WRECKLESS ERIC has unveiled a new video to trail his forthcoming new album.
The cinematic instrumental 'Into The Majestic' is taken from Leisureland, his first album since 2019's Transience and debut for Tapete Records.
The video, made by Eric himself, was shot in and around Cromer and visualises his DIY and somewhat ramshackle approach to recording.
"The derelict interior of the Majestic cinema: broken seats, rotting red velvet, fallen, gilt-covered plaster mouldings…the screen, ripped and lurching. It could be the theme for a budget TV soap. The music plays, the credits roll, mugshots of the cast of everyday characters loom and disappear - Mr Braithwaite played by a well-loved British character actor in his eighties with disquietingly perfect teeth; a genial young policemen, all sticky-out ears and Brillianteened quiff; an old sea salt; an antique dealer; a brace of lady dog breeders… Normal folk just like you and me."
A native of Newhaven, East Sussex, Eric came to new wave prominence with iconic singles like 'Whole Wide World' and 'Reconnez Cherie' for Stiff Records. Releasing the Top 50 self-titled debut album in 1978, he also featured on the now legendary Live Stiffs tour and album alongside Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, Larry Wallis and Nick Lowe. He later joined the garage-punk revival with The Len Bright Combo. In more recent years, 'Whole Wide World' has enjoyed a certain immortality with covers by the Monkees, Mental As Anything, The Proclaimers, The Lightning Seeds, Billy Joe Armstrong and numerous others.
"Before the pandemic I used to tour all the time," he says. It was almost as though I was addicted to it - new places, new people. During the lockdown I couldn’t go anywhere. I think that’s why I started to invent a place.
"Covid hit me hard, damaged my lungs, gave me a heart attack - I almost died in the emergency room. I began to feel extremely…mortal. I began to look at where I’ve been and where I come from. Maybe to get my mind off the ultimate destination.
"When Standing Water first came along I had the British seaside town of Cromer in North Norfolk in mind. It quickly encompassed other seaside towns until it became its own place. British seaside towns with their stagnant boating lakes (filled in and set up for Crazy Golf) are a most peculiar contradiction - amusement arcades, unemployment. People flock in, spend money, but the locals don’t get rich, they pushed out. They end up on the Brownfield Estate, tucked away behind the out of town supermarket, where local children play on grassed-over landfills that seep methane gas.
"I should tell you about the new album, but I can’t - you’ll have to figure that out for yourself," says Eric. "It shouldn’t be difficult. There’s a cough on every one of my later albums. This one breaks with tradition, it contains a sniff. There might be a small prize if you can find it, perhaps a weekend getaway for three people in Standing Water."
Leisureland is set for release on 25 August through Tapete.