Fresh back from a six-month gigging and song-writing tour of Europe and America, stopping off in Detroit, Dallas, Austin, London, Oslo, Sicily and Ireland en route, musician Martin McNeil is back on Mediterranean turf with a whole new set of gigs and a brand new single.
The single, Save A Little Prayer, was launched a couple of weeks ago online and features female vocals by Hanna Wernersson.
The two met while McNeil was recently performing in Norway, after producer Mark Axiak introduced them.
“Save A Little Prayer was one of those rare moments where a song writes itself. The idea was immediate; I didn’t mess about overwriting it. When I heard Hanna on a song she’d recently recorded, I liked her voice immediately and decided to record with her straight away. Actually, we barely had coffee together before working together... you can say that it was really organic,” McNeil said.
So will Wernersson’s voice become a regular feature in McNeil’s music? McNeil mentions a great likelihood that the two may be collaborating once again in the near future.
However, this will not be happening in time for June’s Earth Garden event, when the singer will be performing twice, once in the arena and unplugged at the chillout area. During the festival, McNeil will be unveiling new music collaborators – or Dissidents, as he calls them in reference to his music collaborative Martin Mc Neil & the Dissidents – for the weekend.
About his three-month stay in the US, McNeil describes the experience as highly positive, with audiences reacting very favourably to his music.
“In Detroit, it was great just to be in a place where so many great talents came from. Of course, times change and some places seem to get left behind... there is no question that Detroit is not the city it once was. Texas, on the other hand, felt different, Austin in particular. It is a music city through and through, with fantastic heritage, food and weather and big open spaces.
“Everywhere I played was a pleasure, and the fact Americans seemed to totally enjoy my music was thrilling.”
Martin McNeil will be performing together with Charlie Rackstraw and Alex Alden on Saturday at Coach & Horses, Birkirkara.