Only Skin [CD]

Evans McRae is the new venture of seasoned songwriters Lowri Evans and Tom McRae. Both successful solo artists, this new collaboration sees them join forces (and voices) on a stunning suite of songs. Having met on a songwriters retreat organised by McRaes friend and fellow Mercury Prize nominee, Kathryn Williams, the two found they shared a love of crafted but emotionally powerful songs. After many trips between Pembrokeshire and McRaes West Country home, the pair realised they werent writing songs for other artists, theyd actually written an album for themselves. Lowri and her partner (multi-instrumentalist Lee Mason) decamped to Studio Owz, a beautiful converted chapel deep in the Pembrokeshire countryside, and together with McRae and his long-serving band, recorded the album in the pre-pandemic summer of 2019. A permanent feature on Welsh radio, and favourite of Bob Harris and Janice Long, Lowri has built a large and loyal audience for her brand of beautiful songwriting. Mercury and Brit Award nominee, Tom has proved an enduring talent over his 8 solo albums. His touring success in Europe and use of his songs on film and tv continues to broaden his fan base outside of the UK. Says McRae: We sat down and wrote with no agenda. Some songs are heartbroken ballads, some big cinematic soundscapes, and some are good old pop songs. Weve both been doing this a long time. When you put aside egos and selfish ambition, you realise that the only thing that matters is the quality of the songs. In the end they told us what to do. 1 Say What You Mean 2 Only Skin 3 Careful 4 High and Lonesome 5 Love's a Loaded Gun 6 Sleep with One Eye Open 7 Hold On 8 Merry Christmas My Darling (Drink up) 9 Stays the Same 10 Eddie 11 Just Falls Apart

• Format Detail: CD
• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock