Space Summit have officially premiered their new single titled ‘Queen Elizabeth’s Keys’ a day ahead of its official release. Fresh off of the upcoming album ‘Life This Way’, ‘Queen Elizabeth’s Keys’ takes a more classic pop style than the previous single ‘I’m Electric‘ and the title track yet retains that sound that Marty Willson-Piper and Jed Bonniwell have claimed as their own. This track, combined with the other tracks I’ve heard, now really make me want to listen to this album from start to finish and in the order the songs are in. This is partly because this is an album made by fans of albums. Partly because this is a project steeped in musical history and diversity. Partly because Marty and Jed are just really talented. Combine that talent and you have Space Summit.
‘Queen Elizabeth’s Keys’ takes the talents of Marty and Jed and layers them effortlessly and creatively with sparsity in parts and pure stereo magic in others. The interweaving of the different instruments remind of later-career Beatles and those vintage albums filled with singles. Its hard for me to say yet if this song stands out amongst the lot. Right now it does, to me, because its new. But then I place it next to ‘I’m Electric’ and ‘Life This Way’ and they all fit together. Each with their own personality. Each with something to say.
‘Life This Way’, releases September 10th.
Check out our other features with Space Summit HERE.
Check out our other features with Marty Willson-Piper HERE.
About ‘Queen Elizabeth’s Keys’
With its proud trumpets and shimmering guitars, Queen Elizabeth’s Keys could be the languorous child of Penny Lane and Waterloo Sunset. With a nod to both the swinging 60s and the British monarchy, Queen Elizabeth’s Keys is also a love letter to the secret and famous places of London. While the title takes its inspiration from a ritual held every evening at the Tower of London, the lyrical vehicle for this admiration is an arm’s-length admirer of the queen, sitting in reverie, imaging meeting up with her Majesty at all his favorite London haunts, culminating with a drink at her Royal Windsor Castle residence.
About ‘Life This Way’ (Album)
Space Summit is a collaboration between the ubiquitous Marty Willson-Piper (ex-the church) and Minneapolitan Jed Bonniwell. Writing the music together, Marty handles the luminescent electric guitars and the bass whilst Jed is in charge of lead vocal duties and lyrics. The album is produced by Marty and producer/engineer Dare Mason who also plays keyboards. Phoebe Tsen sings harmony vocals, Olivia Willson-Piper plays the strings and Eddie John the drums. All the usual suspects from recent Noctorum and MOAT projects make an appearance, with the exception of Phoebe who lives in Borneo, yes, really!
Space Summit’s music was conceived in cyberspace – and was recorded in America, Borneo, Sweden and the UK. The music created on Space Summit’s debut album by Jed and Marty is simultaneously modern and classic dreampop –the subtle shading of dark and light with layered, sonic textures on every track. This album is one of the fascinating results of Marty’s Sessioneer Series, where he works with discovered collaborators from around the globe on new musical ideas.
Space Summit started as discussions around music and guitar technique in 2013 and eventually flourished into songwriting and musical collaboration. Marty would provide some musical sketches, chords or riffs – Jed would then add lyrics and additional musical ideas, and each song would continue to evolve back and forth until a complete demo had been created – finally taking the songs into the studio to record them with other musicians. With touring coming to a halt in 2020, the lockdown provided the time needed to bring this album to completion.
LINKS:
https://spacesummitband.com
https://www.facebook.com/spacesummit
https://www.instagram.com/spacesummitband
