Kyle Falconer releases debut solo album 'No Thank You'

After five hit albums, a Mercury Prize nomination and countless sold-out shows with The View, the band’s frontman Kyle Falconer will release his debut album ‘No Thank You’ on July 27th on Riverman Records.

A raw and brutally honest collection of songs, much of ‘No Thank You’ finds Falconer exploring a tumultuous time in his life. The majority of the songs cover a period which commenced when he entered rehab in the summer of 2016, right through to the present day where he’s now embracing a new life and outlook as a father.

After completing his time in rehab in Thailand, Falconer returned home to Scotland with the idea of making his debut solo album. With a handful of new songs already written (‘Poor Me’and ‘The Therapist’), he also discovered that songs he’d previously penned felt relevant to his new situation.

Originally envisioned as having a Beatles-with-strings vibe, the album expanded beyond that vision with an eclectic mixture of genres. Sweeping cinematic strings are prevalent in opening track and lead single ‘Poor Me’, which grows in anthemic intensity before Falconer’s distinctive vocals explode in a visceral roar of emotion. Its chorus is based on the Alcoholics Anonymous mantra “Poor me, poor me, pour me another drink.”

“Everyday you get triggers and traumas stuck in your head, and you’re hearing all of these horrible stories,”reflects Falconer. “You want to hear it, but at the same time you’re thinking, ‘I’m here to help myself but I’ve got to hear everyone else’s story.’ It’s quite hard to hear, and I was thinking that a lot of these people were worse off than me.”

More in keeping with the original concept is confusion. Its woozy-childlike melody was based upon something which Falconer would sing to his daughter, and the track feels like a ‘Sgt. Pepper’outtake reimagined by a Scottish Kinks. Elsewhere there’s a distinctive country twang to both ‘Last Bus’ and ‘Lilly Ann’, which touch upon Falconer’slove of The Eagles and Bonnie Raitt.

Arguably the song that unites the album – and the nearest blend of The View’s rambunctious anthems with Falconer’smore reflective solo songwriting is – ‘Family Tree’. “I’m putting bottles of whisky and vodka behind me,” he sings in possibly the album’s most immediately engrossing melody, “I’m working on the family tree.”Although the song commences in a dark place, it’s fitting that the life-affirming singalong chorus reflects Falconer’s own progress too.

Falconer recorded the album at Paul Weller’s Black Barn Studiolast summer. Working alone on twelve-hour-a-day / five-days-a-week schedule, Falconer recorded all of the instrumentation (except for drums, performed by Scott Duffy) and vocals, and also wrote the orchestral melodies on a Mellotron which were later completed in collaboration with the Rogue Orchestra. The album was then mixed by Charlie Russell (Kasabian, Jake Bugg).

The album title came when Falconer and his family visited Liam Gallagher in Phuket .Falconer mentioned ‘No Thank You’ as a possible title as they listened to an early mix of the album. “And Liam said, ‘If you don’t use it, I’m going to use it for my next album’,”laughs Falconer. “It makes a lot of sense. No thanks to a band, no thanks to anyone, I recorded it all myself so no need to thank anyone – just thank me.” The duo’s connection continued when Falconer played his first large scale solo shows as guests on Liam’s recent arena tour.

Kyle Falconer was a founder member of The View, and the band signed their first record deal when he was just 18-years-old. Their debut album ‘Hats Off To The Buskers’ went straight to #1in January 2007 and was later nominated for a Mercury Prize. Two of the band’s subsequent four albums also hit the Top 10, and they also released an unorthodox ‘best of’ in the shape of ‘Seven Year Setlist’.

In addition to Liam, other influential names have also recognised Falconer’s talents. He performed on Mark Ronson’s hit ‘The Bike Song’ and also joined his live band The Business Intl.for some memorable performances which often included their take on the Amy Winehouse / Zutonsclassic ‘Valerie’. Ronsonand the legendary producer Quincy Jones also teamed up to provide a testimonial to support Falconer’s application for a visa for him to be able to work in America.

Kyle Falconer will play his first London solo headline show at the Heavenly Social on July 18th. He’s also set to play Glasgow’s TRNSMT Festival on June 20th on a bill headed by Liam Gallagher (see full tour dates below)…

Set to be released on digital, CD and vinyl formats, the ‘No Thank You’ tracklisting is:

1. ‘Poor Me’

2. ‘Kelly’

3. ‘Avalanche’

4. ‘The Therapist’

5. ‘Japanese Girl’

6. ‘Confusion’

7. ‘Family Tree’

8. ‘Jekyll Down Your Hyde’

9. ‘Lily Anne’

10. ‘Madonna’s Makeup’

11. ‘Last Bus Home’