Mick Harvey

A Brand New Track

MICK HARVEY SHARES A BRAND NEW TRACK

LISTEN TO A SUITCASE IN BERLIN, HIS REWORKING OF THE MARLENE DIETRICH CLASSIC ‘ICH HAB’ NOCH EINEN KOFFER IN BERLIN’

EUROPEAN TOUR CONFIRMED FOR SPRING 2023

MICK HARVEY has shared his first new solo recording in 10 years, a translation and reworking of Marlene Dietrich’s 1950s ode to Berlin, ‘Ich Hab’ Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin’. Harvey’s updated take on the song, originally written in 1922, ‘A Suitcase in Berlin’, brings a sadness and weight to the subject appropriate to the passage of time and the weight of history which hangs over the city. 

While the choruses have been translated directly, the changing nature of Berlin itself made it impossible to utilise the original text in the verses. Mick Harvey explains, “So many of the locations cited no longer exist. And, as we emerge from a couple of weird years and the associated losses and anxiety, I felt this song wherein a longing and connection with places long not visited, was both fitting and emotionally resonant.”

And yes, after many years associated with the city, Harvey still has ‘A Suitcase in Berlin’ of his own. Listen to the track:

Harvey has also announced details of a tour that will see him join Mexican singer Amanda Acevedo, long time collaborator J.P. Shilo and Berlin band Sometimes with Others for a musical phantasmagoria, presented as the Invisible Blue Unicorns. The tour will travel across Europe throughout May, finishing in Berlin on 28 May – full details below.

The new single and tour details arrive ahead of the release of a first in a series of vinyl reissues for 2023: One Man’s Treasure / Two Of Diamonds, Sketches From The Book Of The Dead and FOUR (Acts of Love) are all set for release on 13 January 2023 on colour vinyl, with Delirium Tremens and Intoxicated Women following in April: https://mute.ffm.to/mh-reissues 

The series opens with One Man’s Treasure (2005), a collection of original compositions and reworkings of songs by Lee Hazlewood, Tim Buckley and Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club that serves as, essentially, his first solo album (previous releases being the two albums of Serge Gainsbourg reinterpretations). Every song on the album is connected by a passionate, personal connection, the basic album tracks were all recorded by Harvey at his home studio, with the project developing spontaneously from there setting the scene for Harvey to step out into centre stage. “It was something I was doing to entertain myself,” explains Harvey, “there was no master plan”.

Encouraged by reactions to the debut, Two Of Diamonds (2007, packaged here with One Man’s Treasure) followed soon after and this time saw Harvey accompanied by a band – Rosie Westbrook (double bass), James Johnston (organ and guitar), and Thomas Wydler (drums) alongside guest musicians Rob Ellis, and Julitha Ryan (piano). The album, once more, is comprised of original compositions and tracks that Harvey felt a deep connection to, these include songs written by Emmylou Harris, PJ Harvey and Bill Withers as well as Mano Nega’s ‘Out Of Time Man’ which went on to be featured prominently in TV shows including Breaking Bad, Orphan Black and The Tourist.

Listen to ‘Out of Time Man’:

Sketches From The Book Of The Dead (2011), was the first album to be entirely written by Harvey, and pays tribute to Harvey’s friend and former bandmate Rowland S Howard (1959-2009). Mick Harvey plays most of the instruments, and is joined by Rosie Westbrook on double bass, J.P. Shilo on accordion & violin, with Xanthe Waite contributing occasional ethereal backing vocals. 

FOUR (Acts of Love) (2013) is a song cycle divided into 3 Acts, a contemplation on romantic love – its loss, re-awakening, our ongoing struggles with it and its place in our universe. The album features original compositions by Mick Harvey alongside a song by long-time collaborator PJ Harvey, plus interpretations of beloved tracks by The Saints, Van Morrison Exuma, and Roy Orbison.

Mick Harvey is a founding member of The Birthday Party, Crime and the City Solution and The Bad Seeds and has collaborated extensively with PJ Harvey, Rowland S Howard and Anita Lane. His solo releases began in 1995 with the first in a series of Serge Gainsbourg interpretations and translations – which he recently revived with two acclaimed releases in 2016 and 2017, Delirium Tremens and Intoxicated Women. Both will receive the vinyl reissue treatment in April. 

Harvey has been scoring film and television since 1988’s ‘Ghosts… of the Civil Dead’ (Dir. John Hillcoat) and a collection of his soundtrack work – featuring music from ‘Chopper’ (Dir. Andrew Dominik, 2000), the award-winning soundtracks for ‘Australian Rules’ (Dir. Paul Goldman, 2002) and ‘Suburban Mayhem’ (Dir. Paul Goldman, 2006) and more – was released by Mute in 2006. His most recent releases include, The Fall and Rise of Edgar Bourchier and the Horrors of War (2019, a collaboration with Christopher Richard Barker) and the soundtracks for Waves of Anzac / The Journey (2020).

MICK HARVEY – EUROPEAN TOUR DATES

With Amanda Acevedo, J.P. Shilo and Sometimes with Others

4 May – Leipzig (DE) – Moritzbastei
5 May – Wroclaw (PL) – Akademia
6 May – Wien (AT) – Porgy & Bess
7 May – Munich (DE) – Rote Sonne
9 May – Bologna (IT) – Locomotiv
10 May – Montecosaro (IT) – Mount Echo
11 May – Torino (IT) – Spazio 211
13 May – Belgrade (RS) – KC Grad
14 May – Zagreb (HR) – Mocvara
15 May – Ljubljana (SI) – Gala Hala
17 May – Geneva (CH) – L’Usine
18 May – Martigny (CH) – Caves du Manoir
20 May – Paris (FR) – Petit Bain
21 May – Kortrijk (BE) – Wildewesten
22 May – Liege (BE) – Reflektor
23 May – Hamburg (DE) – Kampnagel
24 May – Copenhagen (DE) – Loppen
27 May – Brno (CZ) – Mersey Gathering 4
28 May – Berlin (DE) – Lido

http://www.mickharvey.com/