As a tribute to Canadian songwriter activist Bruce Cockburn and a reminder that these issues are just as relevant now as they were in 1984, when he released his ‘Stealing Fire’ album, Twilight Fields presents his own rendition of ‘Lovers in a Dangerous Time’.
This track is one of 14 found on the new album ‘Songs from the Age of Ruin’, slated for release in early 2019. This new single follows up the rather politically-charged single ‘Demagogue’, an expression of anti-populist sentiment.
Twilight Fields is the solo moniker of singer-songwriter Allister Thompson, who single-handedly handles all writing, playing, engineering, mixing, mastering for this project, in addition to designing everything himself from his home studio in North Bay, Ontario.
‘Songs from the Age of Ruin’ is a warning to the present and an apology to a possible future. This uneasy but compelling song cycle begins with the bombing of Hiroshima and absurdities of the atomic age and proceeds to tackle such difficult topics as homelessness and economic inequalities (‘Lazarus’), the evils of populism and political repression (‘Demagogue’, ‘Taken Away’), the toxicity of social media communication (‘Offended’), animal rights (‘The Animal’s Song’), and the utter stupidity of war (‘Soldier Song’). It concludes with a three-part “climate change suite” (‘Loss’, ‘Barren Planet’, ‘Why Did We Do It?’) that lays bare the tragic human consequences of catastrophic climate change.
“I wanted to pay tribute to one of the greatest protest singers in music history, my fellow Canadian Bruce Cockburn,” explains Allister Thompson. “This is his most famous song, but probably also his best, known for its timeless lyrics. However, those lyrics about keeping faith in dark days have never been more timely, 35 years after its original release. My version pays homage to the original arrangement while amping things up a little. The video shows environmental destruction but also the brave people who fight against it.”
This album pays grateful homage to such artists as Billy Bragg, New Model Army, Killing Joke, Midnight Oil, and The Levellers, as well as other artists influencing his music like Leon Rosselson, Bob Dylan, Robert Wyatt, and Phil Ochs. Apart from the current single, the album also features a cover of Thin Lizzy‘s song ‘Holy War’.
“While growing up, certain passionate, activist musicians were very influential to me. So much so that I’d say they changed and shaped the person I would eventually become. There has never been a more crucial time for musicians to step up and add their voices to the chorus of reason necessary to take us back from the brink of total destruction,” says Allister Thompson.
“The year 2019 finds the human species standing at a crossroads, with only two possible directions: survival or extinction. Artists should contribute their strong and clear voices to dialogues that could lead to our survival and renewal.”
Allister Thompson has had a varied musical career, initially playing with Toronto-based glam-rock band Crash Kelly, together with Sean Kelly (now guitarist for Nelly Furtado), and opening for such notable artists as The Black Crowes and Alice Cooper. He later veered towards making traditional folk music, progressive rock and ambient music, recording several ambient rock albums as Twilight Fields and numerous albums of ambient / Krautrock / psychedelia under the monikers The Gateless Gate and Khan Tengri.
‘Demagogue’ is now available via online stores and streaming platforms, including Spotify and iTunes. The full album ‘Song From The Age of Ruin’ LP will be released on February 1, 2019 and can be ordered via Bandcamp.
TRACK LIST
1 Prologue: The Ruined City
2 Bomber
3 Lazarus
4 Demagogue
5 Offended
6 Taken Away
7 The Animal’s Song
8 Soldier Song
9 The Holy War
10 Maximum Darkness
11 Lovers in a Dangerous Time
12 Why Did We Do It? (The Last Ones)
13 Loss
14 Epilogue: Barren Planet
FOR SHARING
Lovers In a Dangerous Time https://youtu.be/
Demagogue https://youtu.be/XyvnVfCkJzc
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/
Bandcamp https://
All photos by Teri-Lynn Janveau
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