THE STRANGE LIFE OF PERSEPHONE NIMBUS (2022)

Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy - The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus cover

Tracks (click a title for details)

  Media

1.Eternity Incorporated (0:58)
2.Goldmund & Narcissus (4:34)
3.A New Planet (2:55)
4.I Know What I Have To Do (1:16)
5.Galaxy (9:19)
6.Walk On Down The Hall (2:09)
7.Persephone (3:49)
8.The Room (1:04)
9.When Time Has Run Out (3:42) /
10.Jesus Warehouse & Judas Smith (5:08)
11.Radio Supernova (1:06)
12.There Were Times (5:22)
13.Please Alight (0:43)
14.Demitrius Diatribe (4:47) [Bonus Track - Not on LP]
   

» Lyrics «


Credits

Written and produced by Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy
Mixed and Mastered by Simon Polinski
Art by Keith Donald

Additional musicians:
Demetrius Diatribe - Keyboards by Scott Targett. Acoustic guitar by Anthony Von Seck. Bass by Marcin Palider. Drums by Studio Pros.
A New Planet - Strings by Nicolás Ocampo. Bass by Marcin Palider. Drums by Studio Pros.
Goldmund & Narcissus - Additional vocals by Leona Gray. Drums by Studio Pros.
Galaxy - Bass by Steve Kilbey. Flute by Carina Brewer.
There Were Times - Bass by Rowan Smith
Jesus Warehouse & Juda Smith - Bass by Marcin Palider. Flute by Carina Brewer. Drums by Chris Brush.

All songs by Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy
except Persephone also with Patrick Burke and Greg McConville

Releases (rev. Mar. 22, 2023)

Notes

The backstory by Steve Kilbey:

Persephone Nimbus was just an ordinary woman living an ordinary life, with a promising job at Eternity Incorporated.

Until one day she was kidnapped by the Plutocracy.

There she reigned for 6 months of the year, a sad cold queen of the dark webbed world....

But for 6 months of the year she was allowed to ascend to the Overworld with its marvellous technological illusions. And its towers that pierced the very sky....

But on the first day of every autumn she must take the long staircase back down, down into the Plutocracy, with their frozen lakes and above them, a sky of iron.

Foghorn sales blurb:

Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy follow up their acclaimed album Jupiter 13 with the epic The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus, a sprawling Pink Floyd-ish concept album that shimmers with darkly beautiful musical undercurrents, oblique lyrics and spooky spoken word pieces. It is the second chapter of an eventual trilogy.

The album was recorded in Tasmania overlooking the ocean, peaceful and crystal calm one day, dark and stormy the next, a dynamic that inevitably worked its way into the music and lyrics.

Returning to the mixing desk is Simon Polinski (Paul Kelly, The Church, David Bridie, Stephen Cummings, Underground Lovers) who skillfully brings the story of Persephone Nimbus to life.

In 1981 a teenage Martin Kennedy stumbled upon Steve Kilbey and The Church at Tanelorn, an oddball old world meets new world music festival, and fell in love with their look and sound. He recorded their set on a walkman, and the songs helped spark the beginning of his musical career. Just a year before, an equally fresh-faced Steve Kilbey formed The Church in Sydney, the very beginning of their public life as accidental hit makers.

Forty one years later Martin and Steve find themselves working together on their sixth studio album, the epic 'The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus.' As ever with these two, the deal is simple: Martin writes the music and Steve writes the words. No argument, no egos, just a matter of pressing the record button. The results are an effective balancing of Kennedy's haunting and melodic tunes with Kilbey's mysterious, witty and intelligent lyrics, melded together by his heavenly voice. Martin keeps his teenage love of The Church out of the equation in fear of it skewing his songwriting but it's there if you listen closely.

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WHEN TIME HAS RUN OUT (2022)

Kilbey-Kennedy - When Time Has Run Out Cover

When Time Has Run Out (3:42)

Releases

Notes

Foghorn sales blurb:

With echoes of The Wall-era Pink Floyd, 'When Time Has Run Out' is the first single from Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy's new album, 'The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus'. Steve Kilbey of psych rock legends The Church and writer of magical hit 'Under The Milky Way' once again joins forces with Martin Kennedy of atmospheric ambient stalwarts All India Radio for their seventh studio album.

"A sumptuous meeting of Australian soundscaper and the head Churchman...a voice of characterful cool poise and an imaginative lyrical lexicon, Kilbey can make a strong melodic song out of simple elements." — MOJO

The first single from the new KK album begins with powerful guitars, keys and vocal layers before the drums and bass break in. Soaring electric guitars and strings layers drive this mid-tempo tune along while Kilbey's iconic and instantly recognizable vocal. A must add to playlists.