+ Sky Larkin +

What follows is a message from our bassist Douglas Adams. It is accompanied by some photos taken by Ian Miller when we were recording the b-sides for ‘One of Two’ in a warehouse since demolished during the construction of the 2012 Olympics site, poetic timing… so long Doug and thanks for all the fish.


Katie (and Nestor)


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‘On the 5 year anniversary of the first ‘proper’ Sky Larkin release; the One of Two 7” (Dance to the Radio), I have something reasonably important to tell you.

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that rather than staying with the band for another album, I’m instead going to be doing what I’ve wanted to do for a long time and working with children.

If someone had told me when I first started playing bass at 13 that at one point in my life I’d bemaking a living from playing music, visiting new countries and hanging out with people I had admired for years I wouldn’t believe them.

There’s no exciting story (artistic differences, drug problems or sleeping with another member’s girlfriend) behind my decision to leave the band. It would simply be doing a disservice to fans, to the band, to the manager and to the label to carry on when my heart’s not totally in it. Innit.

Sky Larkin has always been a hugely ‘DIY’ endeavour (the efforts of a fantastic ‘behind-the-scenes’ ‘team’ aside) and deserves more than my increasingly lacklustre commitment.

Thank you for all of the experiences I’ve had over the last 5 years. I hope you’re as excited as I am to hear new material from Katie and Nestor.

Doug.





@dheronadams


flickr: dgls_dms ‘

For the final chapter our Kaleide record, I (Katie) travelled to Upstate New York to collaborate with film-maker Ashley Connor. Together we made a video for the song ‘Tiny Heist’ using hand-made visual effects, fireworks from across state lines and this premise;

“Young women in Upstate New York conjure up the spirits of an old whaling town. Lost in time, surrounded by the Hudson River and overtaken by winter, they leave their souls to chance, propagating small victories to stoke the momentum of their journey. All change ’til snow melt, all change ’til the thaw.”

TINY HEIST
Directed by Ashley Connor
Music by Sky Larkin
Featuring Katie Harkin and Matt Charland

Assistant: Zia Anger

Special thanks: Melissa Auf Der Maur, Tony Stone, Mike Adams, Ed O’Brien and Matt Charland


It’s been a productive hibernation and the wheels are turning for new Sky Larkin sounds in 2012, we owe you a more in-depth catch-up but for now here’s some tidbits about how we’ve been hiding in plain sight….


I spent over a hundred shows playing keyboards on stage with Wild Beasts in 24 countries in 2011, very happy occurrences which you may read more about here and have a look into here






I met Patrick Wolf by complete chance in a car park and ended up singing on his beautiful album Lupercalia  (released in June ‘11) that afternoon, what luck. I also composed sounds for animated columns to dance to for British artist Helen Marten’s ‘Dust and Piranhas’ piece for the Serpentine Gallery Pavillion.


As well as shaking up the world of literary academia, Nestor toured the UK and Europe drumming for local hero Napoleon IIIrd (he and I both played on Napoleon’s tremendous record ‘Christiania’) as well tour managing fellow Brits Young Legionnaire, Star Slinger and Johnny Foreigner all over the place. There’s no keeping us from the road.

Napoleon IIIrd flickr link –
Jofo/YNGLGNNR flickr link

Keep warm, we’ll be back after the thaw, and thank you as ever for lending your ears.


Katie

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Wichita Recordings is 10 this year and to celebrate ‘Wichiten’ Les Savy Fav, Sky Larkin and recent signing Cloud Nothings hit the road and NME covered the story this week.