The fourth split 3inch CD is out now and comes courtesy of two bands that I wanted to release for over a year: Ferns and The Shandy Express.

I have been in touch with Warren from Ferns for a long while. I remember falling in love with his band when Fruit Records released the Peachy Little Secrets compilation in 2006. Not long after the Singapore label was putting out “On Botany” the debut album by the Malaysian pop wonder-band. On Botany must have one of the strangest and most curious packaging ever. The front cover has artificial grass! Even today, when looking at it, it always strikes a chord in me, it always surprises me and makes me smile. I have to save it in a different box. It cant go along the other CDs as Im always scared this little piece of art would break. Playing that album felt the same. Fragile songs of perfect pastoral jangle. Some influence of long forgotten Harvest Ministers and the jangly perfection of Another Sunny Day when they want to be upbeat. Ferns are truly a discovery for me and maybe the world. According to them there is no other band in Malaysia making indiepop. I haven’t found any by myself either. Hopefully they inspire other kids to grab their guitars and make perfect pop!

Their side includes two songs: Miss Stormcloud and Anti Social Scene. I can’t stop giggling with the first track, because it’s great, but also because The Stormclouds were a favourite band of mine and still are. Two brilliant songs that Im very honoured to have put out.

Helena Lindén contributed with the columns photograph for the CD cover. The columns, one after the other, stop being objects to become a beautiful pattern and so The Shandy Express, Andrew Everett’s solo outing after The Blue Smarties, brings the patterns and blueprints of the kind of pop he loves: quirky, fun, upbeat, very English, and why not, whimsical. The bouncy Muffin Top opens the Shandy Express’ side. Catchy is the word that comes to mind when listening to it. And when the kazoo comes you can’t stop dancing to it! But I do really hope the song is about a real muffin, and not about a girl’s “muffin top”! Even though, good humour is always welcome

Surfing in Love’s Wave is The Shandy Express’ happy song. A hopeful shout to falling in love. Of that moment when you and your partner are on the crest of happiness. Yes, just in top of the wave. And even though it is the introspective song, it still is upbeat and catchy. A fantastic tune, one of my favourites Andrew has ever recorded. Just as a curious note, the master Alan Jenkins produced these two tracks. Who? Well, the Cordelia Records main guy, the Deep Freeze Mice gentleman that was also in the brilliant Chrysanthemums. The Shandy Express is not stopping, the fast steam engine is now almost halfway to release their new album ‘I’ve met the Man in the Street’. This will be their second after the ‘L~Songs’ that you can download freely from their website.

The CD is out now and you can preview two tracks here and get it by sending US$ 5 (includes postage to anywhere in the world) to shop [a] cloudberryrecords.com

Thanks again for the fantastic support!

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Listen
Ferns – Miss Stormcloud
The Shandy Express – Surfing on Love’s Wave