Engineers singer (not to mention bassist/guitarist/keyboardist) Mark Peters has released a new video for Switch On The Sky, which features a delightful vocal performance from former One Dove singer Dot Allison. You can watch the new video below.
It's taken from Peters' upcoming new solo album, Red Sunset Dreams, which will b e released through Sonic Cathedral on September 16. The new album, the follow-up to Peters 2018 debut Innerland, finds the Wigan musician blending the dream pop of Engineers with an Americana feel.
“I dreamt that I got off the bus near my local Lidl, not onto the usual busy main road, but onto an imaginary beach during a deep red sunset,” Peters says. “There are many explanations for that type of dream, but the theme of ‘risk’ stood out to me as a sign.
“It really affected me and reminded me of the sunsets on the old Western posters I’d been looking at. This, coupled with the surreal inertia of lockdown soundtracked by the stillness of ambient Americana, got me thinking and inspired me to experiment and incorporate country elements into the music I was working on at the time. I borrowed a banjo and a 1940s Gibson BR9 lap steel and it seemed to be a very natural fit.”
As well as Scottish singer Allison who features on the two vocal tracks that booked the album, Red Sunset Dreams also features lap steel legend BJ Cole, who's worked with Roy Harper, Elton John, T-Rex and David Sylvian.
“Having BJ play on the record crystallized the whole concept,” Peters adds. “I love his playing on things like Silver Moon Over Sleeping Steeples by David Sylvian. He’s possibly the UK’s greatest living country musician.”
Engineers, who released their first album for six years with Pictobug in 2020, are currently have a reissue series of the band’s much sought after early albums on the go.
Red Sunset Dreams will be available on vinyl, CD and as a download.
