Yes guitarist Steve Howe to release ‘Homebrew 7’ on July 30th

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It’s a great time to be a Yes fan. Barely a week after the band announced the release of a brand new album (‘The Quest’, due in October), guitarist Steve Howe has confirmed the release of a new volume of ‘Homebrew’, his ongoing series of archive releases.

‘Homebrew 7’ will be released via Cargo Records on July 30th, and will present fans with twenty one unreleased tracks which, as before, range from short instrumental sketches to complete songs. Often a fascinating look into Howe’s working practices, previous releases have given fans the early versions of GTR’s ‘Sketches In The Sun’ and the quirky ‘Bumpy Ride’, later to become an important part of the ‘Fly From Here’ suite. ‘Homebrew 7’ is said to not feature anything that has been issued in a different guise before, nor will it feature stuff that’ll be reworked in future, making it potentially the most vital ‘Homebrew’ to date.

A full press release and track listing can be explored below.

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PIERCE FROLIC – Zinnia EP

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Like a lot of people, Pierce Frolic turned to music as an escape from the heavier aspects of life. It was something he truly needed, since he struggled through school and, in his own words, “crashed out of college”, survived an automobile accident, ended up hospitalised through other misadventures and found himself surrounded by death. With friends having committed suicide or having their lives cut short through accidents, a dark world got even darker. With all of that in mind, it’s no wonder his debut release ‘Zinnia’ is obsessed with mortality.

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MATILDA’S SCOUNDRELS – The Devil’s Dues EP

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Although Matilda’s Scoundrel’s announced they’d be taking a hiatus from the end of 2019 – every hard working musician needs a rest eventually, unless they’re Frank Turner – a few previously unreleased tracks have slipped through the cracks since then. Their contribution to a Revenge of The Psychotronic Man tribute release (‘Rrose Selavy’) blended fuzzy post-punk guitar noises to a ska rhythm which, when topped with various mandolin style sounds, became a great four minute example of the band’s abilities to cross genres even when working with other peoples’ material, and a couple of left-overs from the sessions for their 2017 release ‘As The Tide Turns’ crept out on a 7” at the beginning of 2021.

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Watch: Marillion – Live In Zurich, November 1984

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In September 2021, Marillion will continue their reissue programme with a multi-disc version of 1984’s ‘Fugazi’. Something of a fan favourite, this second album saw a huge leap in musical confidence – something certainly helped by the arrival of drummer Ian Mosley – and take a much darker lyrical slant. Despite not having much commercial potential, at least on the face of things, the album became a top ten smash in the UK and even scored the band two top 40 singles and their first appearance on Top of The Pops.

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FRENCH GIRLS – French Girls

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When Rum Bar Records reissued the French Girls’ self-titled 2013 EP at the beginning of 2021, it instantly gave the band some well deserved exposure, such is the label’s enthusiasm for digital mailouts and keenness on spreading the word via social media channels. For those who missed French Girls the first time around, this timely reissue more than set out the band as an act to watch out for. That EP’s four songs worked a fierce and distorted approach that could rival many a raw, DIY garage punk band. Those with sharper ears may have detected occasional nods to old 60s girl groups, but in the main, the short release had most of its intents set on creating a gloriously raw noise. It was thrilling – exactly the kind of thing you’d expect from ex-members of Les Hell On Heels and Sympathy For The Record Industry signings The Peeps.

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