Bonnie 'Prince' Billy announces Pond Scum

There are no Peel sessions anymore - that tradition was buried in the pyramids with John Peel himself upon the great man's passing. Of the thousands left in the wake, six are ascribed to Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - and of those six, three have been combined to form the deeply congruous experience of Pond Scum.

A span of eight years is covered, in reverse, and many chestnuts are rolled out, freed of former contexts with sparse arrangements. "(I Was Drunk at the) Pulpit" feels, ten years from inception, more vividly worn; "Death to Everyone" is loosed from its frame, the bones decoupled and spread out, giving the song a reflective air (as opposed the biting declamation of the original); "Arise, Therefore" adapts its metronomic base, the evangelic twist of its roots made palpable. With the centre of the performance in stark relief, the gnomic qualities of two "Get On Jolly" pieces are intensified. Further accenting the devoted spirit of this collection is the inclusion of Bonnie's take on Prince's "The Cross", as well as the previously-unreleased original "Beezle.”

Layers peel to reveal the subtle artistry and refinement contained within these sessions, so begin to dig deep into the vault on January 22nd, 2016. You can download a new arrangement of "Rich Wife Full of Happiness", (which is similar in tone, but not found on Pond Scum.).

The album is available on CD (WIGCD374), vinyl (WIGLP374) and digitally (WIG374D) via Dom Mart or iTunes.

1. (I Was Drunk at the) Pulpit
2. Death to Everyone
3. Arise, Therefore
4. Jolly Five
5. Beezle
6. Jolly One
7. When Thy Song Flows Through Me
8. The Houseboat (O How I Enjoy the Light)
9. Trudy Dies
10. The Cross
11. Stable Will
12. The Idol on the Bar