‘An Unexpected Giant Leap’ is the debut instrumental album from guitarist Christopher Haddow, a record born out of his baby sons ultrasound (shout out to young Louie), with Brian Eno, John Fahey and Ambient Americana cited as immediate additional influences.
The new record is presented as a ‘contemplative journey evoking the hazy moments of early parenthood’. Recorded over three intense days at the famous iconic Green Door studio in Glasgow, it weaves together lap steel, double bass, open-tuned acoustic guitar, and piano through the hum of whirring tape machines.
Haddow’s debut record is available to stream (and to buy) on September 6th 2024.
Christopher ‘Chad’ Haddow set out to create a musical landscape, rich with imagery and emotional depth. Accompanied by Josh Longton and Jamie Bolland, the process involved a blend of spontaneous improvisation and deliberate soundscaping, with each track primarily recorded on the first take, capturing the raw, unfiltered essence of their collaboration.
The album is bookended by an ultrasound of Haddow’s son Louie, encapsulating the deeply personal and emotional nature of this work. With undertones of deconstructed ambient country, this album serves as both a time capsule and a tool for soothing his son to sleep, echoing the continuous loops of pushing a buggy in circles around the park.
It was recorded mixed and mastered by Samuel Joseph Smith over at Green Door, a studio who has helped give us the likes of Michael Dracula, The Rosy Crucifixion, Sweaty Palms, and as regular readers will know, Jacob Yates and The Pearly Gate Lock Pickers, the latter of which Haddow is a continued member.
The album launch will take place at Glasgow’s Glad Cafe on Friday 30th August and tickets can be purchased via errolshotwax.com
Follow the work of Christopher Haddow on his Instagram and via Errols Hot Wax.
