Telefís, the duo of producer Garret "Jacknife" Lee and late Microdisney/Fatima Mansions singer/lyricist Cathal Coughlan, have teamed up with Echo and The Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant for their new song, The Age Of Cling.
It's a the latest in a series of new songs and videos from the duo, who released their acclaimed debut album last March, and marks the final music recorded by former Microdisney and Fatima Mansion frontman Cathal, who sadly passed away in May.
The Age Of Cling is the second single from their upcoming album a Dó, which was finished several months before the sad passing of Cathal last May.
"Sing sing, whistle and grin. All hail the age of cling . . . " This is one of my favorite Telefís songs," says Jacknife Lee.
"I sent Cathal an odd backing track of me playing steel drums, a beat through an echoplex and some Liquid Liquid style bass playing. He came back with this hymn. It's funny, sad and loaded. It’s Telefís pop music.
"I live in Topanga Canyon. You don’t usually get strangers knocking on the door but one day I did. It was a man with a Liverpudlian accent saying he heard I had guitar amps and could he borrow one. I knew who it was straight away.
"It’s unusual to have one of your musical heroes knock on your door, but there he was - Will Sergeant! Will f***ing Sergeant! He was recording a soundtrack down the street with a mutual friend and needed some gear. Lucky for Telefís!
"Never one to miss an opportunity I asked him if he’d mind playing on a couple of our songs. After a few listens he just gave us the hook in the chorus. It’s so clear and simple and brilliant. Will is easily one of my favorite musicians. He’s such a unique player with an incredible tone.
"The hooks he comes up with are iconic and eternal. The post-punk era produced some of the most inventive players we have had - Will Sergeant, John McGeoch, The Edge, Andy Gill. They are still showing us how to surprise."
Will Sergeant adds, "Had a blast with Telefís high in the California mountains. I jammed while Jacknife Lee diverted my guitar sound through a myriad of effects and treatments. Right up my alley, sonic experiments on the fly."
The Age Of Cling will be available on all digital platforms this Friday August 26th via Dimple Discs. a Dó is released on 7 October.
