Paul Gurney Releases New Album 'Blue Horizon'
Singer-songwriter Paul Gurney releases his new album, Blue Horizon today, October 28th. The 11 song collection was written and performed by Gurney, who is influenced by Americana and Roots music and has for many years been part of The DeSotos.
Blue Horizon is the musician’s second solo album, exploring personal themes, developed in Gurney’s writing over the past few years.
“The songs at the centre of this album speak to existential struggles and the associated feelings they generate, while also seeking to reveal the underlying human spirit and the belief that there will be better days coming ahead if we can collectively weather this period of unsettling turbulence,” explains Gurney.
“This sentiment is at the heart of Indian author Hrishikesh Agnihotri’s quote: ‘Sometimes victory lies not so much in conquering the glorious mountain peak but in simply having survived through a fatal and deadly storm.’ That is meaningful to me, and my work as a music tutor working with people struggling with mental health issues has allowed me to observe this first hand over the past two years. It’s no coincidence that songs on Blue Horizon such as ‘Fragile’, ‘Ricochet’ and the eponymous title track, lyrically explore these territories while being wrapped in melodic and atmospheric musical landscapes.”
The album also offers moments of lightness, in tracks such as ‘Perfect Space’, ‘Moonlight Waltz’ and ‘Windows’. It was produced by Bob Shepheard of Bobtastic at Roundhead Studios, with final mix and mastering handled by Steve Garden.
Gurney was accompanied by his band members and leading New Zealand musicians, including Neil Watson on pedal steel and violinist Richard Adams.
Gurney, who has been performing in bands and playing music since the 1980s, will tour with The DeSotos in November and will play songs from Blue Horizon on that tour. A Blue Horizon launch gig will also take place at the Thirsty Dog on Thursday November 17th.
Paul Gurney has been a musician since the 1980s. In 2004 he formed The DeSotos with his longterm bass player Stuart McIntyre. By the early 2000s, he had begun songwriting in earnest and was following his passion for Americana music and the sounds of New Orleans.
The DeSotos first album, Cross Your Heart, was released in 2008. It was selected by Manu Taylor as Radio New Zealand National’s New Zealand Album of the Year that year, and the track ‘Greedy Men’ became the title music for the television series South. The DeSotos followed this up with Your Highway for Tonight in 2011, which cemented the band’s place in the New Zealand music scene. In 2017, Gurney released his first solo album, Shadow of Love.
For the past 14 years, Gurney has been the music tutor at Toi Ora Live Arts Trust. The trust supports people who are experiencing mental health issues with arts classes. He is also a lead tenor in the celebrated Jubilation A Cappella Gospel Choir, a musical institution in Auckland since 2000.
Listen to Blue Horizon here:
