Reverend And The Makers man Ed Cosens has released the album Somewhere Between Dark And Light ahead of appearances at Black Deer, Tramlines and Hardwick festivals this summer.
Last week he shared latest single Stay With Me. “Don’t ever let me down, Don’t ever leave me now, Darling stay with me….” Ed implores. “Cupid’s arrow has hit you right around the chops and knocked you for six! It leaves you unsure of yourself and dizzy with all the emotions; anticipation, fear, excitement and the unnerving sense of ‘is it too good to be true?’ Too late now though, the poison is in your veins and it’s time to strap in on the rollercoaster of love… Scream if you wanna go faster!”
Ed Cosens
The album offers an immediate variety of classic songwriting, delving into personal territory for inspiration. “‘In the light’ is probably the most representative track of the dark and light idea,” says Cosens. “When I’m Done Running and I’m On Your Side represent the lightest moments – those moments where I feel most positive and comforted by those around me.”
The new album addresses issues that have felt all too close to home in recent years. The pandemic led many of us to face up to the fragility of existence amid so many people succumbing to a disease with no cure, and Cosens, now a father to two boys, addresses what family means to him in the heart-on-sleeve piano ballad Tiny Boxes, which he pinpoints as one of his favourites on the record. “ It’s a love song to my family,” he says. Earlier this year Cosens released Doghouse, a song for anyone who has ever found themselves relegated to the couch. Suckerpunch followed, which addresses situations that feel completely out of your control.
Watch the Stay With Me video below:
The gently string-laced acoustic meditation of most recent single Little Boy, talks of the titular character “sitting in the corner, doesn’t know what he wants to be… the little boy is me.” It was partly inspired by the feelings of insecurity and self-doubt Cosens says have always plagued him. “It’s like, ‘What is my place in all of this?’ I felt that sometimes being in Reverend And The Makers with characters like Jon, so loud and effervescent, I’d struggle to be heard. I’m the exact opposite, really, I’m very quiet, happy to sit at the back of the room.”
That might just be changing though, as Cosens explains that one of the reasons he’s felt the urge to strike out on his own is to make his mark under his own steam. “I’m really proud of what I achieved in the Makers,” he says, “but I suppose now I’d like my story to be told and heard.”
Talking about the personal nature of these songs, Cosens explains: “These things stay with you sometimes and whilst at the time they may be difficult, at least they provide a rich seam of ideas and lyrics that can be mined at a later date!” Last October’s stand alone single Black Dog was released on World Mental Health Day. “It’s about waking up and feeling in that dark place where you feel unable to function,” Cosens says. “I hope these songs help start a conversation and spread mental health awareness further.”
Ed is currently touring the UK and will play Black Deer, Askern, Tramlines and Hardwick festivals this summer.
Upcoming UK tour dates:
MAY
23rd – Oporto – Leeds
24th – Leadmill – Sheffield
30th – Mosaic Tap – Newcastle
31st – The Chapel – Nottingham
JUNE
14th – Black Deer Festival (Under The Apple Tree presents… handpicked by Bob Harris)
JULY
13th – Askern Music Festival – Doncaster
20th – Tramlines Festival – Sheffield
AUGUST
18th – Hardwick Festival – Durham
29th – Rock n Roll Circus Sheffield w/Richard Hawley
Nickelback Remind Us Why They Deserve Our Attention With The Lottery Winners At The O2
Share Thing