Andy Parker & the Internationales - Burn With a Brighter Flame

Burn with a Brighter Flame:

For the release of the Burn With A Brighter Flame CD,  Andy Parker teamed up once again with reggae master Andy Duncan on bass and Chris Bihlmaier on keyboards to form The Internationales. Being able to call on the proven talents of Pedro Ortiz on percussion and the wonderful Julie Janet on vocals allowed the band to create this exceptional album.

“Working in a band again is a whole weight off my mind, I can tell you” said Andy recently. “Someone else can help with the lifting! Since we first played together, in another project a few years ago, we knew we worked well together and amassed a large body on work that could knit into a great set. That’s obviously when the hard work starts, sorting out the ideas as composer, engineer and producer, while still trying to give a good performance on the guitar – not just a rendition. Sometimes a tune won’t sit right and when I finally go back to the first ‘outline’ recording, it has so much more swing than where I’ve sat it squarely on the beat. Start again…”

“Being back again with Andy Duncan (also featured on Tranquille) has been great – we go back from time, to my early studio days. Him and Chris click together really well and generate so many ideas between them. For the album we rowed in Julie Janet to help with some vocals and the ever wonderful Pedro Ortiz on percussion to enhance my efforts.”

Two of the standout tracks are long. All are over 5m, but Skipping Over Damaged Areas clocks in at nearly 9m 30s and Duncan’s Blues strolls off past 11m 30s. Phew! Why so long?

“They took a bit of time to settle! Actually, they always were long but we shortened them. It’s been an experience trying to develop the longer work, as it has mostly taken a different route from the other tracks. We can approach the palette differently, if you like. They take you on a journey, that’s the idea: an element of soundscape, riding along on a progression…

“We’ve kept that cool, bluesy feel but with a latin groove alongside it – it’s still a mood music, stuff that you listen to when you come home and kick your shoes off, but it repays closer listening. It’s probably not march-about-in-boots music, other people do that better! ‘Stoner’ would be one of the categories I’d put it under, but CDBaby doesn’t have that! Play it loud, Play it Proud and Play it through something with a bottom end, not crappy computer speakers!”