James Yorkston and The Second Hand Orchestra share new song "Ella Mary Leather"

As we head towards the end of the year, James Yorkston and The Second Hand Orchestra unveil a second song from their forthcoming album The Wide, Wide River, due January 22nd.

“Ella Mary Leather” was a Herefordshire based folk song collector in the early 20th Century, but James Yorkston and The Second Hand Orchestra (JY and TSHO)’s song is not about her. Yorkston explains: “No, it’s not about Ella Mary Leather. I am just using her lyrical name as a mask, to protect the innocent…” Over a wealth of percussion, violin, nyckelharpa, Yorkston plays buoyant piano as he sings us a story about a friend from many years ago.

The video, featuring members of The Second Hand Orchestra, is directed by Sven Blume who says: “Emma was already on her way when we found Karl-Jonas among some moving boxes. We went out in Stockholm's December night. We stopped at the legendary Pub Diset. A place to find the past, the soul or Ella Mary Leather.”

The album was recorded and mixed in Sweden over the course of three days, the studio approach with The Second Hand Orchestra was entirely improvised around Yorkston’s songs, and the only song they heard in advance was “Ella Mary Leather”; Yorkston didn’t want to direct anyone too much but instead, allowed for a welcoming, instinctive, free-spirited and joyful atmosphere.

The Wide, Wide River is a soothing, warm and sublime listen, whilst also highlighting Yorkston’s skills for songwriting, collaboration and as a musical conductor. The album takes in past loves, advancing age and friends, now gone, whilst also containing some of the most sanguine songs Yorkston has ever made.

The Wide, Wide River is James’ tenth album for Domino, not to mention his three albums as part of Yorkston/Thorne/Khan and his two books. A prolific writer, Yorkston has worked with a wealth of talent over his two-decade career including Four Tet, Alexis Taylor, KT Tunstall, Rustin Man, Simon Raymonde, Norma and Mike Waterson, Martin Carthy, Max Cooper, David Wrench and many others.