Bastille’s Dan Smith shares the second part of his upcoming ‘&’ project’
The upcoming project is inspired by the life and times of historical figures
By Nick Reilly
Bastille‘s Dan Smith has shared the second part of his forthcoming project ‘&’ (pronounced Ampersand), which sees him deliver tracks inspired by the lives of historical figures.
The singer shared the first part of the project back in July, which included the stirring ‘Intros & Narrators’ and a music video shot in the Bermuda Triangle, no less.
Now, those first songs are joined by ‘Blue Sky & The Painter’, inspired by artist Edvard Munch’s battles with depression and ‘Leonard & Marianne’, which sees Smith examine the relationship between legendary singer Leonard Cohen and his lover Marianne Ihlen.
The video for ‘Blue Sky & The Painter’ is out now too and sees Smith delivering an acoustic rendition in the middle of the Sargasso Sea during a recent trip he took with Greenpeace.
Fans can expect to hear the whole project on October 18th when it’s released via Bastille Presents, but those who can’t wait that long can look forward to an accompanying podcast which launches on September 18. It’ll see Smith offering a deep dive into the people whose lives inspired the album, alongside renowned academic/podcaster Emma Nagouse.
Check out the tracklist to Ampersand in full below.
1. Intros & Narrators
2. Eve & Paradise Lost
3. Emily & Her Penthouse In The Sky
4. Blue Sky & The Painter
5. Leonard & Marianne
6. Marie & Polonium
7. Red Wine & Wilde
8. Seasons & Narcissus
9. Drawbridge & The Baroness
10. The Soprano & Her Midnight Wonderings
11. Essie & Paul
12. Mademoiselle & The Nunnery Blaze
13. Zheng Yi Sao & Questions For Her
14. Telegraph Road 1977 & 2024