Surgenor’s Runeii is a musical collective put together in 2022 to showcase a compilation of songs written by keyboardist Ian Surgenor over a thirty-year period. ‘Butterfly Man’ is the lead single from the group’s debut album of the same name. The song blends a range of influences and there’s real depth and texture in the layered instrumentation. Keys swell over bright guitars, rapid percussion and pulsing melodic bass guitar and the vocals fly high, buoyed by angelic backing. Each listen brings out something different in the arrangement. ‘Butterfly Man’ was originally written in 1992 and reflects Surgenor’s feelings and perspective as a young man. It’s full of the naive promise of youth and the desire to be perfect and to please everyone around you. The accompanying video presents the musicians live, displaying their talents and drawing the viewer in with the quality of their individual and collective performances.
When putting together the collective, Surgenor reached out to his network of fine musicians and there’s some great talent involved. In particular, George Farrar’s drums are compelling and Stu Fletcher (The Seahorses, St Etienne, Happy Mondays) holds it all together on bass. Previous single ‘Trees’, a funkier track that makes you want to dance, was supported by BBC Introducing in North Yorkshire. Look out for the new album coming soon. In the meantime, enjoy the energy of ‘Butterfly Man’.
