After a career spanning five years, 2 studio albums, one EP, a number of singles and videos, plus live shows and festivals in both Europe and America, including a full US run guesting with Ghost, the acclaimed, award-winning, ever-flamboyant UK outfit have decided to call a halt to proceedings.
Says singer/guitarist Rosalie Cunningham, the creative force behind the project, providing the songs and the vision, and playing most of the instruments in the studio…
“The past five years have been an unforgettable whirlwind, for which I have to thank our wonderful fans around the world, the band and all the people who have contributed to Purson’s success over the years. Their support has been overwhelming, but the Purson framework has gone as far as it could go, and now it’s simply time to move on. I feel strongly drawn to a more DIY approach to my career in music, and look forward to the freedom to explore many avenues as a solo artist.”
As a way of going out with a (glam rock) bang, Spinefarm Records have today issued a farewell Purson single. Titled ‘Chocolate Money’ and produced & mixed by Cunningham and John Mitchell (Steven Wilson, It Bites, etc.), the song features guest contributions from Jon Seagroatt (Comus) on saxophone and Vodun front-woman Chantelle Brown on backing vocals; featuring wickedly tongue in cheek lyrics taking in “cocoa casanova”, “raison d’etre cake” and more, it joyfully celebrates an era when bands like Slade & Wizard ruled the charts, Top Of The Pops was essential viewing and vinyl was king…
‘Chocolate Money’ is a snapshot of the ostentatious decadence of the ’70s. The mythical rock star character with his double-entendre and self-centred hedonism. The industry has become a very different world since then, which is something I will expand on lyrically with my next album. It has inspired my desire to go back to basics and remember what music is supposed to be about.”
Listen to ‘Chocolate Money’ below.
‘Chocolate Money’ is a new recording and does not feature on the most recent Purson album,‘Desire’s Magic Theatre’, released via Spinefarm Records in 2016. ‘D.M.T’ – inspired by the rock operas of the late sixties and early seventies – was issued to considerable acclaim from fans and critics alike, spawning the ‘Electric Landlady’ and ‘The Window Cleaner’ singles / videos, and touching on a variety of realms, including folk, prog, psychedelic, gothic & classic rock.
Cunningham described the album as: “A technicolour variety show, a playful display of the musical whims only briefly hinted at in our previous work; a psychedelic rock opera dedicated to our good friends Sarge Pepper and Zig Stardust.”
Oran O’Beirne
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