After All These Years, by The Wynntown Marshals

After All These Years

by The Wynntown Marshals

supported by

	/

Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
Three studio albums into the Wynntown Marshals’ career, the band mark a decade together with the release of a new album entitled “After All These Years”.

Primarily a retrospective look back at some of the recorded highlights of the past ten years, the 16-track collection also includes 3 new, previously unreleased, tracks which set the scene for the next chapter in the band’s history.

There’s something for everyone on this collection. Early story songs such as the epic “11:15” (which tells the tale of the greatest flood in modern UK history which took place in rural Aberdeenshire) lock horns with the criminally-overlooked 2009 B-side “The Burning Blue”.

The reworking of early EP track “Different Drug” (recorded by the current line-up, featuring a sublime extended outro), the country-shuffle of “Snowflake” (possibly the only Americana song about an albino gorilla in existence) and the sprawling, stellar live favourite “Tide” are all wonderful examples of the unique sound that the Marshals have created and honed over the last 10 years.

The lyrics are never throwaway, the subject matter often obscure. World-weary yet uplifting melodies are channelled by strident guitars and gorgeous vocal harmonies, offset by beautiful keyboard parts and driven by a rock-solid rhythm section.

Once referred to as ‘The Masters of Midtempo’, the band can also deftly turn their hand to heart-warming, uplifting power pop.

“After All These Years” is by turns a celebratory, cerebral, nostalgic and just downright joyous collection. It acts as a retrospective, a potted history, a memoir of a decade of making music and as the perfect nod to what the future holds in store for this most resolute and hard-working of bands.

Includes unlimited streaming of After All These Years via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... more

ships out within 3 days

£10 GBP or more
Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

£6.99 GBP or more

1.	Low Country Comedown 04:58	lyrics	buy track
Low Country Comedown The cobbled streets we walked upon The canals were lined with trees They evoked a simpler time and place You found me on my knees The whisky that you bought me Tasted good but tasted strong The dim light in that bar room Told me we'd been away too long This is a low country comedown Now I'm back in the arms of the ones I love This is a low country comedown 5 days away from you is sometimes too much It's been so good to see you this time As we turned the van homeward I swore This time there'd be no ifs or buts The road marked on the sat nav Looked like a mess of twisted guts The hotel rooms merge into one The ceiling always looks the same You can help me out when I'm passing out But someone else can take the blame This is a low country comedown Now I'm back in the arms of the land I love This is a low country comedown 5 days with you is never enough It's been so good to see you This time out 800 miles is a long way from home I can see you growing up in the pictures on my phone And if my eyes they fill up And spill over like a coffee cup Just know that I can't make it on my own
2.	Your Time 03:47	lyrics	buy track
Your Time We used to drink 'til it was light outside We used to bark at the moon But now with different priorities We sing a different tune You never wear your hair in the current fashion My dress sense is out of time Every song and every melody Eventually gets etched into our minds I wrote these words for you What have you done for me? Tired of being kept waiting behind the courtesy line Is it wrong to want a little more of your time? I thought you were more superstitious than me But here I am again in 7C Looking down the aisle every once in a while Just looking for your smile She travels everywhere that I travel I always keep a part of him beside of me OK, maybe these gifts that we gave to the world are worth a drink or three I wrote these words for you What have you done for me? Tired of being kept waiting behind the courtesy line Is it wrong to want a little more of your time? Tired of being kept waiting behind the courtesy line Is it wrong to want a little more of your time?
3.	Red Clay Hill 04:29	lyrics	buy track
Red Clay Hill Last night I dreamt that I took a walk in an Ansel Adams picture Saw Half-Dome bathed in monochrome And on one heel I had a blister Took off my boots to ease the pain Then put them back on against my will When I woke I knew the time had come to climb Red Clay Hill That hill commands the land that surrounds the house in which we live Bisects the motorways where I spend most of my days Reminds me I have more to give It was there where I first found you When we felt winter's bitter chill So will you walk with me again upon Red Clay Hill From the top you can see the runways and lights from the air traffic tower Where jet planes carry people to the skies at over a hundred miles an hour Buzzards rule the skies above me Eyeing their next kill Next time you go, please look below that might be me on Red Clay Hill If we go up one side We can go down another I first came up here alone But we went down together It was there where I first found you When we felt winter's bitter chill So will you walk with me again upon Red Clay Hill It was there where I first found you When we felt winter's bitter chill And when I leave this earth you can bury me on Red Clay Hill You can bury me on Red Clay Hill
4.	The Burning Blue 03:44	lyrics	buy track
The Burning Blue Fire ‘em up lads and have no fear Squadron Leader says the coast is clear Just a routine patrol We've been here countless times before Said that the last time we did this run Got bounced by some 110’s came out of the sun I thank this parachute on my back ‘Cos my best friend he didn’t come back The powers that be say it’s worth the cost It’s in these skies the war will be won or lost Don’t understand how we got this far Finished basic training at the end of March These last few months have been a blur Sleep depravation a new kind of war I swing my harness up on through the door Your picture’s next to my heart and my will’s on the cockpit floor Now it’s every man for himself Superstition is bad for your health The powers that be say it’s worth the cost It’s in these skies the war will be won or lost Keep an eye out over your shoulder That’s what the guys in the mess say to do They must be doing something right ‘cos they’re still here drinking Still here drinking… Up in the burning blue Better keep your wits around you When the tracers are flying and people are dying Hell, you’ve got a job to do The powers that be say it’s worth the cost It’s in these skies the war will be won or lost
5.	Being Lazy 04:11	lyrics	buy track
Being Lazy You know I can go out dancing And I can still have fun I can sit here on my own I don’t need anyone I’ll read books I’ll never finish Dream of flying, then I’ll fall Tell myself a million times I don’t need you at all But it’s not me being lazy And I don’t feel so low There’s nothing left around me And nowhere left to go I don’t miss you so much It’s not like my whole world revolves around you I wish I’d never found you I could learn a brand new language But all my talk seems dumb I could travel round the world Kid myself I’m on the run Take all the drink and all the drugs That change the way I see I tried it all before It’s never been enough for me But it’s not me being lazy And I don’t feel so low There’s nothing left around me And nowhere left to go I don’t miss you so much It’s not like my whole world revolves around you I wish I’d never found you
6.	Canada 04:04	lyrics	buy track
Canada It's a big world out there There are mountains and there are seas And it's the North Atlantic That separates you from me I would get there if I could But I admit I find it hard I feel stuck in this corner Like a stamp on a postcard And while I'm on the subject of correspondence I've missed your voice and your easy way with words If you could find the time it'd make my week You don't even have to speak Just pick up a pen and write me a letter from Canada This mighty river this town sits upon Was the source that led you here But like my heart it freezes over At this time of year And when the melt water starts rising Remember I was once your friend I promise you won't be found wanting Upon me you can depend Our family bonds they are unspoken We’ll get there although the outboard is clearly broken If you can reach out and offer your hand to me I'll help you climb this family tree And with a little help we can both make it back from Canada The halls of this museum That we walked through years ago Showed us images of our past A kind of sepia slide show We've chosen our sides so let's enter the fray We can't affect the past so let's concentrate on today So steel yourself for what lies ahead Fix bayonets and go back to bed And for the next 10 years we can dream about life in Canada
7.	Ballad Of Jayne 05:20	lyrics	buy track
Ballad of Jayne She was always something special A diamond shining bright in the rain Everybody dreams of angels No one would ever know How much I love you so Now it all seems funny, kinda like a dream Things ain’t always what they seem What a shame, what happened to Jayne You were always on my mind Child like summer days in the sun Slowly my wishes turned to sadness Time don’t heal a broken gun I wish I’d never let you go Even now I just want you to know That it all seems funny, kinda like a dream Things ain’t always what they seem What a shame, what happened to Jayne Now she’s breaking hearts in heaven Shining bright in the sky I still hear her voice in the wind I still think of you in the night Well I guess you’ll never know How much I need her so Now it all seems funny, kinda like a dream Things ain’t always what they seem What a shame, what happened to Jayne Now it all seems funny, kinda like a dream Things ain’t always what they seem What a shame, what happened to Jayne
8.	Tide 05:32	lyrics	buy track
Tide Sailed through And you caught me in your tide Came to You’re the only thing for miles Lay back And I’m soaking up your sky Gets dark But I’m safe in your starlight Warm wind On my shoulders eases pain Cool rain I love to stand in your cool rain Drinking it all in Fill myself up with you Seeing you all around me I can’t see another soul Because you’re my island You’re my island You’re my island
9.	Odessa 03:57	lyrics	buy track
Odessa All the ships that line the harbour All the lights out in the bay In a line, are they some kind of sign? Supposed to help me find my way Now the Black Sea separates us What is it now that holds me back? I meant to say, before you went away If I could then I'd find you in the dark You said you'd meet me in Odessa Was I meant to find my own way home? You put everything down in that letter The one you wrote to let me know That Odessa was the prettiest place you'd ever known I think you went there to find something Or someone you couldn't reach I recall your laugh, that faded photograph Your family ended up in Brighton Beach You said you'd meet me in Odessa Was I meant to find my own way home? You put everything down in that letter The one you wrote to let me know That Odessa was the prettiest place you'd ever known Now the Black Sea separates us What is it now that holds me back?
10.	11:15 06:38	lyrics	buy track
11:15 The perfect storm came in the summertime August 3rd 1829, swore they’d never seen that kind of rain You could hear the sound of thunder and the ground began to shake All those rivers in spate, 60 acres became a lake Everybody in the north east was taken by surprise Some folks said that the lightning looked like liquid fire in the sky Two whole days, non stop rain Two whole days, non stop rain Foot by foot the mighty lakes and angry rivers rose Well they wiped out farms and toppled trees from Inverness to Montrose Boats were forced out of the sea And there were drowning animals as far as the eye could see The people ran for cover from the catastrophic floods There was talk of divine retribution and the vengeance of the lord Even the minister lost and acre of his land yesterday And the five arch Telford granite bridge has been all but swept away Everybody in the north east was taken by surprise Some folks said that the lightning looked like liquid fire in the sky Two whole days, non stop rain Two whole days, non stop rain The innkeeper’s name was Cruickshank and he did the best he could He took his ancient float on down the burn to salvage some of his wood He got swept away but before he was lost he jumped onto a tree Stranded in the rising black, how he held on is still a mystery to me All attempts at rescue failed as the darkness it came down His shouts for help were all that were heard by the people of the town In the morning the tree was gone, his body washed up downstream His pocket watch was found fully wound it had stopped at 11.15 Everybody in the north east was taken by surprise Some folks said that the lightning looked like liquid fire in the sky Two whole days, non stop rain Two whole days, non stop rain Two whole days, non stop rain Two whole days, non stop rain
11.	The End Of The Golden Age 04:21	lyrics	buy track
The End Of The Golden Age It was St Andrew’s Day, you were leaving I remember it well, you didn’t really like that day I asked you why, you replied ‘It means nothing’ Did you mean us or the celebration of our patron saint? I used to keep your air mail letters Tied up in a bundle in a drawer Now they’re gone I think I threw them out Didn’t need them anymore So look up to the sky, kid Don’t lose your sense of wonder, boy This might be the end of the golden age Can’t you hear the rolling thunder? So look up to the sky, kid Don’t lose your sense of wonder, boy This might be the end of the golden age The fairground was back on the village green You could smell diesel fumes and candy floss in the air The lights from the rides they lit up the night sky And there were young lovers everywhere So look up to the sky, kid Don’t lose your sense of wonder, boy This might be the end of the golden age Can’t you hear the rolling thunder? So look up to the sky, kid Don’t lose your sense of wonder, boy This might be the end of the golden age
12.	Curtain Call 04:44	lyrics	buy track
Curtain Call Here I sit in this dingy room Alone with needle, tourniquet and spoon Just me and a bed and the poppy haze Here I’ll stay until they take me to the grave It hasn’t always been the same The audience used to call my name You should’ve seen me in my finery Let me tell you how it used to be At the curtain call, show time again I’d take to the stage with my cape and my cane At the curtain call, show time again I must have seen and done it all Played to sell out crowds at the Egyptian Hall Held the court with high society Thought this was how they would remember me I knew every trick in the book Shared a bill with Maskelyne & Cooke And every night I’d act out thrilling scenes But your face it still haunts my dreams At the curtain call, show time again I’d take to the stage with my cape and my cane At the curtain call, show time again It’s over, it’s over, it’s over now… And I don’t know how it all went wrong We’d performed the bullet trick for oh so long Keller told Houdini it was cursed Should’ve listened to their cautionary words The palm, the ditch, the steal went down My sleight of hand techniques I thought were sound The load and simulation seemed to go OK But the misdirection and the switch took you away At the curtain call, show time again I’d take to the stage with my cape and my cane At the curtain call, show time again Here’s my curtain call, show time again Never thought I’d pick up this revolver again Maybe soon I can be with you again It’s over, it’s over, it’s over now… It’s over, it’s over, it’s over now…
13.	Thunder In The Valley 06:51	lyrics	buy track
Thunder in the Valley As the sun grew hot We knew it was time to stop So we took that room in the old railway hotel You and I were there Sat in rocking chairs Taking in the high sierra air As the sun came up The top went down And we drove amongst the giant trees As we descended The road it bended Took us past the meadow to the trailhead We climbed those endless steps To the top of Nevada Falls And I’d never felt this high before And the beating of our hearts Sounded like the thunder in the valley You could hear it for miles and miles and miles and miles around We got soaked to the skin Swear I’d never felt so alive And I was so wet that I couldn’t light my cigarette Just stood under the awning Watching the rain And you said let’s drive, let’s just drive We climbed those endless steps To the top of Nevada Falls And I’d never felt this high before And the beating of our hearts Sounded like the thunder in the valley You could hear it for miles and miles and miles and miles around And the beating of our hearts Sounded like the thunder in the valley You could hear it for miles and miles and miles and miles around
14.	Moby Doll 06:13	lyrics	buy track
Moby Doll Set out in '64 Saturna Island from the Vancouver shore Cloud cover looked like rain Left before she woke so I wouldn't Have to explain Harpoon was set up on the rocks Towed her all the way back to the dry dock I wanted her to disappear The local tribesmen around here - showed a healthy fear The men in the bars twisted tales - over too many beers They called them blackfish, killers and the wolves of the sea But it's not right to keep a soul in captivity Were they misunderstood or were we out of touch? There's a mean streak hidden in all of us In all of us… The story broke the people gathered round Everybody visited from every single town My copy got picked up & syndicated Turns out success is overrated They called them blackfish, killers and the wolves of the sea But it's not right to keep a heart in captivity When is 'just a little bit more' just a little bit too much? There's a mean streak visible in all of us In all of us…
15.	Snowflake 02:57	lyrics	buy track
Snowflake They took me in the 60s Back to their city by the sea Left my mother and my brothers dead In their Spanish colony Some say I cost a fortune Not a lot in modern times But they’d queue all day to see me Kids and adults, stood in line Maybe one day you’ll see You could all be orphans just like me And I hope you understand That your dreams can disappear like a snowflake in your hands They probed and studied endlessly Quite why I’ll never understand I didn’t want to be part of Some fascist propaganda plan They put my face on postcards And on the front of magazines On every map and tourist trap Even on the silver screen Maybe one day you’ll see You could all be orphans just like me And I hope you understand That your dreams can disappear like a snowflake in your hands Maybe one day you’ll see You could all be orphans just like me And I hope you understand That your dreams can disappear like a snowflake in your hands And though I might be different Your people paid their hard earned money Just for a glimpse of me And when I’m gone I hope you will remember There may be others out there just like me And when I’m gone I hope you will remember There may be others out there just like me I hope you can see…
16.	Different Drug (2017) 07:01	lyrics	buy track
Different Drug [2017] Got up today, legs they felt heavy Thought about taking back some of the things I’d said Maybe I just need an explanation Maybe I should just head on back to bed Cos sometimes heartache is just a chance you have to take You’ve been leaving footprints on the rug We can all find better peace of mind We can always use a different drug We go to lunch in expensive restaurants You know I don’t like overpriced food Later on have another bottle Are you sure the last one did us any good? About 4 o clock I took the call You said she served her time in the Wrens At least we had a chance to say goodbye now A chance to say goodbye with all of your friends Cos sometimes heartache is just a chance you have to take You’ve been leaving footprints on the rug We can all find a better peace of mind We can always use a different drug And the drugs they help you out Do they give you all the answers? We will find each other somehow We will find each other there And sometimes heartache is just a chance you have to take You’ve been leaving footprints on the rug We can all find a better peace of mind We can always use a different drug
17.	Two's Company - Live In Norderstedt 03:11	lyrics	buy track
Two's Company Well you stopped to pick up the change you dropped by the telephone But you won’t bend over backwards to walk the forest all alone I could offer some assistance, maps or some memories Three’s a crowd for some folks but two is company Now I don’t want to make you feel like you should be scared in the woods There’s a rumour going around, says you’re damaged goods I like your imperfections they’re OK with me Three’s a crowd for some folks but two is company Dancing’s just one way of letting go You don’t need to know the steps we can take it slow Dancing’s just one way of letting go You don’t need to know the steps we can take it slow I like your imperfections they’re OK with me Three’s a crowd for some folks but two is company

about

Three studio albums into the Wynntown Marshals’ career, the band mark a decade together with the release of a new album entitled “After All These Years”. Primarily a retrospective look back at some of the recorded highlights of the past ten years, this specially-priced 16-track collection also includes 3 new, previously unreleased tracks which set the scene for the next chapter in the band’s history.

There’s something for everyone on this collection. Early story songs such as the epic “11:15” (which tells the tale of the greatest flood in modern UK history which took place in rural Aberdeenshire) lock horns with the criminally-overlooked 2009 B-side “The Burning Blue”. The reworking of early EP track “Different Drug” (recorded by the current line-up, featuring a sublime extended outro), the country-shuffle of “Snowflake” (possibly the only Americana song about an albino gorilla in existence) and the sprawling, stellar live favourite “Tide” are all wonderful examples of the unique sound that the Marshals have created and honed over the last 10 years.

The lyrics are never throwaway, the subject matter often obscure. World-weary yet uplifting melodies are channelled by strident guitars and gorgeous vocal harmonies, offset by beautiful keyboard parts and driven by a rock-solid rhythm section. Once referred to as ‘the masters of mid-tempo’, the band can also deftly turn their hand to heart-warming, uplifting power pop.

“After All These Years” is by turns a celebratory, cerebral, nostalgic and just downright joyous collection. It acts as a retrospective, a potted history, a memoir of a decade of making music and as the perfect nod to what the future holds in store for this most resolute and hard-working of bands.

credits

released September 1, 2017

Keith Benzie: lead vocals on all tracks / acoustic guitar on 1-6, 8, 10-16 / electric guitar on 3, 7 9, 14 / backing vocals on 1-3, 6, 8, 11, 13, 16

Iain Sloan: 6/12-string electric guitar on 1-9, 11, 13, 14 16 / pedal steel on 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15 / acoustic guitar on 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12 / backing vocals on 1-3, 5-8, 11-16

Murdoch MacLeod: bass guitar on 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14 / additional electric guitar on 8 / backing vocals on 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11

Kenny McCabe: drums on 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 14 / piano on 12 / backing vocals on 1, 3, 6, 8, 11

Richie Noble: keyboards on 3, 5, 9, 11, 14, 16 / glockenspiel on 5

Keith Jones: drums and percussion on on 4, 7, 10, 13, 15 / backing vocals on 4, 7, 10, 13, 15

Simon Ritson: bass guitar on 4, 7, 10, 13, 15 / mandolin on 10

Iain Barbour: electric guitar on on 7, 10, 13, 15

Owen Nicholson: additional electric guitar on 1

David McKee: bass guitar on 16

Simon Walker: drums on 16

with

Andrew Taylor: drums on 2, 9 / keyboards on 1, 6, 8 / mandolin on 6 / percussion on 1-3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16

Ali Petrie: keyboards on 13, 15

Leigh Hammond: harmony vocal on 4, 10

Bruce Michie: tenor saxophone on 5 / flugel horn, trombone, and trumpet on 14

Christine Munday: violin on 12

Julia Brown: cello on 12

Hannah Elton-Wall: harmony vocal on 3

All tracks recorded, engineered, mixed, and produced by Andrew Taylor except 4, 7, 10, 13, 15 recorded, engineered, mixed, and produced by Graham Deas

Hannah’s vocal on track 3 recorded by Alex Elton-Wall at Palomino Studios

All tracks digitally remastered by Alastair Taylor

Compilation coordinated and produced by Iain Sloan

Front cover illustration by Olga Angelloz

Sleeve design and layout by Iain Sloan

license

about

The Wynntown Marshals Edinburgh, UK

Formed in Edinburgh in 2007, The Marshals tip their hat to The Jayhawks, Wilco, Drive-By Truckers, Tom Petty, Ryan Adams & Neil Young.

Their sound can loosely be described as ‘country rock' with powerpop hooks, but they love layered guitars, catchy choruses and have an unabashed belief in the power of rock music as a storytelling medium. ... more

contact / help

Contact The Wynntown Marshals

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like The Wynntown Marshals, you may also like:

Live At The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh
by Blue Rose Code

supported by 11 fans who also own “After All These Years”

On his home patch, Ross is peerless. Stunning songbook, beautifully performed #GGTTH McGoo
go to album
The Scenic Route
by Dropkick

supported by 10 fans who also own “After All These Years”

We, the guys from La Paramera, feel like Dropkick's brothers. Always in search of the perfect melody. I love all your music. alorza
go to album
With Healings Of The Deepest Kind
by Blue Rose Code

supported by 10 fans who also own “After All These Years”

Thanks for "Red Kites". Well, the whole album actually. Saw an Uncut magazine review out here in the southern Utah dust and thought I should give it a listen. Glad I did. Jerry Cooney
go to album
Strays
by Margo Price

Margo Price's latest album tackles loss, failure, and freedom over lush pop, psychedelic country, and rock arrangements. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 13, 2023
go to album
Nobody's Peach
by Nobody's Peach

Nobody’s Peach, from Seattle, serve up nine gorgeous songs informed by bluegrass and Americana, gentle as a fall breeze. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 24, 2020
go to album
Listening To The Music
by Zephaniah OHora

Irresistible classic country music abounds on “Listening To The Music,” full of lap steel, walking bass, and heartwarming melodies. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 5, 2020
go to album
Andrew Taylor and The Harmonizers
by Andrew Taylor and The Harmonizers

supported by 10 fans who also own “After All These Years”

A happy hip harmonious helping of music on a humdinger of an album. Brian Doig
go to album