UK avante pop artist NICK HUDSON shares 'Catherine In The Curate's Garden' from new Georgia-inspired album 'Kanda Teenage Honey'

September 4, 2024

"Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

Brighton experimental artist Nick Hudson presents 'Catherine in the Curate's Garden', the latest audio-visual offering from his album 'Kanda Teenage Honey', an expansive 16-track collection recorded in a former Soviet movie studio in Georgia in the build-up to the country's current unrest, an explosive combination of circumstances that recently earned him coverage in Billboard.

"Originally, 'Catherine In The Curate's Garden' was a folk song, written eight years ago when I was living in an industrial unit on the south coast of England. It never sat comfortably in those rustic garments and while writing 'Kanda Teenage Honey' it made itself known as a simmering, swampy, gothic art rock piece. I asked my friend Stuart Dahlquist of Asva/Sunn O))) and Burning Witch to grace it with his inimitable bass tone and we subjected the drums to some infernal alchemy," says Nick Hudson.

"The lyrics narrate the de-martyring of two saints - Sebastiane and Catherine, who shame and dispose of the curate who has judged and condemned them, before conjoining in sexual and romantic ecstasy in a throng of lupine cheerleaders. Call it biblical speculative fiction if you will, with a queered-up slant. This is echoed in the video wherein we recreated a sequence from Carl Dreyer's vanguard silent film 'The Passion Of Joan Of Arc' (1928) - I actually storyboarded this sequence and we shot it frame for frame in a junkyard in Tbilisi, with my Russian gangster rapper friend Tex2ra (yes, a male) as Joan and a host of Pasolinian non-actors cast for their compelling visages and on-screen energies."

This follows Hudson's most recent videos for 'Unspent Youth' and 'Sky Burial While Alive', featuring a prologue text on dictators, spoken by Alfreda Benge - collaborator and wife of legendary British composer Robert Wyatt. The video was filmed at the Bologna villa used in the Pasolini's film 'Salo' (itself a notorious and damning critique of fascism) and in Tbilisi with a cast of international performers.

Having earlier previewed the singles 'For My Silence' and 'Khevsureti', this album was born of geographical explorations amidst musical territory that is hardly touched on. Mixed by and featuring Toby Driver of Kayo Dot, this album involves such luminaries as Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, Stuart Dahlquist (Asva, Burning Witch, Sunn O))), Lizzy Carey (Bat For Lashes), Robert Wyatt collaborator Alfreda Benge, Christopher Nell (legendary German performer and collaborator of US theatre visionary Robert Wilson), and soprano prodigy Poppy Efemey.

Recorded with Ilya Lukashev at Leno Studio and Sano Studio in Tbilisi, this album was mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel, Sleaford Mods) at Church Road Studios in Hove, Hudson collaborates with some incredible Georgian musicians and his friend Seva, a Russian dissident who fled the FSB, having worked for Navalny. Hudson explains, "He contributes a poem narrating his thoughts on exile, through which I've layered field recordings of the recent Tbilisi and Paris protests, where many of us got tear-gassed."

CREDITS
Composed, arranged and produced by Nick Hudson
Engineered by Ilya Lukashev & Nick Hudson at Leno Studio and Sano Studio, Tbilisi
Steinway recorded by Ilya Lukashev & George Gvarjaladze at Leno Studios, Tbilisi
Mixed by Toby Driver
Mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe, Church Road Studios, Hove
Nick Hudson - organ drone, vocals, field recording manipulation
Stuart Dahlquist - bass
Gigi Koberidze - drums
Kianna Blue - Issa G Thang
Ilia lukashev - drum production, engineering, tom alchemy
Toby Driver - mixing
Paul Pascoe - analogue mastering
Video directed, produced, filmed & edited by Nick Hudson at Junkyard, Tbilisi
starring Text2ra, Jamie Khan, Alfred Veta, Ali Gamrov, Sonya, Gary Mallard, William Sitnin, Nick Hudson. Thanks to Polina Tengelin and all at Junkyard.
Album artwork by Nick Hudson and Gary Mallard
Artist photography by @_Carl_Solomon_
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

UK artist NICK HUDSON explores an oligarch's dark fate on 'Sky Burial While Alive'. New album 'Kanda Teenage Honey' out now

June 11, 2024

Brighton experimental artist Nick Hudson presents 'Sky Burial While Alive', the latest audio-visual offering from his new album 'Kanda Teenage Honey', an expansive 16-track collection recorded in a former Soviet movie studio in Georgia in the build-up to the country's current unrest, which was recently covered in Billboard.

The song features a prologue text on dictators, spoken by Alfreda Benge - collaborator and wife of legendary British composer Robert Wyatt. The video was filmed at the Bologna villa that was used in Pasolini’s 'Salo' (1975) - itself a notorious and damning critique of fascism - and in a Tbilisi art space with a cast of international performers/artists.

“'Sky Burial While Alive' takes its imagery from a scene in my novel 'Inheritance', whereby an oligarch, upon finding his power challenged and his assets diminished, retreats to a Swiss bank vault only to have 7 griffon vultures perform a sky burial upon him, depositing his remains in Lake Geneva. It’s a commentary on the imbalance of power and the thin-skinned nature of those who fetishize and seek to consolidate it at all odds - unfortunately all too pertinent right now in Georgia and other countries in whom Russia has its tendrils," says Nick Hudson.

Having earlier previewed the singles 'For My Silence' and 'Khevsureti', this album was born of geographical explorations amidst musical territory that is hardly touched on. Mixed by and featuring Toby Driver of Kayo Dot, this album involves such luminaries as Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, Stuart Dahlquist (Asva, Burning Witch, Sunn O))), Lizzy Carey (Bat For Lashes), Robert Wyatt collaborator Alfreda Benge, Christopher Nell (legendary German performer and collaborator of US theatre visionary Robert Wilson), and soprano prodigy Poppy Efemey.

Recorded with Ilya Lukashev at Leno Studio and Sano Studio in Tbilisi, this album was mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel, Sleaford Mods) at Church Road Studios in Hove, Hudson collaborates with some incredible Georgian musicians and his friend Seva, a Russian dissident who fled the FSB, having worked for Navalny. Hudson explains, "He contributes a poem narrating his thoughts on exile, through which I've layered field recordings of the recent Tbilisi and Paris protests, where many of us got tear-gassed."

"Russia attempted to invade Georgia most recently in 2008 and we've seen a vast influx of Russians fleeing the conflict and resettling in Tbilisi (which endures and suffers a pro-Russian government ideologically in conflict with most of its citizens). This geopolitical tension has inevitably made its way into the lyrical and musical texture of the record via the songs 'Hollow Man' and 'Sky Burial While Alive'. It also contains oligarch-hexing magic realism and a tribute to that vastly-neglected demographic – the old-school homosexual. Musically it encompasses art rock, black metal, ambient music, agitprop folk, charred goth rock, symphonic vastness and piano ballads -all infused with the energies and landscape of Georgia," says Nick Hudson.

In 2021, Hudson released his 'Font Of Human Fractures' album and the 'K69996ROMA:EP', following his band The Academy of Sun's opus album 'The Quiet Earth' in 2020. He has collaborated with such legends as Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Matthew Seligman (David Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), Massive Attack's Shara Nelson, plus David Tibet (Current 93) and queercore icon GB Jones. His vast output also encompasses painting, film and a novel.

"As an album, 'Kanda Teenage Honey' explores ideas of preserving the sacred from the corrosively kleptocratic institutions of church and state: spiritual and material kleptocracy. The title itself refers to a very real preservation of innocence derived from a story I heard of a local villager whose teenage son was shot and killed: the father had his son's body preserved in honey. As such, there are secular hymns for peace and lucid stillness, tales of saints de-martyring themselves and falling in love free of judgement from anachronistic scrutiny - a thinly veiled parable of queer love. Two very close friends died within six months of each other during my first year in Georgia – there are requiems in the songs 'Archipelago' and 'Bardo', plus an acappella tribute to the Siberian husky that helped me grieve them during a retreat to the sublime mountainous region of 'Khevsureti' by the Chechen border, where despite being an ostensibly Orthodox country, pagan traditions are still passionately observed. I dreamed eighty-percent of 'Bardo' in the energised serenity of this beautiful region while mourning my friend Jesse. Patrick, honoured in 'Archipelago', was one of my earliest mentors and a dynamically brilliant pianist. They are much missed," explains Nick Hudson.

"'Ortolan' references the summer of 2021, when I fled to the same Isle Of Wight monastery at which Scott Walker had sought refuge in the sixties, as my mental and physical health hit a nadir and I was forced to leave the city I'd called home for twenty years. 'This Heat' refers to a return journey from a plague necropolis at the Chechen border, where giddily drunken park rangers piloting a 4X4 hurtled us passengers down a treacherous mountain pass and I briefly thought it might be the last song I'd ever write. Since then, I've come to learn that Georgians are some of the virtuosic drivers in the world, even drunk, and I need not have feared."

'Kanda Teenage Honey' is out now everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Musicand Bandcamp and is also available as a 4-panel CD digipak with an 8-page full colour booklet featuring artwork by Nick Hudson and Berdia Arabuli and photography by Carl Solomon, Jack Hubbell Rosene and Kenneth Anger.

Hudson also recently published his book 'The Land Exists So The Seas Don't Argue', showcasing a decade of lyrical output in five albums plus ephemera with a foreword by renowned Scottish author Chris Kelso.

CREDITS
Composed, arranged and produced by Nick Hudson
Engineered by Ilya Lukashev & Nick Hudson at Leno Studio and Sano Studio, Tbilisi
Steinway recorded by Ilya Lukashev & George Gvarjaladze at Leno Studios, Tbilisi
Mixed by Toby Driver
Mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe, Church Road Studios, Hove
Nick Hudson - piano. acoustic guitar on 2, Faemi 1M, programming, vocals, foley, protest field recordings
Beqa Minadze - electric guitars
Gigi Koberidze - drums
Greg Massi - guitar on 4
Lizzy Carey - all strings
Toby Driver - hammered dulcimer on 10
Poppy Efemey - soprano on 10
Stuart Dahlquist - bass on 13
Samuel Gottlebe - classical guitar on 10, 12 and 15
Kianna Blue - Issa G Thang on 13
Alfreda Benge - cosmological rhetoric on 3
Oliver Hill - guitar on 8
Christopher Nell - duet vocal on 12
Stuart Braithwaite - black metal Ivor Cutler on 8
Vsevolod Osupov - poem and recitation on 11
Oli Spleen, Kianna Blue and Jon Griffin - choir on 9
Ana-STASI-a - thelemic seduction on 14
Wolfgang Dubieniec - mood on 3
'For My Silence' artwork by Kenneth Anger
'Khevsureti' cover painting by Berdia Arabuli
Album artwork by Nick Hudson and Gary Mallard
Artist photography by @_Carl_Solomon_
Rings featured in photos by @Fauda.Silver
Videos directed, produced and edited by Nick Hudson

Brighton's NICK HUDSON releases 'Kanda Teenage Honey' album on CD - introspection, intrigue and adventurous soundscaping

May 7, 2024

'Kanda Teenage Honey' album order
https://nickhudsonindustries.bandcamp.com/album/kanda-teenage-honey
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/4WKJCeF2uXCudjxME03nye

Brighton avant-pop artist Nick Hudson announces the release of his new album 'Kanda Teenage Honey' on CD. Complementing an expansive 16-track collection, this 4-panel CD digipak comes with an 8-page full colour booklet containing artwork by Nick Hudson and Berdia Arabuli and photography by Carl Solomon, Jack Hubbell Rosene and Kenneth Anger.

With recent coverage in Billboard, this album was recorded largely in a huge former Soviet movie studio in Georgia under the shadow of the Ukraine war. Born of geographical explorations amidst musical territory that is hardly touched on, this record was previewed by the singles 'For My Silence' and 'Khevsureti'.

Mixed by and featuring Toby Driver of Kayo Dot, this album involves numerous talented guests, including Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, Stuart Dahlquist (Asva, Burning Witch, Sunn O))), Lizzy Carey (Bat For Lashes), Robert Wyatt collaborator Alfreda Benge, Christopher Nell (legendary German performer and collaborator of US theatre visionary Robert Wilson), and soprano prodigy Poppy Efemey.

Recorded with Ilya Lukashev at Leno Studio and Sano Studio in Tbilisi, this album was mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel, Sleaford Mods) at Church Road Studios in Hove, Hudson collaborates with some incredible Georgian musicians and his friend Seva, a Russian dissident who fled the FSB, having worked for Navalny. Hudson explains, "He contributes a poem narrating his thoughts on exile, through which I've layered field recordings of the recent Tbilisi and Paris protests, where many of us got tear-gassed."

"Russia attempted to invade Georgia most recently in 2008 and we've seen a vast influx of Russians fleeing the conflict and resettling in Tbilisi (which endures and suffers a pro-Russian government ideologically in conflict with most of its citizens). This geopolitical tension has inevitably made its way into the lyrical and musical texture of the record via the songs 'Hollow Man' and 'Sky Burial While Alive'. It also contains oligarch-hexing magic realism and a tribute to that vastly-neglected demographic – the old-school homosexual. Musically it encompasses art rock, black metal, ambient music, agitprop folk, charred goth rock, symphonic vastness and piano ballads -all infused with the energies and landscape of Georgia," says Nick Hudson.

In 2021, Hudson released his 'Font Of Human Fractures' album and the 'K69996ROMA:EP'. His band The Academy of Sun released their opus album 'The Quiet Earth' the year before. He's collaborated with such legends as Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Matthew Seligman (David Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), Massive Attack's Shara Nelson, plus David Tibet (Current 93) and queercore icon GB Jones. His vast output also encompasses painting, film and a novel.

"As an album, 'Kanda Teenage Honey' explores ideas of preserving the sacred from the corrosively kleptocratic institutions of church and state: spiritual and material kleptocracy. The title itself refers to a very real preservation of innocence derived from a story I heard of a local villager whose teenage son was shot and killed: the father had his son's body preserved in honey. As such, there are secular hymns for peace and lucid stillness, tales of saints de-martyring themselves and falling in love free of judgement from anachronistic scrutiny - a thinly veiled parable of queer love. Two very close friends died within six months of each other during my first year in Georgia – there are requiems in the songs 'Archipelago' and 'Bardo', plus an acappella tribute to the Siberian husky that helped me grieve them during a retreat to the sublime mountainous region of 'Khevsureti' by the Chechen border, where despite being an ostensibly Orthodox country, pagan traditions are still passionately observed. I dreamed eighty-percent of 'Bardo' in the energised serenity of this beautiful region while mourning my friend Jesse. Patrick, honoured in 'Archipelago', was one of my earliest mentors and a dynamically brilliant pianist. They are much missed," explains Nick Hudson.

"'Ortolan' references the summer of 2021, when I fled to the same Isle Of Wight monastery at which Scott Walker had sought refuge in the sixties, as my mental and physical health hit a nadir and I was forced to leave the city I'd called home for twenty years. 'This Heat' refers to a return journey from a plague necropolis at the Chechen border, where giddily drunken park rangers piloting a 4X4 hurtled us passengers down a treacherous mountain pass and I briefly thought it might be the last song I'd ever write. Since then, I've come to learn that Georgians are some of the virtuosic drivers in the world, even drunk, and I need not have feared."

'Kanda Teenage Honey' is out now, available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, along with his new book 'The Land Exists So The Seas Don't Argue', showcasing a decade of lyrical output in five albums plus ephemera with a foreword by renowned Scottish author Chris Kelso.

UK avant-pop artist NICK HUDSON gears up for new album 'Kanda Teenage Honey', previewing two new tracks + video for 'Khevsureti'

March 13, 2024

“Beautifully written, recorded, produced and arranged... all complimented by vocal that lives up to the same standard. No cheating, no fronting, just honest crafted musicality” ~ Billy Gould (Faith No More)

"Kanda Teenage Honey is shockingly emotional, thoughtfully orchestrated and wonderfully curious lyrically. It is a record for true music lovers" ~ Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu)

"There isn’t really anyone making music like Nick Hudson“ ~ The Quietus

“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

"Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

Brighton alternative pop artist Nick Hudson presents his new album 'Kanda Teenage Honey', an expansive collection of 16 tracks, recorded largely in a huge former Soviet movie studio in Georgia under the shadow of the Ukraine war. Previewed this week by the tracks 'Ortolan'and 'This Heat', Hudson recently released the singles 'For My Silence' and 'Khevsureti', which recently garnered him coverage in Billboard.

Mixed by and featuring Toby Driver of Kayo Dot, this album is graced with numerous talented guests, including Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, Stuart Dahlquist (Asva, Burning Witch, Sunn O))), Lizzy Carey (Bat For Lashes), Robert Wyatt collaborator Alfreda Benge, Christopher Nell (legendary German performer and collaborator of US theatre visionary Robert Wilson), and 14-year-old soprano prodigy Poppy Efemey.

Recorded with Ilya Lukashev at Leno Studio and Sano Studio in Tbilisi, this album was mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel, Sleaford Mods) at Church Road Studios in Hove, Hudson collaborates with some incredible Georgian musicians and his friend Seva, a Russian dissident who fled the FSB, having worked for Navalny. Hudson explains, "He contributes a poem narrating his thoughts on exile, through which I've layered field recordings of the recent Tbilisi and Paris protests, where many of us got tear-gassed."

"Russia attempted to invade Georgia most recently in 2008 and we've seen a vast influx of Russians fleeing the conflict and resettling in Tbilisi (which endures and suffers a pro-Russian government ideologically in conflict with most of its citizens). This geopolitical tension has inevitably made its way into the lyrical and musical texture of the record via the songs 'Hollow Man' and 'Sky Burial While Alive'. It also contains oligarch-hexing magic realism and a tribute to that vastly-neglected demographic – the old-school homosexual. Musically it encompasses art rock, black metal, ambient music, agitprop folk, charred goth rock, symphonic vastness and piano ballads -all infused with the energies and landscape of Georgia," says Nick Hudson.

In 2021, Hudson released his 'Font Of Human Fractures' album and the 'K69996ROMA:EP'. His band The Academy of Sun released their opus album 'The Quiet Earth' the year before. He's collaborated with such legends as Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Matthew Seligman (David Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), Massive Attack's Shara Nelson, plus David Tibet (Current 93) and queercore icon GB Jones. His vast output also encompasses painting, film and a novel.

"As an album, 'Kanda Teenage Honey' explores ideas of preserving the sacred from the corrosively kleptocratic institutions of church and state: spiritual and material kleptocracy. The title itself refers to a very real preservation of innocence derived from a story I heard of a local villager whose teenage son was shot and killed: the father had his son's body preserved in honey. As such, there are secular hymns for peace and lucid stillness, tales of saints de-martyring themselves and falling in love free of judgement from anachronistic scrutiny - a thinly veiled parable of queer love. Two very close friends died within six months of each other during my first year in Georgia – there are requiems in the songs 'Archipelago' and 'Bardo', plus an acappella tribute to the Siberian husky that helped me grieve them during a retreat to the sublime mountainous region of 'Khevsureti' by the Chechen border, where despite being an ostensibly Orthodox country, pagan traditions are still passionately observed. I dreamed eighty-percent of 'Bardo' in the energised serenity of this beautiful region while mourning my friend Jesse. Patrick, honoured in 'Archipelago', was one of my earliest mentors and a dynamically brilliant pianist. They are much missed," explains Nick Hudson.

"'Ortolan' references the summer of 2021, when I fled to the same Isle Of Wight monastery at which Scott Walker had sought refuge in the sixties, as my mental and physical health hit a nadir and I was forced to leave the city I'd called home for twenty years. 'This Heat' refers to a return journey from a plague necropolis at the Chechen border, where giddily drunken park rangers piloting a 4X4 hurtled us passengers down a treacherous mountain pass and I briefly thought it might be the last song I'd ever write. Since then, I've come to learn that Georgians are some of the virtuosic drivers in the world, even drunk, and I need not have feared."

Hudson also just released his book 'The Land Exists So The Seas Don't Argue', showcasing a decade of lyrical output in five albums plus ephemera – satellite poems that inhabit the same world as each of the primary cosmologies. With a foreword by renowned Scottish author Chris Kelso, this collection embodies a searing intensity and unity of vision - paganism, queer love, grief, death, ecstasy, radical politics, social satire, hymns to nature, her rhythms and forces.

As of March 15, 'Kanda Teenage Honey' is available via Bandcamp, as well as other fine music platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music. On March 16, Hudson celebrates with an album launch concert in Tbilisi, Georgia, which will be livestreamed for those who cannot be there in person.

CREDITS
Composed, arranged and produced by Nick Hudson
Engineered by Ilya Lukashev & Nick Hudson at Leno and Sano Studios, Tbilisi
Steinway recorded by Ilya Lukashev & George Gvarjaladze at Leno Studios, Tbilisi
Mixed by Toby Driver
Mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe, Church Road Studios, Hove
Nick Hudson - piano. acoustic guitar on 2, Faemi 1M, programming, vocals, foley, protest field recordings
Beqa Minadze - electric guitars
Gigi Koberidze - drums
Greg Massi - guitar on 4
Lizzy Carey - all strings
Toby Driver - hammered dulcimer on 10
Poppy Efemey - soprano on 10
Stuart Dahlquist - bass on 13
Samuel Gottlebe - classical guitar on 10, 12 and 15
Kianna Blue - Issa G Thang on 13
Alfreda Benge - cosmological rhetoric on 3
Oliver Hill - guitar on 8
Christopher Nell - duet vocal on 12
Stuart Braithwaite - black metal Ivor Cutler on 8
Vsevolod Osupov - poem and recitation on 11
Oli Spleen, Kianna Blue and Jon Griffin - choir on 9
Ana-STASI-a - thelemic seduction on 14
Wolfgang Dubieniec - mood on 3
Videos directed, filmed and edited by Nick Hudson
'For My Silence' artwork by Kenneth Anger
'Khevsureti' cover painting by Berdia Arabuli
Album artwork by Nick Hudson and Gary Mallard
Artist photography by @_Carl_Solomon_
Rings featured in photos by @Fauda.Silver

Georgia-based UK avant-pop artist NICK HUDSON unveils 'Khevsureti' single, previewing new album 'Kanda Teenage Honey'

February 15, 2024

British alternative pop artist Nick Hudson presents 'Khevsureti', the second single from his forthcoming album 'Kanda Teenage Honey', following up the lead track 'For My Silence'.

Recorded largely in Georgia under the shadow of the Ukraine war, featuring some incredible Georgian musicians in a huge former Soviet movie studio, this album was recorded and engineered by Ilya Lukashev at Leno Studio and Sano Studio in Tbilisi. and then mixed by Toby Driver and mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios in Hove.

"I started writing 'Khevsureti' the day I arrived in Tbilisi in 2021; early January, as icicles dangled from the cliffs by a frozen waterfall. It was the last song to be completed. Khevsureti is a mountainous region in Northern Georgia by the Chechen border. I try to repair here as often as possible to escape the chugging white noise of the city. The whole area thrums with a pagan energy that balances nature’s serenity and brutality in the true essence of the sublime," says Nick Hudson.

"Despite being ostensibly an Orthodox country, animal sacrifices are still performed here on sacred pagan days. There is a necropolis right by the Chechen border – one of the most intense sites I've ever visited. Every time I visit the region, I encounter some mode of profundity. I wrote a lot of the album up here, often in dreams and visions infused by the mountain air, hallucinating bears and taking long midnight walks into a night unsullied by light pollution. So this song is a secular hymn of gratitude to the region for being kind to me in moments of grief and providing glimpses of Herzogian ecstasy in spells of joy."

Directed, filmed and edited by Nick Hudson, this video was filmed in various locations in Georgia: Korsha, the Abudelauri Lakes, Roshka, the Datvisjvari Pass, Shatili and Tbilisi.

A prolific figure on the UK music scene, Hudson released his latest album 'Font Of Human Fractures' in 2021, followed by the 'K69996ROMA:EP' later that year. His band The Academy of Sun had released their opus album 'The Quiet Earth' the year before.

Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and a novel. Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), members of Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva, queercore icon GB Jones, as well as Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Apart from touring 3 continents, highlights include shows with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams (Kayo Dot), and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

Hudson also just released his book 'The Land Exists So The Seas Don't Argue'. Limited to 50 numbered and signed copies, this is the first volume of his lyrical output over a decade, encompassing five albums plus ephemera – satellite poems that inhabit the same world as each of the primary cosmologies. This collection embodies a searing intensity and unity of vision - paganism, queer love, grief, death, ecstasy, radical politics, social satire, hymns to nature, her rhythms and forces. The book also features a foreword by renowned Scottish author Chris Kelso.

On February 15, the 'Khevsureti' single will be available on Bandcamp, followed by other platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music. The full album 'Kanda Teenage Honey' will be released on March 15.

CREDITS
Composed, produced and arranged by Nick Hudson
Nick Hudson – voice, programming, string arrangements, foley, filing cabinet, piano, Soma Ether, Faemi 1M
Lizzy Carey – all strings.
Wolfgang Dubieniec – moods.
Ilya Lukashev – foley, filing cabinet
Engineered by Ilya Lukashev and Nick Hudson at Leno and Sano Studios, Tbilisi
Produced by Nick Hudson
Mixed by Toby Driver in NYC
Mastered by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios, Hove, UK
Video directed, filmed and edited by Nick Hudson
Single cover artwork by Kenneth Anger
Artist photography by @_Carl_Solomon_
Rings in the photos by @Fauda.Silver

Brighton artist NICK HUDSON presents 'For My Silence', a statement of clarity after the storm - first taste of his new album

January 11, 2024

“Beautifully written, recorded, produced and arranged... all complimented by vocal that lives up to the same standard. No cheating, no fronting, just honest crafted musicality” ~ Billy Gould (Faith No More)

"Kanda Teenage Honey is shockingly emotional, thoughtfully orchestrated and wonderfully curious lyrically. It is a record for true music lovers" ~ Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu)

"There isn’t really anyone making music like Nick Hudson“ ~ The Quietus

“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

"Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

British avant pop artist Nick Hudson presents his new single 'For My Silence', the first offering from his forthcoming album 'Kanda Teenage Honey', recorded largely in Georgia under the shadow of the Ukraine war, featuring some incredible Georgian musicians in a huge former Soviet movie studio.

Mixed by Toby Driver and mastered to analogue tape by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios in Hove, this album was recorded and engineered by Ilya Lukashev at Leno Studio and Sano Studio in Tbilisi.

"This is a song about apologizing to those you love for the period in which you disappeared to make bad life choices, while also singling out those who stood by and did nothing in the name of friendship during this period. The period in question was the third lockdown, where I literally had a glimpse of hell courtesy of a significant mental health collapse," says Nick Hudson.

"This is a reflective song, both confessional and confrontational. The piano for the record was tracked on a 1953 Steinway grand in Leno Studio in Tbilisi – a former Soviet movie studio whose live room is vast enough to record orchestras."

This is Hudson's first release since the 'Lights Svoboda' single, released in 2022 support of Ukraine, for which all proceeds were contributed to charities directly involved in humanitarian aid efforts.

Hudson adds, "The video stars my friend Nika – a 17-year-old Georgian aspiring actor, and whom I've found myself mentoring in cinema. It was shot in a Stalin-era secular graveyard on the mountains outside of Tbilisi and incorporates footage of the actual vocal sessions in the studio, captured by Vlad Gutsin, a 20-year-old refugee from Tomsk. Gigi Koberidze and Beqa Minadze, on drums and guitar respectively, are two of the finest musicians I've had the privilege to work with."

A prolific figure on the UK music scene, Hudson's latest album 'Font Of Human Fractures' was released in 2021, followed by the 'K69996ROMA:EP' later that year. These were Hudson's first solo works in 5 years, only one year had passed since 'The Quiet Earth', the opus album from his band The Academy Of Sun.

Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and a novel. Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), members of Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva, queercore icon GB Jones, as well as Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Having toured 3 continents, highlights include shows with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams (Kayo Dot), and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

Hudson has also just released his book 'The Land Exists So The Seas Don't Argue'. Limited to 50 numbered and signed copies, this is the first volume featuring his lyrical output across the last decade, encompassing five albums plus ephemera created at the same time as the main works – satellite poems that inhabit the same world as each of the primary cosmologies. This collection is possessed of a searing intensity and unity of vision - paganism, queer love, grief, death, ecstasy, radical politics, social satire, hymns to nature and her rhythms and forces. The book also features a foreword by renowned Scottish author and artist Chris Kelso.

As of January 11, the single 'For My Silence' will be available on Bandcamp, followed by other platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music, soon afterwards. The full album 'Kanda Teenage Honey' will be released on March 15.

CREDITS
Composed, produced and arranged by Nick Hudson
Nick Hudson – Steinway piano, acoustic guitar & all vocals
Gigi Koberidze – drums
Beqa Minadze – electric guitars & ebow
Engineered by Ilya Lukashev at Leno and Sano Studios, Tbilisi
Produced by Nick Hudson
Mixed by Toby Driver in NYC
Mastered by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios, Hove, UK
Video directed by Nick Hudson
Video actor - Nika Shavgulidze
Artist photography by Carl Solomon
Single cover artwork by Kenneth Anger

'Kanda Teenage Honey' album order https://nickhudsonindustries.bandcamp.com/album/kanda-teenage-honey
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/4WcMfCi66CMy2zRZnjnxSJ
Bandcamp https://nickhudsonindustries.bandcamp.com

UK avant-pop artist NICK HUDSON releases ‘Lights Svoboda’, funds go towards Ukrainian humanitarian aid

March 5, 2022

British avant-pop artist Nick Hudson presents his new single 'Lights Svoboda' (translates as 'Lights Freedom'), recorded together with Kianna Blue, his bandmate in The Academy of Sun. Out in time for Bandcamp Friday, all proceeds will go towards charities directly involved in humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine.

While the framework of this song originated six years ago during epic recording sessions for The Academy Of Sun’s 2020 opus album 'The Quiet Earth', it didn't end up being included on that album. Now, global reality has tragically and uncannily come to resonate with the song’s poetically fractured scenes of dictatorship, nuclear threat and razed landscapes.

Returning from a month in the formerly Soviet republic of Georgia and watching in horror as Russia launched its attack on Ukraine, Nick felt desperate to apply his skill set to a tangible purpose within the crisis and here we have it - a desolate hymn woven with the plaintive vocals of Kianna Blue and the haunting schisms of the Faemi M1 analogue synth.

"The opening features a recording I made in Georgia, into my Soviet cassette recorder, of my 20-year-old Russian exile friend who fled to Georgia to avoid facing criminal charges for protesting Navalny’s imprisonment. I had him say “freedom, hope and truth” in Russian. He’s headed to join the Ukrainian army this week," says Nick Hudson.

"It features myself on piano, voice, Soviet analogue synth, melodica and field recordings, and Kianna Blue on backing vocals and bass. Originally written for The Quiet Earth but now uncannily and undesirably relevant.'

A prolific figure on the UK music scene, Hudson had a prolific 2021, releasing his 8-track 'K69996ROMA:EP' and the album 'Font Of Human Fractures', his first long-player as a solo artist in five years). Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and a novel. Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission), Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), members of Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva, queercore icon GB Jones, as well as Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Having toured 3 continents, highlights include shows with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams (Kayo Dot), and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

A Bandcamp exclusive, 100% of the proceeds will be donated in support of two charities carrying out humanitarian work on the ground in Ukraine - Red Cross Ukraine and Razom For Ukraine - each of them covering slightly different areas of aid. Further, Revolut Bank will match contributions to Red Cross Ukraine over the next week. Download the single via Bandcamp and learn how you can support Ukraine and its people at this critical moment in world history.

* Svoboda, Nadezdah, Pravda (Freedom, Hope and Truth)

CREDITS
Written, arranged and produced by Nick Hudson.
Piano, voice, Faemi M1, melodica - Nick Hudson
Bass, backing vocals - Kianna Blue
Piano and voice recorded at Church Road Studios by Paul Pascoe.
Everything else recorded between Manchester and Brighton.
Mastered by Ian D. Breen/Yas Kween.
Slavi Ukraini, Geroyam Slavi, Putin Khuylo.
You cannot win a nuclear war.

FEEDBACK
“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

"There isn’t really anyone making music like Nick Hudson“ ~ The Quietus

"Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Surreal and spacey... Eerie and wonderful, with great depth" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Something haunting in this music... the melody and vocal delivery are equally stunning... Hudson is ascending quickly and we can only enjoy the ride and associated soundtrack" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

"The intimacy of a musical diary as well as an epic theatrical fascination... thrilling tension between its thematic juxtapositions and arrangements of diverse acoustic, electric, and synthetic instrumentation" ~ No Ripcord

Keep up with Nick Hudson / The Academy of Sun
Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | Booking |

The Academy of Sun's Nick Hudson presents new 'K69996ROMA:EP' and dramatic film for ‘The Ballad Of K69996 Roma'

September 17, 2021

“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

“Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Surreal and spacey... Eerie and wonderful, with great depth" ~ The Spill Magazine

"There’s something haunting in this music... the melody and vocal delivery are equally stunning... Hudson is ascending quickly and we can only enjoy the ride and associated soundtrack" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The intimacy of a musical diary as well as an epic theatrical fascination... thrilling tension between its thematic juxtapositions and arrangements of diverse acoustic, electric, and synthetic instrumentation" ~ No Ripcord

“Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

"A song-suite of liberation, violence and ambition that is rich in promise and dizzying in its potential" ~ The Quietus

Brighton-based Nick Hudson, a solo artist in his own right and also frontman of The Academy of Sun, will release his new 'K69996ROMA:EP' on September 15, for which he presents a music film for lead track 'The Ballad Of K69996 Roma'.

'The Ballad Of K69996 Roma' transposes a conscience upon the slick Alfa Romeo car that was owned by and weaponised in the 1975 murder of queer Marxist filmmaker, poet and essayist Pier Paolo Pasolini. This is echoed in the astonishing video by Brighton-based filmmaker Adrian Goycoolea.

This single was originally found on the 'Font Of Human Fractures' album, released earlier this year - Hudson's first album in five years and his first solo studio LP since 'Ganymede In A State Of War' (2016).

"K69996ROMA:EP' is the shadow cast in the desert by the brutalist garret of 'Font Of Human Fractures' – like 'Amnesiac' to its 'Kid A', if you will. This takes the Pasolini-inspired 'The Ballad Of K69996 Roma' from that record and refracting it through a prism of gay communist black metal chamber electronica," says Nick Hudson.

"While cinema has always been pivotal to my work, it's never been stronger than here, with references to Alain Delon, French cine-essayist Chris Marker, and the aforementioned Pier Paolo Pasolini, scattered throughout."

The EP consists of 8 diverse tracks, including 'Asymmetric: A Forgery', a track that was originally composed and recorded for 'Font Of Human Fractures, but was omitted due to running time restrictions on the vinyl edition. 'The Florist', co-written with Kianna Blue (The Academy of Sun), proposes a kind of metaphysical tabula rasa, as the protagonist self-immolates in a flower shop, and ascends.

"Channeling Pasolini's communism, and the contradictions within his own 'brand' of it - alongside my own contemporarily-heightened anxieties and allegiances - the political angles are sharper on this release than on others. As such it felt right to include my interpretation of Robert Wyatt's beautiful 'Amber And The Ambergrines' in the set," says Nick Hudson.

Nick Hudson is a prolific figure on the UK underground music scene. Apart from fronting art-rock band The Academy Of Sun, who released their dystopian epic 'The Quiet Earth' last year to critical acclaim, Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and a recently-completed novel.

Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission) and Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), members of Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva and queercore icon GB Jones. As The Academy Of Sun, he's also collaborated with Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Having toured 3 continents, highlights include appearances with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams (Kayo Dot), and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

'K69996ROMA:EP' will be released digitally and as a hyper-limited edition 4-panel CD digipak of 50 copies, 25 of which will be presented in an ACAB-silkscreened metallic gold envelope, with a bonus track in the form of a score booklet, printed on Nepalese floral paper and featuring an original miniature artwork by Nick Hudson. This and Hudson's other music and artwork can be ordered at https://nickhudsonindustries.bandcamp.com.

CREDITS
Nick Hudson - Piano, programming, vocals
Lizzy Carey - Strings on Track 1
Kianna Blue - Score transcription, keys and synth
Juliet Russell - Voice of Anna Magnani on Track 1
All tracks produced, performed and mixed by Nick Hudson
K M Abrams - Mastering (Tracks 2,3,4,6,8)
Paul Pascoe - Mastering (Tracks 1,5,7) at Church Road Studios
All tracks written by Nick Hudson, except for 5 (written by Robert Wyatt and Hugh Hopper) and track 8 (written by Nick Hudson and Kianna Blue)
Cover artwork by Julian Kenning
'The Ballad Of K69996 Roma' video directed by Adrian Goycoolea.

OUT TODAY: 'Font of Human Fractures' LP from Brighton's NICK HUDSON (THE ACADEMY OF SUN) - RIYL Coil, Kate Bush, Laibach, D

April 30, 2021

Brighton's Nick Hudson (The Academy of Sun) releases 'Font of Human Fractures' LP
“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

“Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Surreal and spacey... Eerie and wonderful, with great depth" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The intimacy of a musical diary as well as an epic theatrical fascination... thrilling tension between its thematic juxtapositions and arrangements of diverse acoustic, electric, and synthetic instrumentation" ~ No Ripcord

“Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

"A song-suite of liberation, violence and ambition that is rich in promise and dizzying in its potential" ~ The Quietus

"Highly melodic and cutting-edge pop experimentalism" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

Brighton-based singer-songwriter Nick Hudson presents his new album 'Font of Human Fractures', a neo-classical record with electronic undertones that is a kaleidoscopic and emotionally transparent document of the search for self-worth – and ultimately love – in a thorny, unevenly-stacked world.

Hudson's first album in five years, it was recorded and mastered at Church Road Studios by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel), this 10-track offering is Hudson's first solo studio LP since 'Ganymede In A State Of War' (2016).

Scored almost entirely for piano and two violins, this new release is a ruminative melting pot from the point of view of a queer man in his late thirties. It sees him converse with younger versions of himself, negotiating himself free of toxic programming and banishing the inhibitions that can blight, dull and impotize the best of us.

The centrepiece 'Surkov's Dream' is a 7-minute requiem for legendary Italian homosexual Marxist filmmaker, poet and essayist Pier Paolo Pasolini – written from the perspective of the Alfa Romeo implicated in the artist's controversial murder. It features a MIDI instrument constructed from samples of bass pedals from the vast church organ of St Mary's Brighton.

Other highlights include 'There is No Such Thing as You' and 'Tokyo Nights', a song originally written and performed by Nick's aunt Mae Fortune with her Banshees-esque 80s post-punk group and John Peel fave Room 101. 'Teenage Hudson Summons Epona' featured a short instrumental salvaged from a cassette of fantasy music recorded when Nick was sixteen – a literal dialogue with Nick's teenage self.

Several week ago, Hudson released the 'Come Back When There's Nothing Left' EP, a 3-track collection entailing a double A-side and a unique take on Oingo Boingo's 'Not My Slave' as the B-side. The lead track features vocals by Toby Driver of legendary NYC avant-garde group Kayo Dot in a haunting meditation on taking responsibility for one's one spiritual housekeeping – whilst also celebrating the work of queer horror maestro Clive Barker. The stunning accompanying video was directed by acclaimed Scottish novelist Ewan Morrison.

Nick Hudson is a prolific figure on the UK underground music scene and is perhaps best known as frontman of art-rock band The Academy Of Sun, who released their dystopian epic 'The Quiet Earth' last year to critical acclaim. Apart from music, Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and he has just completed his first novel.

Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission) and Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), as well as members of NYC's Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva and Canadian queercore icon GB Jones. As The Academy Of Sun, he has also collaborated with Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Having toured 3 continents, highlights include appearances with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams of Kayo Dot, and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

As of April 30, the 'Font of Human Fractures' album will be available on vinyl and digitally via Spotify and Apple Music. Both are also available directly from the artist via Bandcamp.

Nick Hudson (The Academy of Sun) presents 'Come Back When There's Nothing Left'

March 17, 2021

“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

“Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Surreal and spacey... Eerie and wonderful, with great depth" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The intimacy of a musical diary as well as an epic theatrical fascination... thrilling tension between its thematic juxtapositions and arrangements of diverse acoustic, electric, and synthetic instrumentation" ~ No Ripcord

“Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

"A song-suite of liberation, violence and ambition that is rich in promise and dizzying in its potential" ~ The Quietus

"A welcome earworm for any music aficionado and especially those with a taste for highly melodic and cutting-edge pop experimentalism" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

Brighton-based singer-songwriter Nick Hudson presents his 'Come Back When There's Nothing Left' EP, a 3-track offering that entails a double A-side with a unique take on Oingo Boingo's 'Not My Slave' as the B-side. The stunning video for the title track, which features vocals by Toby Driver (Kayo Dot), was directed by acclaimed Scottish novelist Ewan Morrison.

"Come Back When There’s Nothing Left is a song about taking responsibility for one’s spiritual and moral decisions, and reducing to ascribe them to extant agents or systems. We have more resources and capacity for endurance than we may realize. And to regard ourselves as something separate or distinct from nature itself is a dangerous supposition, and one we’d be healthier and happier not making," says Nick Hudson.

"My friend and frequent tour mate/collaborator Toby Driver introduced me to Clive Barker’s film 'Lord Of Illusions' whilst we both were on a Barker binge in Lockdown One. The song is in some ways inspired by that film, and by Barker’s work in general. I felt it right to ask Toby to sing the lead vocal on this. I find Toby’s performance very moving. I made a MIDI instrument out of my voice so in a sense it’s a duet, albeit a digitally-chopped and fragmented one."

The cover art comprises a photograph taken under a Svalbard glacier by Kristjan Svavarsson, a photo from a shoot with Wolfgang Dubieniec, and layout by Ash Babb.

Hudson recently released the single 'Surkov's Dream', a stark and melodic synth-based delight, featuring a MIDI instrument constructed from samples made of bass pedals from the vast church organ of St. Mary's Brighton as it narrates an oneiric monologue from the imagined subconscious of Putin's Grey Cardinal.

Hudson earlier previewed a live rendition of 'There is No Such Thing as You', yet another taster of his solo album 'Font Of Human Fractures', his first in five years. Recorded and mastered at Church Road Studiosby Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel), this 10-track offering is Hudson's first solo studio LP since 'Ganymede In A State Of War' (2016).

Nick Hudson is a prolific figure on the UK underground music scene and is perhaps best known as frontman of art-rock band The Academy Of Sun, who released their dystopian epic 'The Quiet Earth' last year to critical acclaim. Apart from music, Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and he has just completed his first novel.

Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission) and Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), as well as members of NYC's Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva and Canadian queercore icon GB Jones. As The Academy Of Sun, he has also collaborated with Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Having toured 3 continents, highlights include appearances with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams of Kayo Dot, and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

As of March 17, Hudson's 'Come Back When There's Nothing Left' EP will be available everywhere online, including and Spotify. The 'Font of Human Fractures' album will be released on vinyl and digitally on April 30. Both of these releases are available directly from the artist via Bandcamp.

TRACK LIST
01. Voyeurs Who Offer Nothing
02. Come Back When There's Nothing Left
03. Not My Slave

EP CREDITS
Nick Hudson - Piano, programming, vibraphone and vocals
Lizzy Carey - strings on 'Voyeurs Who Offer Nothing'
Toby Driver - vocals on 'Come Back When There's Nothing Left'
Kianna Blue - bass on 'Come Back When There's Nothing Left'
Written by Nick Hudson
Produced and mixed by Nick Hudson
Piano recorded at Church Road Studios, Hove by Paul Pascoe
Violin recorded at Audiobeach Studios by Forbes Coleman
Mastered to tape by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios, Hove.
'Not My Slave' written by Danny Elfman

Nick Hudson (The Academy of Sun) presents 'Surkov's Dream', lead single from new LP

February 24, 2021

“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

“Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"Surreal and spacey... Eerie and wonderful, with great depth" ~ The Spill Magazine

"The intimacy of a musical diary as well as an epic theatrical fascination... thrilling tension between its thematic juxtapositions and arrangements of diverse acoustic, electric, and synthetic instrumentation" ~ No Ripcord

“Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

"A song-suite of liberation, violence and ambition that is rich in promise and dizzying in its potential" ~ The Quietus

"A welcome earworm for any music aficionado and especially those with a taste for highly melodic and cutting-edge pop experimentalism" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

Brighton-based singer-songwriter Nick Hudson presents the single 'Surkov's Dream', offering a stark and melodic synth-based introduction to his new solo album 'Font Of Human Fractures'. Earlier, he shared a live rendition (recorded in Sophia, Bulgaria) of 'There is No Such Thing as You', the studio version of which will also appear on the LP.

Recorded and mastered at Church Road Studios by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel), this 10-track offering is Hudson's first solo studio album since 'Ganymede In A State Of War' (2016).

This first single features a MIDI instrument constructed from samples made by Nick and engineer Paul Pascoe of the bass pedals of the vast church organ of St. Mary's in Brighton as it narrates an oneiric monologue from the imagined subconscious of Putin's Grey Cardinal.

'Font of Human Fractures' is a collection of neo-classical torch songs with electronic undertones, banishing rituals and searing ballads, scored for piano and two violins, underlined with gothic electronica, with dramatic cameos and curveballs. Musically, Hudson is influenced by Coil, Kate Bush, Laibach, Danny Elfman, Nico and Scott Walker.

This record is a kaleidoscopic and emotionally transparent document of the search for self-worth – and ultimately love – in a thorny, unevenly-stacked world. Scored almost entirely for piano and two violins, this is a ruminative melting pot from the point of view of a queer man in his late thirties. It is like a dialogue with his younger self, negotiating himself free of toxic programming and banishing the inhibitions that can blight, dull and impotize the best of us.

Nick Hudson is a prolific figure on the UK underground music scene and is perhaps best known as frontman of art-rock band The Academy Of Sun, who released their dystopian epic 'The Quiet Earth' last year to critical acclaim. Apart from music, Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and he has just completed his first novel.

Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission) and Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), as well as members of NYC's Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva and Canadian queercore icon GB Jones. As The Academy Of Sun, he has also collaborated with Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Having toured 3 continents, highlights include appearances with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams of Kayo Dot, and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

As of February 24, Surkov's Dream' will be available everywhere online, including Bandcamp and Spotify. The 'Font of Human Fractures' album will be released on vinyl and digitally on April 30.

Keep up with Nick Hudson / The Academy of Sun
Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Booking

Nick Hudson (The Academy of Sun) presents 'There Is No Such Thing As You', teasing new L

February 9, 2021

“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

“Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"The intimacy of a musical diary as well as an epic theatrical fascination... thrilling tension between its thematic juxtapositions and arrangements of diverse acoustic, electric, and synthetic instrumentation" ~ No Ripcord

“Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

"A song-suite of liberation, violence and ambition that is rich in promise and dizzying in its potential" ~ The Quietus

"A welcome earworm for any music aficionado and especially those with a taste for highly melodic and cutting-edge pop experimentalism" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

Brighton-based singer-songwriter Nick Hudson has announced that he will release his new 'Font Of Human Fractures' album this spring. Ahead of this 10-track offering, he presents a teaser for 'Surkov's Dream' (out February 24) and a live rendition (recorded in Sophia, Bulgaria) of 'There is No Such Thing as You' - the studio version of this track also appears on the LP.

This is his first solo studio album since 'Ganymede In A State Of War' (2016). Recorded and mastered at Church Road Studios by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel), these are neo-classical torch songs, banishing rituals and searing ballads, scored for piano and two violins, underlined with gothic electronica, with dramatic cameos and curveballs. Musically, Hudson is influenced by Coil, Kate Bush, Laibach, Danny Elfman, Nico and Scott Walker.

The new solo release, scored almost entirely for piano and two violins, is a ruminative melting pot from the point of view of a queer man in his late thirties. It is like a dialogue with his younger self, negotiating himself free of toxic programming and banishing the inhibitions that can blight, dull and impotize the best of us.

Nick Hudson is a prolific figure on the UK underground music scene and is perhaps best known as frontman of art-rock band The Academy Of Sun, who released their dystopian epic 'The Quiet Earth' last year to critical acclaim. Apart from music, Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and he has just completed his first novel.

Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission) and Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), as well as members of NYC's Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva and Canadian queercore icon GB Jones. As The Academy Of Sun, he has also collaborated with Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Having toured 3 continents, highlights include appearances with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams of Kayo Dot, and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

'Font Of Human Fractures' is a kaleidoscopic and emotionally transparent document of the search for self-worth – and ultimately love – in a thorny, unevenly-stacked world. On April 30, this record will be released on vinyl and also digitally everywhere, including Bandcamp and Spotify. Already on February 24, the first single 'Surkov's Dream' should be revealed.

Keep up with Nick Hudson / The Academy of Sun
Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Booking

Brighton's Nick Hudson announces new LP, previews live outtake and album trailer

February 2, 2021

“Nick Hudson is a unique talent. His song writing and performances are breathtaking. He is long overdue being heard by a wider audience. This solo album is a peak in an already stellar career” ~ Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai)

“Scott Walker channeling Coil” ~ MOJO Magazine

"The intimacy of a musical diary as well as an epic theatrical fascination... thrilling tension between its thematic juxtapositions and arrangements of diverse acoustic, electric, and synthetic instrumentation" ~ No Ripcord

“Genius” - BBC Radio (BBC Introducing)

"A song-suite of liberation, violence and ambition that is rich in promise and dizzying in its potential" ~ The Quietus

"A welcome earworm for any music aficionado and especially those with a taste for highly melodic and cutting-edge pop experimentalism" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

Surkov's Dream taken from the upcoming record Font Of Human Fractures, Nick Hudson's first solo record in five years.Full single and video out 24th February ...

Brighton-based singer-songwriter Nick Hudson has announced that he will release his new 'Font Of Human Fractures' album this spring. Ahead of that, he presents a teaser for the 10-track offering, and a live rendition (recorded in Sophia, Bulgaria) of 'There is No Such Thing as You', which also appears on the LP.

This is his first solo studio album since 'Ganymede In A State Of War' (2016). Recorded and mastered at Church Road Studios by Paul Pascoe (Barry Adamson, Beat Hotel), these are neo-classical torch songs, banishing rituals and searing ballads, scored for piano and two violins, underlined with gothic electronica, with dramatic cameos and curveballs. Musically, Hudson is influenced by Coil, Kate Bush, Laibach, Danny Elfman, Nico and Scott Walker.

The new solo release, scored almost entirely for piano and two violins, is a ruminative melting pot from the point of view of a queer man in his late thirties. It is like a dialogue with his younger self, negotiating himself free of toxic programming and banishing the inhibitions that can blight, dull and impotize the best of us.

Nick Hudson is a prolific figure on the UK underground music scene and is perhaps best known as frontman of art-rock band The Academy Of Sun, who released their dystopian epic 'The Quiet Earth' last year to critical acclaim. Apart from music, Nick's vast output also encompasses painting, film, and he has just completed his first novel.

Hudson has also collaborated with Wayne Hussey (The Mission) and Matthew Seligman (Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey), as well as members of NYC's Kayo Dot, David Tibet (Current 93), Asva and Canadian queercore icon GB Jones. As The Academy Of Sun, he has also collaborated with Massive Attack's Shara Nelson. Having toured 3 continents, highlights include appearances with Mogwai, Toby Driver and Keith Abrams of Kayo Dot, and Timba Harris (Mr Bungle, Amanda Palmer).

'Font Of Human Fractures' is a kaleidoscopic and emotionally transparent document of the search for self-worth – and ultimately love – in a thorny, unevenly-stacked world. On April 30, this record will be released on vinyl and also digitally everywhere, including Bandcamp and Spotify. Already on February 24, the first single should be revealed.

Keep up with Nick Hudson / The Academy of Sun
Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Booking