Georgian-British singer-songwriter and musician Katie Melua is set to release ‘Acoustic Album No.8’, a collection of acoustic reworkings of her acclaimed 2020 release ‘Album No.8’, on November 26th 2021. Produced by Zurab Melua, these stripped back performances present the songs and Katie’s singular voice at their most pure.
Album No.8 saw Katie expose herself with her most personal record to date, as she sought to take control of her music and public narrative. The tracks were not just an exploration into her personal and emotional state, but also challenged the creative depths of an artist who has seen a huge amount of commercial and critical success throughout her career. With high expectations, the album was widely recognized upon its release whilst also scoring Katie’s 8th consecutive UK top 10 studio album.
Released during the pandemic, when she was unable to tour, Katie would often share acoustic performances of the songs online, usually joined by her brother Zurab. “I’m proud of these songs and missed being able to tour around the release of the album last year. Performing them in this distilled way has given them a new lease of life. Zurab has a brilliant mind and we were able to do everything, apart from mastering, at home which is in a beautiful part of London. I think the tranquility and the green park around the area is part of the atmosphere on the record.”
“The aim was to have a recording that sounded like a live intimate concert” explains Zurab who takes the producer role for the first time. “So we simply played through the entire album a couple of times and Katie asked her long-time collaborator Mark Edwards to add some parts, and then we had Simon Goff play violin on two of the tracks – as Katie says, their musical instincts are just perfect. Some of the changes from the original songs are quite subtle, some like ‘A Love Like That’ are more drastic. I’m pleased with how it came out.”
The first single ‘Remind Me To Forget’, which features the double Grammy award-winning, renowned violinist Simon Goff, is an enticing introduction to these songs with Katie’s voice and guitar work seductive and elegiac. Complemented by the violin’s warmth, the track takes a life of its own, distinct from the poignant original. Katie had contacted Simon with the intention of collaborating a while ago, as she explains, “I’m such a fan of Simon Goff’s music so I got in touch with him to see if he wanted to work on a few projects together. It’s been an absolute honour, he put down the most cinematic, wind-like and earthy violin on ‘Remind Me To Forget’ and it makes me immeasurably proud.”
