Furlined are a British band based in Bristol, they were formed by singer-songwriter Neil Crossley in 2013. After a couple of well received albums the band was put on hold in 2015 whilst Crossley joined a Walker Brothers-inspired ‘pop croon’ collaboration entitled International Blue, with producer Tony Visconti and Dutch composer Stephen Emmer. The album featured four baritones: Crossley, Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17; Liam McKahey of Cousteau and Midge Ure of Ultravox. And you’re right, that does sound like the least Americana thing ever. However, Crossley co-wrote two songs on their album. One of these, ‘Sleep For England,‘ was recorded and released as a single by Julian Lennon.
In 2020 Furlined were reconvened – with a current line up of Neil Crossley (vocals/gtr), Tegan Everett (cello), Greg White (drums), Graham J Nicholls (guitar) and Dan Everett (bass). The sound is power-pop meets Americana head-on, and there’s a new album coming called ‘Kill Devil Hills,’ which will be released on 25 October, 2024. The album draws on themes of self-reflection and the passing of time, with Crossley referencing family relationships – his late father on ‘He Drives A Hillman‘ and ‘Dreaming Of Houses’, and his daughter on ‘Katherine The Great.’
Speaking of today’s song Neil Crossley told Americana UK that: “I wrote the structure of Cinnamon Gum years back but it was one of those songs where the lyrics just didn’t come. Then a week before we recorded it at J&J Studios in Bristol, we ran through it once more and the words just came flooding in. It’s a first person experience from way back but with a third person slant and for some reason, in my head, it’s set in a high-ceilinged flat in a grand old sandstone house in the West End of Glasgow. It’s one of those songs that feels effortless to play and it just soars live. At its core, it’s about the death throes of a relationship but it’s looking at the positives – the mutual care, depth of feeling and respect that still exists between two people.”
