“Harper has so much musicianship in him that it just leaks out all over the place.”
— The Times
Earth Day Blue
Recorded in Abbey Road Studio 2 on Earth Day 2024, September sees the release of Nick's 14th studio album, 'Earth Day Blue'. Produced by John Leckie and mixed by Tchad Blake. ‘Earth Day Blue' is what John wanted to create: the essence of an NH gig captured in a studio environment.
Nick and John had first ‘worked’ together when Nick, aged 8, recorded his first ever songs whilst Nick’s father Roy was recording his own seminal work 'Lifemask'.
Pic of Roy and Nick by Colin Curwood In Abbey Road Studio 2 in 1973. At the other end of that microphone is .. John Leckie.
“If anything Nick Harper is the closest thing we've got to Lewis Carroll. His songs are the musical equivalent of Carroll's Looking Glass, peer through and you find a fantastical, magical world. Not always sugar sweet but forever different.”
— Maverick
Harpic pictured earlier today. photo: Lily Harper
As 2020 got about its reckless mischief and with a year of gigs postponed, Nick retreated to the studio. The resulting album couldn't have been more of a great escape in every way. Phantastes is an ethereal dream realm of an album that explores the parallels of the seminal fantasy novel of the same name by George MacDonald and the beginnings of Nick's own love story from 1982. Totally divorced from 2020 in time and space, the album has been enthusiastically received by fans seeking a temporary refuge from the here and now.
Continuing his recent predilection for the spoken word, Nick cemented the bond between his music and the aforementioned book by recording an audiobook of Phantastes, with musical interpretations of George MacDonald's poems and songs contained therein.
“Betjemen with a guitar”
— Guitarist Magazine
The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh Fringe 2018 photo: Simon Foster
Nick's other recent work has seen him appear in the studio alongside Lana Del Rey playing on her cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Chelsea Hotel no 2', as well as featuring on recordings by Newton Faulkner, Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris, The Levellers and more recently with composer Marius de Vries (La-La Land) on the Apple film ‘Coda’
After 11 studio albums, 3 live CDs, 2 EPs (including Instrumental, a stunning display of his guitar talents) and a rockumentary style DVD 'Love is Music'. Nick's work is still as fresh and vital as that of his first solo release in 1994 but as evidenced by his highly personal 2020 album Phantastes, he still has time to sing about the most important things in his world - family, friends, love and life.
“My musical discovery of 2016!” - Tom Robinson
— BBC6 Music
With Roy: Cambridge Folk Fest 1968