Richard Walters has released his new single ‘The Man I Loved’.
Recorded live to tape at Middle Farm Studios by Patrick J. Pearson, the track is taken from Richard’s forthcoming EP.
Lyrically, the song deals with sudden loss as Richard explains: “I lost a dear friend around 18 months back, someone who was a very vital and binding presence in my friendship group. I’ve found myself constantly thinking about him this last year, going through every emotion in regards to his passing. This song is the summing up of all those thoughts and dreams about him, the changes in a world without him. It’s a celebration and an admission, I guess, a final word on what he meant to me and my life.”
To celebrate the poignant release, we caught up with Richard to discover 5 tracks that influenced ‘The Man I Loved’.
Mark Hollis – The Colour of Spring | Listen via Spotify
I adore the Mark Hollis solo record, it’s so brave in its starkness. The silence and spaces play such a huge part on this track, it’s something I’ve tried to appreciate – the pauses and breaks, keeping things open.
Ride – Vapour Trail | Listen via Spotify
Although not an obvious influence in terms of sound, this is a big hit of nostalgia for me and a big part of the story of the song, the lyrics are actually half-quoted in the second verse. ‘The Man I Loved’ is a song about the loss of a friend, and ‘Vapour Trail’ was our big 3am, pissed up, arms around each other roar along. And then it was the song played at his funeral, so it’s got these two very strong moments and meanings in my head and heart.
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky | Listen via Spotify
I love Wilco, but I didn’t grab onto this album when it came out…it’s one that I’ve grown to love since. The title track is very bare, the vocal is so upfront, and it’s incredibly economical in terms of arrangement and instrumentation. That’s something we really wanted to get with ‘The Man I Loved’, to not dress things too much, to just let the song do the heavy lifting.
Bruce Springsteen – Atlantic City | Listen via Spotify
Perhaps controversially, ‘Nebraska’ by The Boss is my favourite of his records by a very very long way…I’m a sucker for anything that feels in the moment and a little homemade. This track is absolutely heartbreaking, so restrained in the production and yet it soars. Lo-fi Bruce forever.
Palace Music – You Will Miss Me When I Burn | Listen via Spotify
Further into the lo-fi depths, everything Will Oldham does is essential for me. I loved the Palace Music records, again it’s the rawness and spontaneity of the recordings that gets to me – there’s nowhere to hide, everything is upfront and stripped. I wish I was brave enough to release something this simple and fragile, maybe one day…
You can stream Richard Walters’ emotional new single ‘The Man I Loved’ via Spotify below: