In the video for new single ‘Flatlands’, KB Bayley shows what can be achieved with just a voice and a guitar. Simply put, this song is beautiful. There’s an incredible warmth and richness to Bayley’s sliding notes on his Weissenborn guitar; his slide and fingers glide around the guitar, finding a perfect sequence of flowing notes. Accompanied just by his stunning guitar-playing, Bayley’s vocal has enough character to engage, even in this sparse, stripped back arrangement. The artfully-shot black and white video, filmed by Nick Ross at Stockers Lock on the Grand Union Canal, is a fine accompaniment to this understated, beautifully played song. Bayley says: “The song is all about returning somewhere and feeling the presence of someone who is very much missed.” The thoughtful lyrics are as carefully put together as the music; Bayley sings: “On this open road // where the river meets the sky // in these burning fields // where my excuses lie…someone saw the light of Mary // shining in the dirt // now they sell forgiveness // from a door beside the church,” and we are drawn into his confessional writing.
‘Flatlands’ is the title track from Bayley’s forthcoming album, due for release on 4th November. The album comprises of ten songs that feature just Bayley’s intimate vocal and his solo Weissenborn guitar. A pair of vintage microphones were used to record the deep resonance of his slide on the open-tuned strings. The approach is sparse, keeping the focus on the words, the voice and the sliding notes and fingerpicking. Bayley says of the record: “I wanted to share these songs and stories in their most raw form, and I wanted to celebrate my love of the Weissenborn guitar as a unique storytelling instrument.” On the album’s themes, he continues, saying it’s “…all about the stuff that happens to us: big, small, tragic, uplifting, seismic, significant, everyday,heartbreaking.” The follow-up to Bayley’s 2021 album ‘Little Thunderstorms’ promises to be personal, absorbing and affecting. Check it out.
