Songs Of Green Pheasant

Songs Of Green Pheasant is the solo project of Duncan Sumpner, a 30-year-old artist / teacher from Oughtibridge in Sheffield, who initially sent us a album-length CDR of tracks in 2002 (initially recorded at home under the monicker, Kayak).

It was one of those demos that quickly stands out as being highly intriguing and then slowly works itself deeper and deeper under your skin and into your heart, and was something we'd have playing in the office regularly. Yet having tried to get in touch with its author via a dodgy e-mail address atht kept bouncing back, it took us numerous failed attempts and a further two years before we finally managed to track Duncan down. When we finally did so, Duncan was surprised but agreed with our wishes to put the demo out as an album.

Whilst a lazy ear might peg this debut album down as another in an ever-burgeoning line of modern folk releases, in honesty its sphere of reference lies closer to an uneven lineage of singer/songwriters and dreampop imagineers that would include Butterfly Child, Talk Talk / Mark Hollis, Simon and Garfunkel, Flying Saucer Attack, Jewelled Antler Collective, Richard Youngs, and Galaxie 500.

Duncan is currently working together with a friend with the aim of playing these songs live, and will look to have gigs set up soon after release. He is also working on another project with Adam Davenport from Vibracathedral Orchestra.

(Official Biography by Fat Cat)