Here is the latest single off the highly anticipated debut album from Our Man in the Field (AKA Alex Ellis), which will be released on 25th September. This stripped-back version of ‘Easy Going Smile’ was recorded live at The Rattle and showcases Ellis’s soulful vocal and intimate delivery. Due to coronavirus restrictions, there could only be two people in the room; this meant the recording was somewhat improvised but it’s possibly more intensely emotional as a result and is a fitting video for the album’s final single and the strange times we’re living in.
‘Easy Going Smile’ focuses on a universal theme as Ellis explains: “The song itself is hopefully quite relatable. I think everyone has had difficult goodbyes. When I was growing up, my old man worked away most of the time and my parents were both big John Denver fans; their song was ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ and this is an homage to that I guess.”
The current climate is a challenging one for live performances and releasing albums but Ellis has managed some shows since this video was recorded. Also, a full live run through of the album will be performed on release-day – anyone who purchases the album will get a ticket. Look out for further gigs at the Tetbury Goods Shed and an in-store show at Badlands before Our Man in the Field heads out for a run of shows in Sweden.
After a series of excellent singles, the album promises to be one of the highlights of the autumn. Our Man in the Field’s gentle, melodic brand of Americana is well-crafted and absorbing. Check out the new album ‘The Company of Strangers’, here and he will draw you into his personal tales of life, loss and farewells. Enjoy.
