My new full-length album will be entitled Church of Tenderness and is scheduled to be released on the 28th February 2026 exclusively via Bandcamp, followed a month later by a broader release across most streaming platforms.
There is a lot to be said about this new music. My father passed away in November 2024, so one of the dominant emotions underpinnig my work has been undoubtedly grief. A few months later, my young boy was diagnosed with ASD, which of course brought us worry, anxiety, but also a kind of reinforced determination to always be there for our child and envelop him with love.
Through what I can only describe as sheer serendipity and good fortune, I had the immense privilege to meet and work with Chris Spedding, a 81-year-old musician who certainly deserves to be called a legend of 20-century British music. The list of artists he has collaborated with includes members of the Beatles, the Who, Pink Floyd, Cream, Sex Pistols, Velvet Underground, The Mamas & the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Roxy Music, Talking Heads, not to mention solo artists such as Elton John, Tom Waits, and Rodriguez. It is absolutely astonishing that this man was open to contributing his time and talents to my project.
I don’t know if this is the direct result of the 2019 pandemic, but remote session work seems to be on the rise and I have found this to be a very positive thing. Some seriously talented musicians are offering their services as session players online. Via this route, I’ve had the chance to work with the trumpeter Sebastián Greschuk, the drummer Francesca Pratt, the vocalist Agall Koe, and Emilija Karaliūtė, who plays the wonderful, ancient instrument kanklės. Of these, Emilija is the only one whom I’ve met in person.
My good friend David Llewellyn is again handling mixing and mastering, but this time he is also contributing piano (on the Spedding track) and I think that’s really exciting. Last but not least, Brant Tilds is here on trumpet again, continuing to personify everything a classic jazz cat should be.
Zhana Viel, a Bulgarian artist living in London, created the artwork, which is based on a long, convoluted, arty-farty concept that I wrote. I think she understood the assignment.
All this name dropping simply goes to show that I no longer perceive myself as a “lone wolf” kind of artist (I never wanted to be that, I think). All these people contributed greatly to my album. I in turn have learned a tremendous amount through working with them and am profoundly grateful.
Alexander Kyd 