’d hoped this would at least but a popcorn thriller akin to a late night TV movie but alas, it was just incredibly dull.
Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Emile Hirsch, Mena Suvari, Jeremy Tardy, Dylan Flashner Director: Mukunda Michael Dewil Writer: Mukunda Michael Dewil Certificate: 15 Duration: 91 mins Released by: Signature Entertainment Release date: 29th April 2024 Buy ‘Prey!’ now
This article contains an affiliate link. Purchases through this link may result in us earning a commission.
Originally from Medicine Hat, Canada, MacKenzie Porter started out as an actress before moving into country music. She’s topped the Canada Country charts four times, as well as having a Billboard Country number one hit with her Dustin Lynch collaboration ‘Thinkin’ ‘Bout You’. Now she’s released her major label debut album, ‘Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart’.
The 19-track record opens with ‘Easy To Miss’, which sees Porter reminiscing on a breakup and not being quite able to let go yet. It’s a twangy, pop-influenced track with quick vocal delivery from Porter, who showcases the drawl in her voice before lifting into a sweet, rich quality on the chorus. There’s a breathiness to it that’s reminiscent of 90s R’n’B, but what really struck me was the emotion she puts into it. For a song that on the surface sounds light and fluffy, there’s real emotion here that makes it very easy to connect with her and goes beyond just being a straightforward pop-country tune.
That’s something that runs through this project, with Porter frequently packing her songs with as many words as you feel like she can cram into three minutes and then some. The soft, wistful ‘Young At Heart’ gives her an early chance to show off her vocal belt with its soaring chorus, tempo changes and lyrical twist, whilst ‘Coming Home To You’ is a warm, heartfelt love song that’s full of details about sticky back doors and scratched hardwood. Elsewhere, she shows her playful side on ‘Bet You Break My Heart’, a slinky, tongue-in-cheek track with a gliding vocal, as well on the stripped-back ‘Wrong One Yet’ (which thematically echoes Megan Moroney’s ‘Tennessee Orange’) and the pulsing singalong ‘Pickup’.
For me some of the strongest moments on the record come when Porter tries something a bit different. ‘Rough Ride For A Cowboy’ is a rattling, dramatic tune with biting delivery as Porter turns the tables on a reckless ex, whilst ‘Strong Things’ sees her exploring a sultry Western sound through a sparse shuffling melody and ‘Less Is More’ incorporates electronic and dance elements alongside references to Houston skies being ‘painted by the hand of God’ before coming back down to earth through a ‘crayon Mona Lisa’. Meanwhile, the sassy ‘Have Your Beer’ has some great rock guitar flourishes, ‘Walk Away’ channels classic Carrie Underwood kiss-offs with its powerful sense of swager and spoken word sections, and ‘Chasing Tornadoes’ brilliantly captures the sense of being reckless and carefree when you first fall for someone with its thumping drums and big vocals from Porter.
That said, for a complete change of pace, I particularly enjoyed her expressing a quiet confidence on tracks like the lush ‘Pay Me Back In Change’, dreamy old-school tribute to young love ‘Along Those Lines’ and ‘Confession’, a piano-led number which puts the emphasis on her raw vocals as she delivers the brutally frank lyrics about taking the blame for a relationship breakdown (‘you’ve been my hardest lesson’ being a standout line). One of the strongest examples of this is ‘Nightingale’, an ode to a ‘blonde haired girl [with] holes in her jeans’ that features a bright fiddle melody and has a uplifting, almost spiritual quality to it. I also really liked ‘Sucker Punch’, a yearning number which sees Porter reflecting on an ex moving on. It’s got some fantastic storytelling and there’s something about Porter’s delivery that makes it surprisingly emotional.
Porter closes the album with the title track, and it’s arguably the most personal song of the lot. With references to her date of birth and the damage that life can do to a person (such as parents divorcing), the mellow guitar and introspective lyrics work really well with her delicate vocals and high notes. It ends the album on a note of uncertain optimism, looking to the future of opening up to a new love, and there’s a joyfulness about it that makes it feel really touching and genuine.
Overall MacKenzie Porter has delivered a strong introduction to her sound on ‘Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart’. It’s definitely pop-country, but her vocal skills and ability as both a songwriter and an interpreter really shine through as she makes every one of these songs completely believable and infuses them with an unexpected depth. Although it does suffer slightly from being a bit repetitive and could probably have saved a few tracks for a deluxe edition, there’s definitely a lot to like here and I’m very excited to see where she goes next.
Track listing: 1. Easy To Miss 2. Young At Heart 3. Bet You Break My Heart 4. Pay Me Back In Change 5. Rough Ride For A Cowboy 6. Coming Home To You 7. Strong Things 8. Confession 9. Wrong One Yet 10. Pickup 11. Nightingale 12. Have Your Beer 13. Sucker Punch 14. Walk Away 15. Foreclosure 16. Less Is More 17. Along Those Lines 18. Chasing Tornadoes 19. Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart Record label: Big Loud Records Release date: 26th April 2024
19-year-old Polish immigrant Robert (Hubert Milkowski) starts working at a fish factory in Norway alongside other immigrants. With an unfair work contract and few choices, Robert tries to keep his head down but Ivar (Karl Bekele Steinland), the openly gay son of the factory owner who is an aspiring drag artist, catches his eye. As Robert tries to hold down his job and not raise any suspicions about his sexuality, he is pulled between his head and his heart.
‘Norwegian Dream’ from director Leiv Igor Devold tells a familiar story that’s often central to LGBTQ+ cinema. The film explores closeted sexuality and the societal pressures that come with being gay in a place where it’s not widely accepted. Robert has escaped the homophobia of Poland with the hope of pushing down his true self so he can earn some money and get by. Sharing a room with a fellow immigrant worker, he’s keen to keep his head down but meeting Ivar threatens all of that. Robert sees how Ivar is treated by their co-workers, and that instantly puts him on the defensive.
We learn a bit about Robert’s past and why he left Poland but in contrast we learn next to nothing about Ivar. Other than being the son of the factory owner and aspiring to become a drag artist, the character is somewhat under-developed. Ivar is there to threaten Robert’s quiet new existence rather than to exist as a character in his own right. There’s some attempt in the latter half of the film when the workers form a union and strike against their employer, but it’s too little too late by that point.
Where the film could have dug a bit deeper is around the area of immigration. Robert’s new life is threatened by the arrival of his mother Maria (Edyta Torhan). Not only does he have the added burden of looking after her as she has no job or prospects, he also now has someone else to hide his sexuality from. While the film does touch upon the challenges of immigration, and the appalling contracts workers sign due to have no other options, there’s a lot more to the issue than is explored here.
Credit: Peccadillo Pictures
There’s a chemistry issue between the two leads. Hubert Milkowski is excellent as Robert, and you really root for him to succeed, but he has next no chemistry with Karl Bekele Steinland’s Ivar. That’s a shame as a large part of their relationship hinges on temptation, and while the film does go where you expect it to, the central relationship lacks that spark that this kind of story needs.
‘Norwegian Dream’ is a solid film. It may not do anything particularly fresh or original but there’s enough here to enjoy. As a coming-of-age film it works well but a deeper dive around the issues it touches upon would have made it stronger. Despite a lack of chemistry with the two leads, Robert’s story is compelling enough to keep you hooked. ‘Norwegian Dream’ could have been stronger but as it is, it’s a pleasant enough watch.
Cast: Hubert Milkowski, Karl Bekele Steinland, Edyta Torhan Director: Leiv Igor Devold Writers: Justyna Bilik, Gjermund Gisvold & Radoslaw Paczocha Certificate: 15 Duration: 97 mins Released by: Peccadillo Pictures Release date: 29th April 2024 Buy ‘Norwegian Dream’ now
This article contains an affiliate link. Purchases through this link may result in us earning a commission.
BBC Audio continues its welcome range of ‘Doctor Who’ titles with a brand new short story from the pen of Gary Russell. The ever-dependable writer is the former editor of ‘Doctor Who Magazine’ as well as author of fan-favourite novels featuring past Doctors. Russell’s latest offering, ‘The Demons Within’, pits David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and Freema Agyeman’s Martha against a deadly enemy in Victorian Scotland.
The story opens in a churchyard at night. Old Rob is on his way home from the pub when he encounters terrifying ghosts from his past. There is nobody around to help him. The local town is quiet. The remaining inhabitants are scared. Strange goings-on have occurred since scientists moved into a creepy old house to conduct research into electricity. It’s as if their experiments have somehow unleashed powers they don’t understand and can’t control…
When the Doctor arrives he goes on a charm offensive to win over frightened scientists Ian McCullen and Jamie Forbes. But they are hiding something from him. The Doctor must gain their confidence to discover what happened to Jamie’s missing wife Morag, and determine what alien menace the scientists have accidentally disturbed under the building’s foundations.
‘The Demons Within’ is a highly enjoyable traditional ‘Doctor Who’ story. Its creepy, tone-setting prologue in a graveyard is immediately reminiscent of the Jon Pertwee story ‘The Daemons’. Whereas scientists unwittingly tapping into dangerous powers in an old country house recalls the Tom Baker classic ‘Image of the Fendahl’. Steeped though it is in the show’s traditions, ‘The Demons Within’ has enough originality to offer listeners. The winsome screen pairing of the Tenth Doctor and Martha is strongly captured on the page by the author, especially when we hear Martha’s thought processes. Her innate trust in the Doctor shines through. This is an author who knows the show inside out, and who crucially understands what makes for a compelling ‘Doctor Who’ story. ‘The Demons Within’ is in turns fun and quirky as well as creepy and unsettling.
‘The Demons Within’ is narrated by David Banks, who is best-known in the ‘Doctor Who’ world for having played the Cyber Leader throughout the 1980s, encountering multiple Doctors on screen. His rich and distinctive tones are also highly adaptable, and Banks finds individual voices for every character. We hear Scottish accents for the scientists as well as an excellent interpretation of David Tennant’s loveable Mockney. His métier in playing adversaries provides the fearsome demon with heft and resonance, creating an exciting climax to the story. Banks’ expert narration combines with audio effects such as pounding rain and creaking iron doors to give the listener an immersive audio experience.
‘The Demons Within’ is a thoroughly enjoyable hour and a quarter, and is best enjoyed in a single sitting if you have the time. At night, sitting in candlelight will offer the full effect. The limited settings and few characters ensure that there’s enough focus on developing the story and the personalities. It’s no bad thing that this is a very traditional ‘Doctor Who’ story, but it does mean that there are few surprises in the plot. As a ‘greatest hits’ piece though, it has much to recommend it.
‘Doctor Who – The Demons Within’ is available from 2nd May on CD and digital. See also our interview with the narrator of ‘The Demons Within’, David Banks.
Credit: BBC Audio
Author: Gary Russell Narrator: David Banks Duration: 76 minutes Published by: Penguin Random House Audio for BBC Audio Publication date: 2nd May 2024 Buy ‘Doctor Who: The Demons Within’
Nico Tortorella rose to the attention of global audiences thanks to his roles in films such as ‘Scream 4’ and the hit TV series ‘Younger’. Outside of his acting work, Tortorella has also found success as a writer with three books to his name, including the recently released children’s book ‘Olivette Is You’. Now Tortorella is exploring a side of his artistry that was awakened during filming for the Apple TV+ show ‘City on Fire’ and putting out his first music project ‘born.’
With so many actors trying their hand at making music, it’s easy to dismiss their attempts as a vanity project. That isn’t the case here with Tortorella’s ‘born.’ This 9-track collection, recorded with producer Abe Seiferth, is a deeply personal collection of songs that takes the listener through key moments in Tortorella’s life from falling in love through to the birth of his daughter Kilmer Dove. The project’s first single, and the album’s opening track, ‘Grapefruit’ is a hazy love ballad that combines ethereal sounds with Tortorella’s laidback vocal. It’s a perfect summer song and a strong start to the record.
On ‘Done and Up’, Tortorella heads in a totally different direction to ‘Grapefruit’. Electronica meets hip-hop for an exploration of the life of an artist where things move quickly and frustrations rise frequently. There’s an urgency to the song as Tortorella speak-sings the lyrics, using vocal effects to enhance the overall sound. Bi-anthem ‘He Said She Said’ leans into a laidback groove with Tortorella singing in a higher range for the most part. As someone who has been vocal about his own sexuality and refused to conform to societal norms, Tortorella captures a personal part of journey in the song’s lyrics.
‘Call Me That’ seems to be an answer back to Tortorella’s critics. You only have to look at the comments on his Instagram posts to see that plenty of people think they have the right to have their say on how he lives his life. With ‘Call Me That’, Tortorella appears to be telling those critics to carry on saying whatever they want, and takes ownership of who he is.
Among the tracklist there are two shorter tracks that I’d consider to be interludes. The trippy ‘Encircle’, which finds Tortorella repeating confirmations to himself, and the Sufjan Stevens-esque ‘Liminal’, which continues the lyric from ‘He Said She Said’ before Tortorella’s repeats ‘I’m Liminal, unconditional, metaphysical mythical, I’m Liminal’.
The album really takes flight with the impeccable final three tracks. ‘Last Summer’ is a gorgeous reflection on preparing to become a parent for the first time and an ode to Tortorella’s partner Bethany. It’s dreamy with a sonic soundscape that makes you want to go lie on a beach somewhere and just stare up into the sky. ‘Kilmer Dove’, a song that was originally 17 minutes long, is the most emotional moment on the record. A love letter to Tortorella’s daughter, the song uses the symbolism of birds to pay homage to her. The first time I heard this song, it stopped me completely in my tracks and my eyes welled up. There’s a raw honesty about the track that connects with the soul, and it’s stunning.
For the album’s final track, ‘La Santa Madre’, Tortorella delivers his most untethered performance. Singing in Spanish, his voice explores a deeper range and borders on the classical. It’s incredibly stirring and made even more emotive by the inclusion of audio from the birth of Kilmer. It contrasts wildly with the rest of the record, and for that reason it’s the only way that ‘born.’ could have ended.
‘born.’ is a project that is incredibly special. This isn’t an actor trying to make a buck with music, this is someone who has uncovered a form of artistic impression they didn’t know they were capable of. You can’t help but be moved by these songs and Tortorella’s lyrics, as well as his sincere and raw vocals. ‘born.’ is the kind of album you need to spend time with, turn up loud and just lose yourself to. Given this is Tortorella’s debut music project, I can’t wait to see him soar with whatever comes next.
Credit: Nico Tortorella
Track list: 1. Grapefruit 2. Encircle 3. Done and Up 4. He Said She Said 5. Liminal 6. Call Me That 7. Last Summer 8. Kilmer Dove 9. La Santa Madre Released by: 39 Records Release date: 26th April 2024 Buy ‘born.’ now
This article contains an affiliate link. Purchases through this link may result in us earning a commission.
David Banks is an actor, writer and director who is strongly associated with ‘Doctor Who’ thanks to his recurring part as the villainous Cyber Leader throughout the 1980s.
On stage and screen, David has worked with five of the original seven Doctors, an achievement only a select few actors can equal. Recently, he has been brought back into the ‘Doctor Who’ orbit, using his distinctive voice to narrate audiobooks. One such title, ‘The Demons Within’, is a short story featuring the Tenth Doctor and Martha that is released next week.
We caught up with David to ask him how he approached the recording of ‘The Demons Within’. We delved into his other ‘Doctor Who’ audiobooks, gathered his thoughts on celebrating the show’s sixtieth anniversary last year and much else besides.
David, it’s great to speak to you. How did you get involved in narrating ‘Doctor Who’ audiobooks?
I’ve been rediscovered by the BBC. Michael Stevens, who’s the Audio Commissioner, got in touch with me in around 1999 when he wanted to make the Cybermen tin CD boxset. One of the CDs he wanted was the first of the four parts that I did for ‘The ArcHive Tapes’ [documenting the origins of the Cybermen]. It turned out to be extremely successful because I got one of the largest cheques I’ve ever received! In fact, it went to my agent first but I had already left him. He was good enough to send it on.
Did he take his 15%?
[Laughs] Well, he couldn’t really as it was after I left him, but I treated him to a meal. But that’s how I first met producer Michael Stevens, who has earned a tremendously good reputation in BBC Audio. But I didn’t record a book for him until he got in touch about two years ago and asked me to narrate the novelisation of ‘Silver Nemesis’. About six months later, he asked me to do the same for ‘Attack of the Cybermen’. Last autumn, he said that he had some short stories, because we’d reached the end of the novelisations. But he reached out to me as I’ve become one of the stalwarts. Much as I adore ‘Doctor Who’, I’d love the opportunity to get back to reading a wider variety, and work with Michael again on future projects.
‘The Demons Within’ is a good, solid ‘Doctor Who’ story from the reliable pen of Gary Russell. It felt like classic ‘Doctor Who’ to me, with a Victorian setting, creepy old house, humans meddling in things they don’t understand and, of course, a big monster in the basement! What did you make of it?
It has a nice line in in science as well. In fact, it’s fully embedded in a scientific view. We have two scientists who meet the Doctor and Martha. It then becomes spooky. The thing I’ve always enjoyed about audio recordings is that the pictures are so good. Your imagination runs riot and does the job so much better and more cheaply than even CGI.
That’s why I loved reading ‘Doctor Who’ books as a kid! This story felt to me like a Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker one, but with David Tennant’s 10th Doctor leading. Did you find it an adjustment at all moving into the new era of ‘Doctor Who’?
The difficulty for me was finding the voices. But I wonder also whether that’s necessary, because what’s on the printed page is different from what somebody may imagine. The novelisations veered away sometimes from what the actual broadcast story had been. In this case, you’ve just got the story. But the Tenth Doctor is very difficult to capture because he’s so chameleonic. He changes from one thing to another, even his accent!
Well, David Tennant is Scottish, but he plays the Doctor with a kind of cheery Mockney accent. But I thought you captured strongly the way he almost throws away lines and bites through words. The only difference I thought was the fact that your voice is naturally deeper than Tennant’s.
As a reader, I should be able to manage that, but I haven’t heard it back yet. With Martha, I watched a few clips just to get a handle on who she is and how she speaks. It’s an interpretation and you just have to go by the text. You have to understand what the story is, and what the writer is trying to convey.
Credit: BBC Audio
The banterish nature of the Doctor and Martha’s relationship comes across very well in the writing and in your narration. But I wonder if you enjoyed voicing the demons at the climax of the story, where you get to give listeners a full-throated performance?
I always play baddies for some reason. I long to be a goodie! I’ve done loads of theatre and you’re allowed to do that kind of performance on stage. You’ve got to produce something that one hopes looks natural, can be understood and that brings people in and can command them. On television, you have to do it in different way. For the Cyber Leader it was the fact that the mic was so close to my mouth that it was like a radio performance. Suppose you’re not conveying as much through the face, then it has to come through the voice.
You mentioned earlier the recording of ‘Silver Nemesis’ that you narrated. How did you find approaching the Kevin Clarke’s novelisation as an audio book project?
That was my first foray into the novelisations. I actually hadn’t recorded a book for some time. The last book I’d recorded before that was ‘The Lord of the Rings’, which was 15 years earlier. I’m sure all actors go through this: if you’re not using your experience all the time, then you simply think, “Can I do it? Am I up to it?” And I really thought, “I’m going to accept this challenge that Michael [Stevens] has put before me, but will I produce what he wants? Can I can I get back to doing something with loads of characters and try to make them different?” That was my initial feeling as I was reading through it. But I’m interested in writing style. This is meant to be the representation of what we’ve seen on screen. And yet, it’s different. When people ask what was my favourite story, ‘Silver Nemesis’ is not, because it seemed to me too much of an amalgam of diverse ideas, from Nazism to Cybermen. But I so enjoyed Kevin Clarke’s book. It has an understated humour. And he captures the Doctor very well. Then again, I didn’t think I did justice to Sophie [Aldred], but who could? But with the Seventh Doctor, I felt I knew him well because he was central to my ‘Iceberg’ novel and I lived with Sylvester for a few months when we did a pantomime together in Manchester. He was the Old Faqir and I was the Young Faqir. The witch changes us, you see. So I married Eartha Kitt twice a day! I got to know Sylvester quite well. For that reason, I think I found his voice.
You capture Sylvester’s lightness of delivery very accurately! As you say, there are differences between the novelisation and the televised version but I didn’t mind. It felt like the author was exploring ideas that he might have wanted to put on screen but perhaps for budgetary reasons wasn’t able to. You said that it was difficult getting back in the saddle of recording audiobooks, having done ‘The Lord of the Rings’, but that’s a pretty monumental piece of work, isn’t it? It has so many characters and so many voices, and is such an influential and revered piece of literature. Surely it was something of a pinnacle to record the trilogy back in 2006?
Well, I’ve had a connection with it since I first read it when I was twelve. I’ve read it several times. I love the films. I played Gandalf on the West End in ‘The Hobbit’ in the early 00s. So, I felt an affinity with it. I just love his world. I’ve also recorded the book of Tolkien’s biography [by Humphrey Carpenter]. I remember Tolkien being asked, “How did you write all these characters in the story?” He puffed on his pipe and said, “Well, one’s got to do something with these characters, so I just find something for them to do.” It’s a wonderful, wonderful story. A real classic that spawned a whole industry. When we work so hard on these things, with all that industry and effort, it’s possible to wonder how we actually did it! And then I wonder, “Will I be able to do it again? Can I push that boulder up the mountain again?” That’s the feeling. But I’m proud of it! TS Eliot said, do I dare to eat a peach? Perhaps I ask, “Do I dare to record a book as mighty as that?”
It’s monumental. A solid three days’ worth of listening. It must have been a big chunk of work.
It was every day for six weeks.
I have been enjoying your recent ‘Doctor Who’ audiobooks, but I haven’t heard ‘Attack of the Cybermen’ yet. What was that experience like?
Well, we spoke about ‘Silver Nemesis’ and the novelisations not being entirely reflective of the programmes. The authors I think enjoy the fact that they can embellish, and they can say something else about the characters or the storyline. Eric Saward’s novel is a different view of ‘Attack of the Cybermen’. We thought Paula Moore was the writer when we recorded it. That was a cover for Eric, as he happily admits now. He takes a rather different approach to the characters and the storyline. It starts with Charlie Griffiths, who is a totally different character from Brian Glover’s portrayal. So, you have to ask, was that Eric’s intention in the beginning? Is this how he sees the character? From a literary point of view, for the really forensic ‘Doctor Who’ fan, it’s very interesting to see how the character is treated. That’s just one of the joys I’d say of reading the book and then interpreting it. I knew Brian Glover, and I thought his characterisation was fantastic, and he really brought things down to Earth. Especially when he’s taking off the Cybermen, which is in the book. But it’s different characters with different voices – the gang is from the East End.
Credit: David Banks
I wonder if Eric imagined that criminal gang as a group of Cockneys led by the suave Lytton? Brian Glover brings a different kind of regional voice. He was very much a Yorkshireman, there’s no getting away from that. I recall fondly his Tetley Tea advertisements.
Brian had made quite a name for himself by ‘Attack of the Cybermen’. It was JNT’s [1980s ‘Doctor Who’ producer John Nathan-Turner] intention to bring in people that would be recognised. Brian was a serious actor, but he was a personality as well. And there was an element of personality casting at that time.
I look forward to hearing that one. It’s on my list! You have recorded a lot of audiobooks, albeit with a gap of time in between ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and the recent ‘Doctor Who’ novels and story. Do you enjoy that sort of work? How does audiobook narration compare to working with a company of actors?
In one sense it’s more marvellous than all of them, because you are the orchestrator of it. Producer Neil Gardner is fantastic. He’s moved into audio now, and knows how to shape things. He doesn’t suggest that much at all. But he’s just there and he attends to every detail. So if you if you say something slightly wrong, or you missed out a word, he’ll stop you. Michael Stevens makes sure he listens all the way through very, very closely. Then you get a panel of people to listen along with the text. And if there’s anything which varies from the text, you patch it, or take it out or get the reader to redo that a little bit. Apart from that, you are totally in control. You prepare the material and you’re almost wholly responsible for the interpretation. From that point of view, it’s a very interior world.
And reading is a solitary pleasure, of course.
I’m always wary though of saying what is my favourite or the best. Narrating audiobooks is a way for the actor of performing and having control. But I also love the process of rehearsal with a company of people, and directing. These all have their different experiences and journeys. And sometimes heartaches. The heartache in recording is, “Have I got this voice right?” Colin [Baker] should be easy for me. I’m not sure though – you’ll be able to judge when you hear ‘Attack’. I think I’ve got his energy. There’s something very lovely and interesting about his barrister’s injunction in that he can lay down the law even if he’s wrong! It’s about trying to get into the spirit of these people. And that’s a privilege. I’m paid to do this! It’s an internal monologue but with different voices. Every book contains different characters. Each of those characters needs to sound different in some way, emotionally, perhaps, and consistent so that the reader understands who’s speaking.
It was the 60th anniversary of ‘Doctor Who’ last year. Were you involved in any events?
It was quite a busy year. It began the year before, because I went to TimeLash at Kassel in Germany, taking the train from Amsterdam. Colin [Baker] was there, of course, Colin Spaull and Dean Hollingsworth, whom I’d never met, but we were a kind of double act like the Chuckle Brothers! Frazer Hines was there, and Michael Bryant. When we had dinner that evening, Michael was next to me. We’d not met before, but we really got on. So that was the start of the celebrations. Just a few months before that I recorded the interview for ‘The Secrets and Scandals of Doctor Who’, a film that came out at the tail end of the celebrations. I did quite a long interview. Sophie [Aldred] was going in after me and we had really good natter. But when I saw it, I’m only in about two clips. Perhaps I didn’t have enough scandal! I was asked about JNT but he was fine with Mark [Hardy] and me. They didn’t go into very much in the film. Then there was the BFI premiere of ‘The Five Doctors’. Peter [Davison], Janet [Fielding], Mark [Strickson] and I were there for it. Frank Skinner was in the audience because he’s an absolute fan. So that was a joy. Regenerations at Swansea was my first invitation there. Several people had told me it’s such a good place and event. Sylvester [McCoy] was there, Anneke Wills, and Wendy Padbury who I hadn’t seen for ten or fifteen years. I spent a good amount of time chatting to Peter Purves, and to Matthew Waterhouse, who can be quite shy.
Well, you did bump him off in ‘Earthshock’.
You’re right. I did kill him off. He’s always fearful of me! Terry Molloy [Davros] and I had a wonderful double act. We were the first on for the interviews. Terry had a walking stick and I was worried about him, and I helped him up a few steps. And then he did a little jig once he got onto the stage, which got things going and broke the ice. I had a signing with Michael Kilgarriff, Christopher Robbie and Mark [Hardy]. After that I did my Cyber talk at St John’s College, Oxford. It leans into climate change, and how we’re changing ourselves in the same way as the Cybermen had to. We will need our own personal exoskeletons for survival.
Credit: Jane Boyd
Was the talk well-received?
Yes. I do this talk from time to time, but it always happens to be at universities. It’s not academic, really, although it’s treating seriously, as I’ve tried to do in my Cybermen book, the mythos of ‘Doctor Who’. What the stories are pointing to, rather than just the personalities. The Cybermen myth is very rich one, and it applies to us. Kit Pedlar saw that so early.
What projects do you have coming up coming up or that you’re working on at the moment?
Well, because I’m in Amsterdam, quite a lot. I’ve been working with a company of Dutch actors. But also, I’ve got a connection with a professor at Princeton. And he brings over from time to time a group of students. The idea that I discussed with him was to provide some kind of theatrical comparison between Dutch theatre and English. This is the what they call in academic circles the early modern period, from the 17th century. I produced a Dutch farce and a one-man King Lear, which we shoehorned into one evening. It worked extremely well. I’m researching a two-hander. The literal translation of the Dutch is ‘Simon Without Sweetness’. I can’t find another example of a play from the period with only two characters. It’s a very unusual play and yet it’s not recognised or known. I’ve translated the old Dutch into English using ChatGPT which is very literal. I’ve been adapting that and making it into something that I feel is fully performable by English actors. I’m now at the stage where I hope to do workshops, and maybe even put it on.
Would that be in the UK or Amsterdam?
I’m hoping in both, and that it becomes a way of opening up a Dutch play and Dutch attitudes to an English-speaking audience.
I wish you all the very best with it, David. It’s been great to catch up with you. Thank you for talking to us today.
Nico Tortorella is an artist in the true sense of the word. With a career that spans acting, writing and now music, he’s someone for whom art just drips from his every fibre.
Known for his roles in hit films such as ‘Scream 4’ and ‘Odd Thomas’, along with his appearances in TV shows including ‘The Following’ and ‘Younger’, Tortorella has further showcased his artistic versatility with the publication of poetry collection ‘All Of It Is You’ (2018) and ‘Space Between: Explorations of Love, Sex, and Fluidity’ (2019).
As well as releasing his first children’s book ‘Olivette Is You’ this week, Tortorella today unveils his eagerly awaited debut album ‘born’. An emotional collection of deeply personal songs, it showcases another side to the multi-faceted artist and takes fans on a rollercoaster.
I caught up with Nico over Zoom earlier this week to talk about his new book, dive deep into the meaning behind his remarkable debut album, and find out about the process he went through to find his voice as a recording artist…
Firstly, congratulations on baby number two! How are you feeling about that?
Good. It’s a little wild, honestly. I feel like we’re just fresh off of baby number one. I’m still trying to figure out what it means to be a parent and continue to put things out in the world and (find) what that life work balance is. The jump from one to two is going to be very real.
At least with having the next baby not too long after the first, you haven’t gotten used to any downtime so you can just carry on as you are…
I’ve been home pretty much for the last year (due to) the strike and the industry’s been a little bit of a mess as of late. There’s gonna be a shift when I go back to work full-time for sure. Might as well do it with two (kids) right?
Credit: Random House
You’ve also just released your first children’s book ‘Olivette Is You’. What’s that all about?
It’s the children’s version of a poetry book that I released in 2018 called ‘All Of It Is You’. The poetry book is about this idea that we are all the entirety of the universe reflected back to us. When we started to try to get pregnant, I knew that I wanted to create a kid’s version that was more digestible because it’s a big idea. What does it look like to bring it all down and furthermore what does it look like to leave a legacy of sorts, and to instill this level of unfettered freedom in children? (I’ve been) trying to figure out how I want to parent and what that looks like. During COVID, I put together this idea of Olivette, this character, and just kind of ran with it. I brought it to my book agent who went to our publishers and it all happened pretty quick at the beginning, but publishing moves very slow. I wrote this book in 2020 and now it’s coming out in 2024. The timing of it all feels really crazy (now) we’re announcing that we are pregnant again, and the book is coming out the same day. We didn’t actually plan any of that. Last night, I was like, ‘oh, shit, ‘Olivette’ comes out tomorrow, too!’ There definitely feels like some divine intervention around here these days.
This idea (behind the book is) that you can be anything you want to be when you grow up, we all heard that as kids. What happens if you flipped that a little bit and you already are everything that you could ever imagine being when you grow up? What does it mean to tap into that power? We’re all born with a superpower of sorts, and I think to allow that freedom of growth and expansion from a young age, who knows what the future could potentially look like?
In one week you’ve announced a new baby, released a children’s book and you’re releasing your debut album. That’s crazy!
Timed with the eclipse too! It’s just like the transition period of life. We moved across the country too. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, honestly!
I’ve followed your career for a long time dating back to ‘Scream 4’ and ‘Odd Thomas’ through to ‘The Following’ and ‘Younger’. Your announcement to release music caught me a little off-guard to begin with and I didn’t know what to expect when I played ‘born’ for the first time. I certainly didn’t expect the emotional journey it took me on. Before we dig into the tracks, why did you decide to do a music project now?
I’ve always wanted to make music. I can remember being a little kid and buying my first guitar and teaching myself how to play. It always seemed somewhat unattainable for whatever reason. Acting on the other hand, I knew that I was going to do it. The second I discovered that it was a viable career path, I just knew it was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. Every actor will tell you that they had dreams of being a rock star at some point. Music has always played such a huge role in my life, just from digesting music to going to see live shows. I’ve dated musicians (and have) friends who are incredible, world-renowned musicians. It just always felt like an arm’s reach away for whatever reason.
A couple of years ago, I got cast to play William on ‘City On Fire’, which was the Apple TV show. Josh (Schwartz) and Stephanie (Savage), the creators of that show – they also did ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘The OC’ – they are huge titans in the industry. I met them to talk about this project, six months before we started filming and they hinted at the idea that this character was a musician. They asked me if I wanted to record my own stuff and I was like, ‘yeah, are you kidding? That’s an absolute dream!’ I got in the studio, unbeknownst to me my first studio session on the TV job was an audition of sorts to see if I could actually sing these tracks. I got into the studio in Brooklyn with the producer Abe Seiferth, he was the New York producer for the music. I got in the studio, we sang one of the tracks and I get a call a few of hours later (saying), ‘you got the job, we’re gonna record. You crushed it!’ We recorded six or seven songs for the show. As we kept going, more songs were being written because they liked what they were getting. In Hollywood music is treated as a very different thing and there’s like a lot of cooks in the kitchen, so to speak.
We just kept getting tracks, and I just fell in love with the studio, it was my first time ever really spending quality time in a studio like this. It was also under the disguise of a character. I wasn’t in there as myself, I was in there as William and I had all this extra time to develop this character through his voice, which you don’t normally get on television. When you’re shooting TV, you are constantly chasing the clock, everything is moving very, very fast, you have to make strong choices and go with them. (During) this time in the studio I developed this relationship with the producer and there was just like immediate chemistry. We started speaking the same language very quickly. We shot for five months and by the end of this season, we found out we were pregnant too, and jokingly I said to him, ‘I don’t want to leave, can I just stay? Can we just start making music?’ He welcomed the idea with open arms. He saw something in me. He wanted to help foster that art and creativity and he was all in.
I spent two months putting demos together and building out a deck. I was treating it like a television project, which is just how my brain works. I understand how a TV show gets made so I took that into music. I built out all these tracks and lyrics, and the stories that I wanted to tell and I thought I had an idea of what my sound potentially was. I delivered this package to him and I went to go shoot a movie in Vancouver for a month. When I got back, I got in studio full-time and it was like five days a week for six or seven months. We spent time finding my voice, finding my sound and playing with a bunch of different genres of music. I was pretty sure that there was more of an eclectic folk Americana vibe originally, which very quickly just didn’t work. It didn’t necessarily feel authentically my voice.
I came in with ‘Last Summer’ and we turned it into this Lo-Fi bedroom track. We looked at each other and it was just like ‘holy shit, this is it’. That was the first track that solidified the sound for the album. We took that song and inserted a lot of different sounds that we were creating from that track into the rest of the album, and really built out from there. Once we got there, it was just like track after track after track, and we couldn’t stop. So much of this album is tied to me becoming a father and looking back at the life that I’ve created, the life that I have in front of me and the future life. The songs just began to write themselves. It really is this love letter to fatherhood and to my daughter. Originally, the album was meant to really just be for us. (I wanted) to put together a body of work that we can play during our home birth and have these songs that we can leave for her. Very quickly, we realised that there was a need to share this music with the world.
The sequencing of the album really tells the story of your life up until now. It’s interesting that you mentioned ‘Last Summer’ because that song is an interesting perspective on preparing for life to change. The song on the record that stopped me in my tracks was ‘Kilmer Dove’, named after your daughter. It made me feel really quite emotion and the lyrics are so powerful. It’s obviously very personal so tell me a little bit about putting that song together…
I bought a keyboard when I was in Florida, at my mom’s house. This was in the demo phase. I discovered this sequence and I kept playing it over and over and over and over again. We knew we were pregnant and I started dreaming the song. Kilmer came to me in this dream and started singing the lyrics of the song to me like ‘red hawk, white dove’ and there was this story of this Macaw that flew into my sunroof; all of these different birds were coming to me. I would wake up in the morning and start writing these lyrics down.
Within a couple of weeks me and this 1994 old-school Casio keyboard, and these dreams, put together the song in its entirety. I don’t play the piano. I have never played the piano. I’ve never had a lesson, I just found these notes. The original version was like 17 minutes long (laughs) and there was four more verses. I tend to throw up and then clean up. I brought it into Abe, my producer, and he has a piano in the studio so I played it on the piano for him. He got emotional too. For the first time that I played him demos he was like, ‘this is a song. This isn’t just like a track that you’re coming in with… this is a song’. We developed that track over time. We brought in the strings and played with the organ, and there was a duelling piano situation happening which references this idea of the hawk and the dove which historically stand for peace and war.
I wish I knew exactly what it was that I discovered in writing that song. It came out of thin air almost. It was there in front of me, I grabbed it and that was the song. For me it is the most special song on the album. As we were pregnant and at home, we had a piano at home, and I would just play that song over and over and sing it to Bethany and Kilmer while she was still in the womb. Any time that song comes on in the house, Kilmer’s higher energy shifts; she knows that that’s her song. It’s just such a special song and it was meant for us. Then to hear you have somewhat of a similar experience with that song… that’s why we put music out in the world. That’s the whole point of it. That’s why I knew that I had to share this music with more than just my house because it really is the only medium in the world that, I believe, can transcend and bring people together in ways that we didn’t even know we needed.
Credit: Bronson Farr
Music is the connecting fabric for most of society and most of the world. When I think back to most of my friendships and relationships, it goes back to music at some point. There’s always music in there…
You know that when you listen to music, but once you start making music you unlock these hidden chambers and these secrets. For so long, I’ve been looking for a medium that I can tell my stories in and with, and have them be more digestible than maybe some of the things that I’ve done in the past. When people started hearing this music, I was like, ‘Oh, my God! this whole time, this was it. This was here, it was right in front of me. and I didn’t put the pieces together’. I feel so lucky to have found this, even at this point in my life, and I’m just getting started. It’s the first time I’ve ever made music in my life and I can’t imagine a world without it at this point.
On the last track, ‘La Santa Madre’, you’re so untethered and you’re so unleashed. It’s the rawest that we hear you on the record and it’s such a contrast to ‘Kilmer Dove’. It’s the perfect end to the album. Where did that song come from?
My buddy Max Milner who plays the villain in ‘City on Fire’, he’s an English musician and a musician first, and he’s one of the greatest musicians I’ve ever spent time with in my life. He can just pick up any instrument and start playing it. He’s got this voice that just takes your breath away. He was in London for a month working on this Disney show and he left a bunch of his instruments at my house in the city. He had this older Martin acoustic, pretty beat up, and I brought it into the basement one night, where I would conjure up a lot of this music. I just started playing these two chords next to each other and it had this Spanish flair to it. It sounded like classical Spanish music and I just started singing differently than I had been singing, in this lower register and this intense vibrato. Within an hour, I had this whole song written in Spanish. I went running upstairs (and said to Bethany), ‘you’ve got to hear this song. I have to play this for you right now’. I started singing it to Bethany and she was like, ‘where the fuck did that just come from? I’ve heard you speak Spanish before but you don’t write songs in Spanish and you never sing in Spanish’. The whole song is about this mother Saint and as I was writing it, I knew that Kilmer was going to be born to this song. I started having all of these visions of her being born as I was writing the song.
I get on FaceTime with my Mom, and I play the song to her and I FaceTimed with my brother. And like, it was just very clear that there was something else happening. There was something special here. I brought it in to my producer and he was kind of like, ‘I don’t know, there’s like one thing that’s not like the others in this lot. Yeah, it’s pretty, but when you’re putting an album together they all need to be of the same vibe’. I was like, ‘no, this needs to be the end of the album. If it’s not the end of the album, this needs to be the first track’. I was really gunning for it to be the first track of the album but he was like, ‘we can’t open with this fucking song’.
Cut to March ’23 and Bethany is in labor, and we start putting the songs on throughout the house. Lo and behold, La Santa Madre is on and it was the only song that she wanted to listen to for the last three hours and Kilmer was born to La Santa Madre. (Nico stops to catch breath and his eyes well up with emotion) We had a house full of midwives and everyone by the end knew the lyrics to the songs. Kilmer was born, Bethany was on the floor, we had this circle of women surrounding us and everyone was singing the song as this child is brought into the world. It was just pure magic, I can’t explain it any better. It was exactly where we were supposed to be at that time.
We filmed the birth and we had audio tracks of the birth. After she was born, we spent a month not leaving the house, just the three of us in the house, taking it all in. I started playing with the audio and I married the audio of the birth to the song. I brought it into the studio, we built out that whole intro for the song and the outro. Even still my producer doesn’t have kids so the magic of birth is a hard thing to explain to someone that doesn’t necessarily want kids. He knew there was something special there but I was dead set on this being in the album. I found a music manager a couple months later and he too was kind of like, ‘you know, this just doesn’t really match everything else’ and I wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. Then we announced the pregnancy and we put together this whole video for that song. I put it out in the world. I didn’t tell anybody about it; I didn’t tell my producer, I didn’t tell my manager and everyone was like, ‘we had a fucking plan! What are you doing? This is not supposed to be the first song that comes out!’ It just needed to happen. In the context of the rest of the album, first of all thank you for forgetting it, it represents so much of how I got to where I am with this music. I’m so happy that it’s there.
We’ve met for the first time today and from talking to you I can see how much this music means to you. I’ve interviewed many artists over the years and I don’t think I’ve ever chatted to anybody that’s spoken as passionately about their music as you have to me. It’s nice because there’s nothing cynical with this body of songs. It’s all personal. It’s coming from a good place. There’s a deep message behind it. It takes your fans into places with you that maybe they’ve not been before. I think it’s a special record…
Thank you so much. For real, thank you.
You mentioned about finding your voice and how that came during ‘City on Fire’. How easy was the process for you? From what you’ve said, a lot of this album came to you and you’re almost like a vessel for getting it out there…
In a lot of ways, I think that I still am finding it. There’s multiple processes of putting music out in the world. There’s the initial inception, then there’s getting in the studio and crafting the songs, then there’s putting the album together, then there’s releasing the album. The final frontier, which is almost the most daunting, is performing. I’m having very serious conversations right now about what that looks like and where we start. Do I start opening for people? What does it look like to put a live show together? Even as a kid, I did a lot of theater growing up, when I would go audition for a musical the only thing that would ever make me nervous would be singing. I do know why… there were a couple of people early on that didn’t think that I had ‘it’ so to speak with my voice so I’ve always been somewhat reserved in a world where I am not a reserved person. It took a minute to discover the sound.
I think if you listen to the album in its entirety there are a few different sounds in there. I’m singing in different registers, and there’s different tones, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some of my favourite albums, you hear that, but if you listen to one song next to another they could potentially sound like different people singing these songs. As an actor (that) makes a lot of sense to me. Bringing that to the performance too (hesitates and laughs)… I am definitely going to perform live, tt has to happen. We’re pregnant again so I’m already writing new material. It will be interesting to see how that shifts once this album comes out and what people are more into (and if that’s) where I wind up going or whether I find a whole new sound. I always just go back to this idea that there is no right way to do this. There’s no right way to sing a song. I’m gonna just put this little story in here because I think it’s important.
When I first started meeting managers, there were kind of two different camps of ideas. One being (that) you get one shot to put out a song (so) let’s hire the one of the best songwriters in the business, who writes all these top 10 hits, we’ll get 10 producers in here, we’ll do it this way, that’ll be your first song, and then you can go do whatever you want. That just felt so authentic and I couldn’t get behind it at all. I wrote everything. It’s all me. My producer helped me shape all of the songs for sure and find the musicality but every melody and every lyric, it’s all me. I just can’t imagine limiting myself in the future. I think all singers should be constantly finding new sounds. I don’t think we see that often enough honestly.
This is kind of cyclical isn’t it because, like the title of your poetry collection, ‘All Of It Is You’. You had the answer right there all along…
I was talking about that comparison the other day. I’m so happy you put that together. Me putting this album out is Olivette. Through and through, that is the message of this kid’s book. You already are doing it. Just tap into it. That’s it!
We get taught at a young age that we have to strive hard to find that one thing we’re good at, when actually if you take a step back, you already have the tools and the skills you need. You just need to give them time and let them flow…
Yeah, and if you don’t focus too much on what other people say or get too worried about what people might say. I have spent years talking shit and people have said all of the things. Especially as an actor, the amount of rejection that we experience constantly, not to say that it’s more than other people, but it’s a tough industry. I’m just starting to learn what the music industry is and that’s a whole other beast that I am meeting face-to-face at this point. I feel like I’ve been well equipped over the years to to handle whatever, especially being a parent too, you just never know what the fuck you’re gonna discover on any day. It’s just much easier to go with it than fight against it.
Nico Tortorella’s debut album ‘born’ is available to stream and download now at https://linktr.ee/nicotortorella. He can next be seen in ‘The Mattachine Family’ and his new book ‘Olivette Is You‘ is available now.
Country sensation Lee Brice joins forces with friends Nate Smith and Hailey Whitters for the release of their infectious singalong track, ‘Drinkin’ Buddies’, dropping today (April 26). Penned by Zach Kale, Chris Destefano, and Justin Wilson, and produced by Ben Glover and Jerrod Niemann, the song serves as a spirited tribute to the companions who make tough days easier and good times even better.
When Lee Brice isn’t captivating audiences in sold-out arenas or crafting hit songs, he’s cherishing moments with his wife Sara and their two boys and daughter. Alongside his music career, Brice has ventured into brand-building, including the creation of American Born whiskey.
With over 3.7 billion on-demand streams and 4 billion spins on Pandora, Brice enjoys monumental success across country radio, streaming platforms, and live performances. His recent track, ‘Memory I Don’t Mess With’, achieved Platinum status and topped the Country Radio charts, adding to his string of #1 hits including ‘One of Them Girls’, ‘I Hope You’re Happy Now’, and ‘Rumor’. Recognized by the CMA and ACM, Brice has also earned a Grammy nomination and has seen nine of his singles reach the coveted #1 spot.
Notably, Brice’s songwriting prowess extends beyond his own performances, with artists like Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, and Kenny Chesney recording his songs. His television appearances, including NBC’s Today and ABC’s The Bachelor, have further solidified his status as a country music icon.
Brice’s latest endeavour, the Me & My Guitar Tour, kicked off 2024 on an intimate note, and now, fans can anticipate fresh music with the release of ‘Drinkin’ Buddies’, a collaboration that promises to be a chart-topping hit.
Texas-born Charley Crockett has had a prolific career since releasing his debut album ‘A Stolen Jewel’ in 2015. With a further 11 records under his belt – most recently 2022’s critically acclaimed ‘The Man From Waco’, which saw him nominated for four trophies at the 2023 Americana Music Awards – he’s become beloved by fans for his blend of country, blues and Americana as well as his live performances. Now he’s back with the follow-up, ‘$10 Cowboy’, released today.
The 12-track project opens with the title song, a bluesy, funky number which highlights the depth and richness in Crockett’s drawl as well as honky-tonk piano runs. There’s a soulfulness to his delivery as he tells the story of Billy McClane, the ‘last of his breed’, and I like the blend of wryness and a sense of contentment with carving out one’s own path in. The spoken word section at the end, in which he talks about working his way up, is a really nice touch and it’s one I can see playing really well in a smoky, intimate club setting.
One thing which really stood out to me was the heavy soul and gospel influence that runs throughout the album. The atmospheric ‘America’ is an early highlight in this regard, with its layers of horn and sparse guitar melody as Crockett sings about trying to get by over jazz riffs and gospel vocalisations. He hits some absolutely massive notes and there’s a timeless, haunting quality to the song that makes it feel like a lost cut from the 1930s yet still relevant today. Elsewhere, ‘Gettin’ Tired Again’ put me in mind of classic Stevie Wonder songs with its delicate, shimmering melody that keeps it from feeling too dark, whilst ‘Lead The Way’ has a sparse, sultry vibe that pairs 70s-esque riffs with a pulsing drum beat and a wailing outro. There’s an edge to Crockett’s voice as he sings about following your heart and being true to yourself, but also a warning that life on the road may not be all it’s cracked up to be, and he does a great job of treading that fine line between darkness and light.
That said, there’s still plenty for fans of Crockett’s countrier sound to enjoy too. ‘Hard Luck & Circumstances’ is a twangy, mellow tune with a knowing lyric that stays the right side of melancholy as Crockett’s narrator accepts his lot in life, whilst ‘Good At Losing’ has a lush quality from its layers of strings and great tongue-in-cheek storytelling (‘most folks who talk about me have never lived a life like mine’). Meanwhile, the punchy, shuffling ‘Spade’ rattles along at a clip whilst immersing you in a story straight out of a classic cowboy film and ‘Ain’t Done Losing Yet’ has a rollicking, bouncy feel that seems like it was made for barroom singalongs – I defy you not to sway along to this one!
For me many of the highlights come in the slower numbers. ‘Diamond In The Rough’ sees Crockett show his soft side over a slow, organ-led melody with a sweet, heartfelt lyric about a woman who’s had it tough, and is full of warmth and tenderness. I also really liked the Eagles-esque ‘Solitary Road’, with its sharp drum rolls and lonesome, cinematic feel as Crockett warns the listener to avoid life’s temptations in almost hollowed-out vocals, and the hazy, smooth ‘City Of Roses’ which really captures a vivid sense of place and is packed with details throughout its tongue-in-cheek tale. If a song can be described as sepia-tinted, then this is definitely it.
The album closes with ‘Midnight Cowboy’, which sees Crockett telling the story of the title character rolling along through the night and the people he encounters. For me it ties the whole project together with its gliding vocals and chugging rhythm, as well as hitting that perfect balance of being both weighty and lively at the same time. It’s a tricky thing to pull off, but Crockett does it effortlessly and should absolutely be commended for that.
Overall ‘$10 Cowboy’ is a quietly hopeful record that shows Crockett’s strengths in blending country and blues sounds as well as his skills as a storyteller and great vocal quality. He has the great ability to bring the characters in his songs to life and a quiet command of his delivery that feels absolutely arresting on first listen. It’s music for a weekend morning drinking your coffee and contemplating life, and one that I can sense is going to work really well in live shows, especially smaller spaces. With songs to win over new fans as well as old, it’s another excellent body of work from him and should further cement him as one of Americana’s brightest stars.
Track list: 1. $10 Cowboy 2. America 3. Hard Luck & Circumstances 4. Good At Losing 5. Gettin’ Tired Again 6. Spade 7. Diamond In The Rough 8. Ain’t Done Losing Yet 9. Solitary Road 10. City Of Roses 11. Lead The Way 12. Midnight Cowboy Record label: Son Of Davy/Thirty Tigers Release date: 26th April 2024
Originally unleashed in 1982, ‘Creatures Of The Night’ stands as one of KISS’s most hard-hitting albums to date. With its thunderous riffs and electrifying energy, the record has secured its place as a cornerstone in the band’s illustrious discography. Now, on its 40th anniversary, fans can expect a treasure trove of surprises and hidden gems packed into this deluxe edition.
Credit: Duff Press
Available in two main versions, the anniversary edition offers enthusiasts a chance to dive deep into the legacy of ‘Creatures Of The Night.’ The 9 LP + Blu-Ray Audio Black Vinyl & Glow In The Dark Vinyl Versions, limited to just 2,000 copies globally, and the 9 LP + Blu-Ray Glow In The Dark Vinyl, limited to 1,000 copies globally, promise a truly immersive experience.
The ‘Creatures Of The Night’ 9 LP Super Deluxe edition boasts a staggering 103 tracks in total, with a whopping 75 tracks previously unreleased on vinyl. Expanded artwork for the jackets adds an extra layer of visual appeal to this collector’s dream. From the newly remastered original album to 34 demos, rarities & outtakes, including gems like ‘Deadly Weapon (Penny Lane Demo)’ and ‘Betrayed (Outtake),’ each LP offers a glimpse into the band’s creative process. Furthermore, LPs 6-9 feature 26 incredible, soundboard live recordings from the Creatures ’82/’83 Tour, alongside seven super rare tour sound effects meticulously preserved by Creatures Tour sound engineer Harry Witz.
But the excitement doesn’t stop there. The Blu-ray Audio disc treats fans to an immersive Atmos and 5.1 surround mix, along with the high-resolution newly remastered 1982 stereo mix of the original album. Plus, for the first time ever, the second side of LP9 features no music but is enhanced with the first-ever KISS band image silkscreen printed on vinyl, adding a unique touch to this already extraordinary package.
With its unparalleled content and unparalleled presentation, the 40th anniversary super deluxe edition of ‘Creatures Of The Night’ is a must-have for any KISS aficionado. Prepare to embark on a journey through four decades of rock ‘n’ roll history as KISS invites you to experience their iconic album like never before
