Pete Townshend from rock group The Who was so “blown away” when he heard a CD by a two-piece band from Wigtown that he recorded, produced and played on their latest album. The Bookshop Band was formed in 2010 by musicians Ben Please and Beth Porter, who write songs inspired by books and perform them to audiences in small bookshops across the UK, USA and Europe. The duo, who are said to occupy a creative space between the book and music worlds, have worked with a number of celebrated writers, with some specifically asking them to write songs for their book launches.
The Who guitarist, himself a former bookshop owner, said: “I listened to the CDs in my car as I was travelling. I was blown away, completely blown away. “I got into the whole Bookshop Band technique, which is just two people making this sound like a symphony orchestra.
It’s quite extraordinary. Each song was special in its own way. So, I reached out.
” The band’s new album Emerge, Return comprises 13 songs responding to themes including the oppression of bodies, free will and free speech, and is due to be released on June 28. New music video out today – inspired by The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood. EVE IN YOUR GARDEN.
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/cpdsgKt4uE pic.twitter.
com/FnPML8D5MV — The Bookshop Band (@TheBookshopBand) June 5, 2024 The books credited with inspiring songs on the album include Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Philip Pullman’s.
