MANYHEARTS make their debut today with ‘Sugar’, the first release from a new musical collective bringing together Hywel John and a growing list of collaborators.

John sings and plays bass on the track and co-wrote it with guitarist Irakli Gabriel. Tobias Humble, who has played with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Tricky and Gang of Four, is on drums, with Tycho Shea on slide guitar. Jonny Zoum co-produced and engineered the recording at Funkhaus in Berlin.

‘Sugar’ is about wanting something when you know perfectly well it is bad for you. The lyrics don’t dance around the idea much either. There is heartburn, a belly ache, a sweet tooth and even a piglet and an udder before the song is through. It’s a funny set of images for what is essentially a big, direct rock song. The slide guitar gets plenty of room and the chorus arrives early enough that you know where things are heading.

MANYHEARTS brings together a growing group of musicians, singers and writers, with the project stretching between Wales, London, New York, Berlin, Senegal, New Orleans and Nashville. ‘Sugar’ is only the beginning. It comes from the first of several records planned over the next two years. The first of the planned albums is ‘manyhearts plays The Trick’. ‘manyhearts journey To The Goddess’ and ‘manyhearts and The Lone Man’ are set to follow. The wider group currently includes bassists Will Toll and WERANI, guitarist Clément Nourry, singers Heatherannie Newkirk and the Sisters of the Lower Ninth, poet Zora Tran, and horn players Riley Goodemote and Evan Oberla alongside the musicians heard on ‘Sugar’. There is clearly a lot more coming, but for now ‘Sugar’ is the introduction.

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