Cuddly Chris in shock Embrace

• 20th Jul 2004

Indie veterans Embrace are set to release their fourth studio album, albeit with a little help from one of their most famous friends.

Heralding the album’s release is debut single ‘Gravity’, a song that bears all the hallmarks of a Danny McNamara composition. Expressive, panoramic in scope and featuring McNamara’s most powerfully emotive vocal to date, ‘Gravity’ would sit comfortably alongside any one of Embrace songs. And yet it was written by Coldplay singer and songwriter Chris Martin.

The decision to record another artist’s song might seem surprising were it not for a long standing friendship between Martin and McNamara dating back to when Coldplay supported Embrace at the Blackpool Empress Ballroom in 2000.

Martin originally wrote the song for Coldplay, but as he explains, “We’ve always loved Embrace and Danny is one of my best friends. When we wrote Gravity we thought it sounded far too much like them for us, but not too much like them for them, so I asked Danny if he wanted the song and that was that.”

On hearing the song, McNamara felt it was just what was missing from the album. And whilst he admits to some reservations about covering some one else’s song he’s had to concede that Gravity sounds like “the best ballad I never wrote”.

Gravity will be released on August 30th, prior to the album’s release on Sept 13th. Produced by long time collaborator Youth, and in its final stages of recording, the album will feature 10 Embrace compositions in addition to the single.

Meanwhile you can check out the links to the forthcoming single:

Real Player (low)
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Real Player (high)
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Windows Media Player (low)
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Windows Media Player (high)
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Coinciding with the release, Embrace will play their first live date since February 2002 with a one-off headlining show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Sept 3rd.

Tickets are on sale from June 15th priced £15 and available from:
Shepherd’s Bush Empire box office on 0870 771 2000 / 020 7 403 3331 or 24 hr credit card hotline: 0871 2200 260.