Following May’s release of his debut album ‘Dead Debutante’s Ball’, RALPH PELLEYMOUNTER is set to hit the road this Autumn for his UK headline tour.
Recorded by rising production talent Gethin Pearson (Kele Okereke, JAWS, Orla Gartland) in ten long days during Britain’s hottest summer in decades, and named so “because it’s a good title for someone releasing a solo album so late in their career”, Dead Debutante’s Ball is a record that carries a similar sense of mirth and mischief throughout its fourteen songs.
On making the album Pelleymounter says “I had this idea to make this album full of short energetic tunes, strung together as if you were being led through a series on rooms in a Wes Anderson film. Never quite sure what is around the next corner but flowing fast, always on and on.”
For Pelleymounter, the recording of the album was a joyous time, with old friends and musicians he’d worked with in the past turning up to be part of the album, one by one or in groups and bring to life the music. From Jonny Abraham (now of Public Service Broadcasting) playing the trumpet, to Dan Smith (Bastille) on piano, Ian Dudfield on trombone (the now lead singer of Childcare and ex To Kill a King guitarist) to Joe Clark, Ralph describes it as “a real who’s who of people I know”.
Ralph goes on to describe the album; “On the whole, I think the album is playful but with a dark sense of humour.” This is in evidence in the visual content Ralph has created to accompany the album. The stunning video for recent single ‘Wild Beast’ was filmed at a disused prison in Atlanta, GA and this week won a Silver Telly Award, while the animated video for ‘Your PET Scan’ is both touching and comical.
‘Dead Debutante’s Ball’ talks about social anxieties and panic attacks, how not to deal with break-ups and feelings of powerlessness. There is, it must never be forgotten, a song here called The History Of Line Dancing. There are two about lobsters. But there is also brave storytelling here. A deep well of emotion. Magic. It’s the clearest and most direct presentation of contemporary Britain’s most underrated songwriter to date.
Ralph Pelleymounter has announced a full UK tour for September / October. Tickets for all dates are available here.
UK TOUR DATES
30 September – Southampton Heartbreakers
01 October – Bristol Thekla
03 October – Manchester Night & Day
04 October – Newcastle Head Of Steam
05 October – Glasgow The Old Hairdresser’s
06 October – Nottingham Bodega
08 October – Brighton Hope & Ruin
09 October – Birmingham The Cuban Embassy
20 October – London Moth Club
For more information:
