5th anniversary of ‘Garde Ta Foy, Garde Ta Foy’

The 5th anniversary of my debut album was actually on Sunday but I was playing a gig and completely forgot to write about it. So it’s now five years and three days since I released ‘Garde Ta Foy, Garde Ta Foy’. 

I recorded the album with my friend, Dan, in his tiny music room in Malvern, Worcestershire. We didn’t really know what we were doing. Dan found some people to play brass on the album from his local big band. I asked some friends to sing on it in one of my friend’s living rooms. We pieced it together and I’m proud of what we created. Dan and I then played the songs in living rooms up and down the country. They were good times.

The album is certainly not perfect, in fact I find parts of it unlistenable (I didn’t really know how to sing then, and I’m not sure if I do now) but I think it has a certain warmth and charm. I still think there are some great songs on it (along with some not so great ones) and I’d love to revisit it one day and re-record some of my favourites.

I also had something wrong with my eye when we were taking the cover photo (see how my left one isn’t quite as perky as my right one). And why on earth am I holding a miniature alpaca?

Anyway, here’s to you, ‘Garde Ta Foy, Garde Ta Foy’ - thank you for some wonderful memories.

You can listen to the album on Bandcamp and buy it on CD here if you so wish (get 15% off with the discount code ‘BRUCEWILLIS’).

Greetings from Berlin,

Luke

A review of my debut album Garde Ta Foy, Garde Ta Foy appeared on the Internet this week, a full four years after the album’s release. Anyway, it’s a very kind 8/10 review so I thought I’d share it with you. 

You can stream Garde Ta Foy, Garde Ta Foy in its entirety here, buy the digital here and buy the CD here.

Thanks to Cross Rhythms for the review, which you can read in its original setting here.

“The riverside village of Upton-upon-Severn has few claims to fame beyond annual jazz and folk festivals and a regular spot on news programmes during the flooding season. But it is now becoming known as the birthplace of hard-working singer, pianist and top banana of the small but perfectly formed Got Got Need Records. Luke has since moved to Southampton and ‘Garde Ta Foy, Garde Ta Foy’ (‘Keep Your Faith …’) is the young troubadour’s debut outing from 2006. Here are 12 songs of melodic English whimsy that have about them an air of The Afternoons (especially the sultry trumpet passages) and, occasionally, the wistful sadness of the late Nick Drake. From the opening “Nothing Has Changed” through to “It Never Lasts”, the lyrics are articulate - almost poetic in places - although the titles betray a certain sense of disappointment and regret (as well as the two already mentioned, we have “The Rain Will Come Again”, “Mountain To Climb”, “I Miss Those Summers” and “Too Little Too Late”). The tunes are generally pretty cheerful but Mr Leighfield’s voice is something of an acquired taste. The production is very good, with some fine arrangements using brass (including French horn), cello and sax along with the singer’s own piano, organ and violin, and this album is well worth a listen particularly if you’re one of the many entranced by Luke’s performance at Greenbelt 2010. In fact, give it several listens. It really grows on you.”