Nick Hudson and Kianna Blue: The Florist
BRIGHTON-based innovator NICK HUDSON presents his latest collection of ‘queer, gnostic, orchestral’ compositions on his ‘K69996ROMA:EP’ and video for ‘The Florist’ featuring Kianna Blue (The Academy Of Sun).
There’s good reason Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite says that Hudson is a “unique talent” whose music is “breathtaking.”
A prolific figure on the UK music scene, Hudson is perhaps best known as frontman of ‘The Academy Of Sun’ who released their dystopian epic ‘The Quiet Earth’ last year to critical acclaim. His vast output encompasses painting, film, and a recently completed 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.
| Earlier this year, Hudson released the ‘Font Of Human Fractures’ album, his first long-player in five years and his first solo studio LP since ‘Ganymede In A State Of War,’ (2016). “Each song has its own story, and some have longer gestation periods than others,” explains Kianna Blue. “’The Florist’ came together with a certain deterministic inevitability. The first seed was sown whilst Nick and I were visiting St Mary’s Church in Brighton in preparation for what is one of the more ambitious live events in The Academy of Sun’s lifetime – the grandiose unveiling of ‘The Quiet Earth’s symphonic and eschatological new sound. We were graciously allowed access to the Bosendorfer piano for the performance. “Fast forward a couple of years and everyone is in prison. Well, lockdown, anyway. Everyone is going slightly insane and I’m trying to utilise this much needed moment of psychological deprogramming to write some songs. I find the aforementioned recording and send it off to Nick as a curio of ‘the times that were.’ Nick has not lost his fondness for the piece and we set about remotely trying to expand upon it. Nick writes some vocals and an acid-fried ‘chorus,’ I write that Blade Runner-esque lead synth line and suddenly we’re cooking.” ‘K69996ROMA:EP’ is out now, both digitally and as a hyper-limited edition 4-panel CD digipak of 50 copies, 25 of which are 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. EP 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. TRACK LIST 1. The Ballad Of K69996 Roma 2. We Darken Horses 3. You Eat With Your Eyes 4. If I Get Killed It’s 100% The Fault Of Alain Delon And His Godfather Francois Marcantoni 5. Amber And The Ambergrines 6. A Congregation Of One 7. Asymmetric: A Forgery 8. The Florist Keep up with Nick Hudson / The Academy of Sun Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music |
