Daphne Guinness has many strings to her bow. Not only as her name implies, is she an heir by direct descent of the 18th century Irish brewer Arthur Guinness but she is a successful fashion designer, art collector, model, musician, film producer and actor.
She has released Riot, a new track which arrives just ahead of her forthcoming album Daphne & The Golden Chord, due for digital release on April 20, 2018 and CD/vinyl formats on June 15 2018 via Agent Anonyme/Absolute.
Daphne & The Golden Chord was produced by longtime David Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti, who also worked on Guinness’ debut album, 2016’s critically acclaimed Optimist in Black. The freewheeling, siren-backed Riot follows previous single releases Talking To Yourself and Remember To Breathe, with the latter accompanied by a kaleidoscopic video also featuring Tony himself.
David Bowie originally introduced Guinness and Visconti. Bowie was so impressed with her music that he recommended her to his long-time producer, and another chapter of Daphne’s life began. Speaking about their continued creative partnership on Daphne & The Golden Chord, Tony says; “This second album is Glam! We were channeling Marc Bolan and T.Rex (whom I produced in the 70s), and yet she made that sound her own. Daphne is one of the most prolific writers I’ve ever worked with. She has so much to say. If someone picks up a guitar and starts to strum a few chords Daphne starts writing immediately. She loves the recording process – if she could she would live in the studio.”
The new album captures Guinness’ songwriting brought to life by a new band including co-writer Malcolm Doherty, Terry Miles of Go-Kart Mozart, Thin Lizzy bassist Gary Liedeman, Generation X’s James Stevenson and Andy Mackay of Roxy Music. Daphne & The Golden Chord was recorded live to analogue tape at London’s British Grove Studios, on consoles previously used on The Beatles’ Abbey Road, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon’ and Wings’ Band On The Run.
“I can’t sing a single word I don’t believe in,” says Guinness. “It’s the closest thing I can get to a memoir without making people I know very cross indeed. It’s all there: love, hate, nervous breakdowns.”
Music is a lifelong passion for Guinness. Having trained as a classical singer and later offered a place at London’s prestigious Guildhall School, a young Daphne always looked set to pursue a career in music, before life had other plans. And whilst Daphne & The Golden Chord finds Guinness some distance from the strictures of her traditional training, for the former Bowie and Bolan-obsessed teenager, she’s now found her true métier.
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