The new single from Craig Gould is a striking and memorable song that you can imagine being sung into the night as sparks fly above the embers of a glowing campfire. Performed with The Noble Thieves, this live recording of ‘The Campfire Song’ gives us the opportunity to see such masterful musicianship. Jonny Peters’ soothing, warm bass provides the foundation for truly gorgeous guitar work from Gould and Lee Cogswell. Gould’s voice is remarkably controlled and his vocal melody is utterly absorbing, reinforced by effortlessly soaring backing vocals from Rosie Faith.
After several years supporting acts like Levellers, Ocean Colour Scene and Oysterband with his band Carousel Circus, Gould left music behind to concentrate fully on his work in management in 2014. However, in 2016, his life changed direction again when burnout and a mental breakdown caused him to collapse at work, leading to a head-injury and, later, to a PTSD diagnosis. Music and songwriting became a part of Gould’s recovery and in the challenging months that followed, his experience was captured in new material that he considered his best work yet. The new songs celebrate his renewed strength and are full of empathy and sensitivity.
This single is taken from Gould debut solo album ‘Songs from the Campfire’, which is released today 14th April. The highly anticipated collection of songs follows several well-received singles and is part of a groundbreaking 3-year project with CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). Through this project, Gould has shared his own experiences of living with and recovering from serious mental health issues. All of the profits from the album and its singles are pledged to CALM to support others in need. Gould says: “I’m compelled to use my experiences of mental health illness and recovery to help others, raise awareness and generate funding. I want to help create a brighter future within the UK towards mental health care, and I’m very pleased to be working in partnership with Campaign Against Living Miserably, CALM.” Find out more about the charity’s work here. It’s a good cause. But it’s also beautiful music. Check it out.
