"‘Summer, Be Gone’ actually feels like a warm zephyr floating through an open window on a balmy summer’s day... like water bouncing off silk... a most wonderful and unique chorus which goes against the pop-norm by being a ghostly shimmer of reverb and wistfulness" ~ Joyzine

"Adorned with easy grace, this is triumphal folk-pop at its finest... like something Tame Impala and The Beach Boys might have performed together under the heavy influence of Paul Simon" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Equal parts charming and entertaining. A presentation of Gale's unique mind and it's abilities as a wonderfully adept melody making machine" ~ Headstuff

"A beautifully articulated songbook throughout. Swimmingly brilliant in it's indie slacker charm" ~ Monolith Cocktail

British folk-pop artist Mike Gale presents his stunning new album 'Thanks for Always Waving' (out September 8). With 11 tracks on offer, this is a rich and thoughtful collection of world- and folk-inspired indie pop.

Gale's music is positively-vibed folk-inspired indie pop. Generating catchy melodies and harmonies, this will be his 20th album in 20 years. Initially writing and performing under the Co-Pilgrim and Black Nielson monikers, this is the twelfth album released under his own name.

Mastered by Todd Tobias (Guided By Voices, Circus Devils), this album was produced, recorded and mixed by Gale as his home studio. In the lead up to the album's release, he released the singles 'Grumble Pie' and 'Summer Be Gone', along with a calming video featuring the artist Kimvi, which was filmed in Suzhou, China by Matt Wallwork,

"'Thanks for Always Waving' is my 20th album. I wanted to go back to basics a bit with this one - simple pop songs with a stripped down gentle feel. I was very inspired by one of my favourite bands' (Tall Dwarfs) use of homemade percussion for rhythm, and the idea that you don't need a traditional drum sound to make a song groove. Lyrically, the album is mostly about trying to keep a positive outlook and being generally grateful for what you have despite the world seeming like a terrible place most of the time," says Mike Gale.

Album pre-order https://mikegale.bandcamp.com/album/thanks-for-always-waving

"The title of the album comes from my love of a YouTube channel called 'Solo Travel Japan', which is basically a guy taking overnight ferry trips to the many Japanese islands. One of the things he says as he leaves port is "Thanks for Always Waving" and it stuck."

A multi-instrumentalist, Gale has been singing for as long as he can remember. But it wasn't until he was around 20 that he formally began playing the guitar and writing his own music, citing The Lemonheads as a big influence in those early years. Born in Southampton, Mike Gale spent a good chunk of his childhood in North Devon and then Oxford, New York and Melbourne before returning home to settle on his beloved south coast of England.

With Gale taking melodic and percussive cues from influences such as Tall Dwarfs, Pavement and The Clean, 'Thanks for Always Waving' is ultimately one of his most pop-oriented albums to date, filled with mellow bongo beats and gentle washes of wavey organs.

As of September 8, 'Thanks For Always Waving' will be available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, .

CREDITS
Written and performed by Mike Gale
Produced, recorded and mixed by Mike Gale
Mastered by Todd Tobias (Guided By Voices, Circus Devils)
Single cover photo by Akira Deng
Video filmed by Matt Wallwork in Suzhou, China
Actress featuring Kimvi

"‘Summer, Be Gone’ actually feels like a warm zephyr floating through an open window on a balmy summer’s day... like water bouncing off silk... a most wonderful and unique chorus which goes against the pop-norm by being a ghostly shimmer of reverb and wistfulness" ~ Joyzine

"Adorned with easy grace, this is triumphal folk-pop at its finest... like something Tame Impala and The Beach Boys might have performed together under the heavy influence of Paul Simon" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Equal parts charming and entertaining. A presentation of Gale's unique mind and it's abilities as a wonderfully adept melody making machine" ~ Headstuff

"A beautifully articulated songbook throughout. Swimmingly brilliant in it's indie slacker charm" ~ Monolith Cocktail

British indie pop artist Mike Gale has released his new single 'Grumble Pie', the second taste of world / folk-inspired indie pop from his forthcoming album 'Thanks for Always Waving' (out September 8). This comes on the trail of 'Summer Be Gone', an atypical summer anthem, for which the accompanying video was filmed in Suzhou, China by Matt Wallwork, featuring the artist Kimvi.

Gale may not be a household name, but his music is universal, positively-vibed lo-fi bedroom pop. Generating catchy melodies and harmonies despite dubbing himself "a prolific, lo-fi recluse", this will be his 20th album in 20 years. Initially writing and performing under the Co-Pilgrim and Black Nielson monikers, this is the twelfth album released under his own name.

"I've been listening to a lot of Tall Dwarfs music and their use of rhythm and space. I really love those guys and I think ‘Grumble Pie’ owes a lot to them. I found the really cool, driving percussion sample first and built the song up from there. I suppose that, lyrically, it's about trying to focus on the things you have, rather than don't have. Seems like something that should be easy to do," says Mike Gale.

“I remember Grumble Pie being that song that happens with most albums I've done, where you get a feel for the direction the album is going to go. I felt like I had a handle on the rest of the recording after this one. I also left my mistake in the guitar solo bit to remind myself never to do solos.”

While a multi-instrumentalist, playing all the instruments heard on this album, Gale considers himself to be primarily a guitarist. Singing for as long as he can remember, he formally began playing a the guitar and writing his own music around 20, citing The Lemonheads as a big influence in those early years.

Born in Southampton and raised there for some years, Mike Gale spent a good chunk of his childhood in North Devon and some of his formative years in Oxford, New York and Melbourne before returning home to settle on his beloved south coast of England.

With Gale taking melodic and percussive cues from influences such as Tall Dwarfs, Pavement and The Clean, 'Thanks for Always Waving' is ultimately one of his most pop-orientated albums to date, filled with mellow bongo beats and gentle washes of wavey organs.

Mike Gale explains, "I'm naturally introverted and have never enjoyed being onstage in front of people, so performing live was always my least favourite part of making music. Now I'm solo I feel no pressure to perform live at all, maybe one day but for now I'm happy. Recording by myself at home seemed to open a flood of songs and creativity. I think the lack of any expectations just helped me make music for the pure enjoyment of it."

As of August 8, 'Summer Be Gone' will be available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where the full album (out September 8) is also available for pre-order.

CREDITS
Written and performed by Mike Gale
Produced, recorded and mixed by Mike Gale
Mastered by Todd Tobias (Guided By Voices, Circus Devils)
Single cover photo by Akira Deng
Video filmed by Matt Wallwork in Suzhou, China
Actress featuring Kimvi

Indie folk-pop artist Mike Gale set to release milestone 20th album 'Thanks For Always Waving'

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