New Releases category interest

Linda Thompson has returned with her first album in over a decade, Proxy Music, via StorySound Records. The 11-song collection finds the British folk-rock icon recruiting a talented cast of family and friends in bringing to life “her skill as a sharp, witty and occasionally heartbreaking lyricist” (The Guardian). Featured collaborators deliver deeply passionate performances to illuminate Thompson’s vision - including Martha Wainwright, The Proclaimers, John Grant, Dori Freeman, The Unthanks, Ren Havieu, Eliza Carthy, and Thompson’s own children Kami Thompson and Teddy Thompson. Proxy Music is not only an impressive showcase of Thompson’s immense songwriting range and talent but of her resiliency, as she battles vocal limitations caused by a rare condition known as spasmodic dysphonia, instead makes herself heard through songwriting. 

As the New York Times put it, “losing her voice didn’t mean forsaking her songwriting...it became an unexpected forte...the songs she wrote for the new album cover a wide range of characters and situations with pith and wit.” Proxy Music was also lauded as one of the best releases of the week by both Pitchfork and NPR Music, who praised the album for its “really interesting concept,” ultimately concluding “it’s incredible.”

Listen to Proxy Music here: https://ffm.to/proxymusic 

Read more about Linda and Proxy Music in a recent New York Times profile, running in this Sunday’s Arts andamp; Leisure section:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/20/arts/music/linda-thompson-proxy-music.html

Thompson has previewed the record with advance tracks “Darling This Will Never Do,” a timeless jazz ballad featuring Rufus Wainwright on vocals and “Those Damn Roches” (sung by Teddy Thompson) where “the collaborative spirit reaches a zenith on the hilarious finale…celebrating the bonds of blood and song” (Associated Press). The new album's "proxy" theme extends seamlessly to its artwork, where Thompson playfully flaunts the iconic outfit from Roxy Music's self-titled 1972 debut cover, showcasing her often-overlooked sense of humor that can be found throughout the collection.

Thompson first entered the London folk scene in the late ‘60s, alongside contemporaries like Nick Drake, Tim Buckley and Sandy Denny. A few years later, her landmark album I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (named one of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time) with Richard Thompson propelled them both to wider acclaim. Their collaboration continued with a series of lauded releases, culminating with 1982’s iconic Shoot Out The Lights. Following Linda’s solo debut One Clear Moment, she released Dreams Fly Away (1996), Fashionably Late (2002), Versatile Heart (2007) and Won’t Be Long Now (2013). Her Grammy-nominated song “Telling Me Lies” was recorded by The Trio: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris andamp; Linda Ronstadt but, until now, Thompson’s vocal condition hindered further projects.

To celebrate the release of Proxy Music, album collaborators Teddy Thompson, Martha Wainwright, and John Grant, along with friends Amy Helm, Jenni Muldaur, Tammy Faye Starlight, Vicki Peterson and Syd Straw will perform at City Winery in New York City on June 30th, with Linda Thompson in attendance. Find more information here.

Proxy Music Track Listing:

1. The Solitary Traveller - Kami Thompson

2. Or Nothing at All - Martha Wainwright

3. Bonnie Lass - The Proclaimers

4. Darling This Will Never Do - Rufus Wainwright

5. I Used To Be So Pretty - Ren Harvieu

6. John Grant - John Grant

7. Mudlark - The Rails

8. Shores of America - Dori Freeman

9. That’s the Way the Polka Goes - Eliza Carthy

10. Three Shaky Ships - The Unthanks

11. Those Damn Roches - Teddy Thompson