James Yorkston, Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra release new song “The Harmony”
Photo credit: Anna Drvnik

James Yorkston, Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra release new song “The Harmony”

Next Friday sees the release of James Yorkston, Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra’s new album The Great White Sea Eagle. Today, the group share their third song from the record, “The Harmony”.



Yorkston’s and Persson’s voices intertwine over delicate plucking of cello and violin as they sing: “But harmony, it has escaped me, and the world becomes too fast”.

Yorkston and Persson’s favourite song from the record, Yorkston says of “The Harmony”: "This is a duet love song that we recorded one evening, after most of the Second Hand Orchestra had left for home. It has that beautiful woozy sound music has when everything is just working together perfectly. It's intimate, and a favourite."

Upcoming live dates

1st February - The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen ~
3rd February – Summerhall, Edinburgh ~
4th February - Celtic Connections, Glasgow ~
5th February - Future Yard, Birkenhead ~
6th February - Jazz Café, London ~
7th February – YES, Manchester ~
8th February - The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge ~ (sold out)
9th February - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ~
10th February – Louisiana, Bristol ~
11th February – St Stephens in the High Street, Exeter ~
12th February - Komedia Theatre, Brighton ~

~ = James Yorkston, Nina Persson and members of The Second Hand Orchestra

Tickets

James Yorkston, Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra The Great White Sea Eagle

Album | 13th January 2023

Yorkston and Sweden’s The Second Hand Orchestra had no real plans to do a follow up, but as James visited his studio in Cellardyke, Fife everyday in early 2021, he began to start writing songs on the piano as opposed to his usual guitar as he gazed upon the sea outside his window.  

After sending the first five or six songs to Karl-Jonas Winqvist (the leader/conductor of TSHO), they began to discuss working on the music together. With Yorkston’s shift from guitar to piano, they thought about what other changes they could make to their process which led to the involvement of a guest singer and the legendary Nina Persson (The Cardigans) was brought into the fold.  

Tracklisting

  • 1Sam and Jeanie McGreagor
  • 2An Upturned Crab
  • 3Keeping Up With The Grandchildren, Yeah
  • 4The Heavy Lyric Police
  • 5A Sweetness In You
  • 6A Forestful Of Rogues
  • 7Peter Paulo Van Der Heyden
  • 8Mary
  • 9Hold Out For Love
  • 10The Harmony
  • 11The Great White Sea Eagle
  • 12A Hollow Skeleton Lifts A Heavy Wing

James Yorkston, Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra The Great White Sea Eagle

Album | 13th January 2023

Yorkston and Sweden’s The Second Hand Orchestra had no real plans to do a follow up, but as James visited his studio in Cellardyke, Fife everyday in early 2021, he began to start writing songs on the piano as opposed to his usual guitar as he gazed upon the sea outside his window.  

After sending the first five or six songs to Karl-Jonas Winqvist (the leader/conductor of TSHO), they began to discuss working on the music together. With Yorkston’s shift from guitar to piano, they thought about what other changes they could make to their process which led to the involvement of a guest singer and the legendary Nina Persson (The Cardigans) was brought into the fold.  

Tracklisting

  • 1Sam and Jeanie McGreagor
  • 2An Upturned Crab
  • 3Keeping Up With The Grandchildren, Yeah
  • 4The Heavy Lyric Police
  • 5A Sweetness In You
  • 6A Forestful Of Rogues
  • 7Peter Paulo Van Der Heyden
  • 8Mary
  • 9Hold Out For Love
  • 10The Harmony
  • 11The Great White Sea Eagle
  • 12A Hollow Skeleton Lifts A Heavy Wing
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