January's Dead Quiet
New song release and Feb 8th Kashmir Cafe
Good afternoon,
Happy New Year — and how the devil are you?
It’s been a while since the last newsletter (August, to be precise), so this feels like a gentle turning of the page rather than a loud announcement. January seems a fitting month for that: reflective, a little bare, but quietly full of intention.
There is some news — and it begins, appropriately enough, with ‘January’.
🎧 A new song: January
Released Sunday 25th January at 6.00pm
As part of the 48 Hour Album Project, I’ll be releasing a new song called “January” on Sunday 25th January at 18.00, online.
The idea behind the project is simple (and slightly mad): write, record, and release an album track within a single 48-hour window. No polishing for months, no second-guessing — just commitment, instinct, and finishing the thing.
January felt like the right place to begin: a song about pause, thresholds, and the strange clarity that comes with the quietest month of the year. I went for a long walk to the coast and back then ended up in the local bikers’ cafe. The song is not meant to be epic, it’s just an atmospheric piece with some impressions and ideas. Musically, it’s not my usual voice plus acoustic guitar both performed and recorded together type of thing. This time I used a modicum of technology to compose an orchestration, adding lower stated vocals, appropriate to the subject. I can still perform it live with the guitar though, and have done so twice so some of you may have heard it already! If you do listen to the recording, I’d genuinely love to know what January sounds like to you.
👉 The album, which will feature my track, will launch on the 25th January 2026 at 18.00pm https://www.facebook.com/events/1079917280893468 this will happen on https://48houralbum.bandcamp.com and be brilliant.
*I’ll be following the release with a lyric video for “January” — something simple and visual, giving the words a bit more room to breathe.
I’ll share it when it’s ready.
🎸 Live in February: Kashmir Fringe
Sunday 8th February · Acoustic Stage · Quay Arts
I’ll be playing live at the popular Kashmir Fringe even again this winter, appearing on the acoustic stage at Quay Arts on Sunday 8th February.
This will be a solo acoustic set of carefully chosen original songs, spanning the decades. I’ll be open to requests, questions, interaction and a bit of breathing space in the middle of winter. Kashmir has always had a thoughtful, exploratory feel to it, and I’m really looking forward to being part of this year’s programme alongside a whole host of the Isle of Wight’s talented musicians over the weekend.
👉 https://www.quayarts.org/event/kashmir-fringe-2026/
Looking ahead
After a fairly quiet autumn and winter on the gig front, this feels like the start of a slow re-awakening rather than a sudden rush. New songs, selective live dates, recoding and keeping things sustainable.
More soon — but for now, thank you for still being here, and for reading.
See you down the road,
Andy
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