17th April sees the return ofLuke James Williams with a new album. Limes Hotel comes with the promise of being an intimate collection of songs rooted in contemporary folk yet unafraid to wander in other directions. Expect a wealth of unexpected textures, tonal shifts, and emotional risk. At the core is by Luke’s unmistakably English vocal and sparse, atmospheric instrumentation.

The album emerged from an intense period of grief following the loss of two close friends and traces questions of mortality, belief, connection, and the quiet work of piecing yourself back together after loss.  Despite its origins in sadness, the record leans towards renewal with what Luke calls “new shoots reaching up towards the sun; the hope and promise of new life rising from the darkness.” He adds: “Grief is universal but it often feels very isolating. I hope this album, whilst having been born out of a very dark time, can give a little light and some comfort to people going through similar experiences.”

Luke joins us for a Why I Love that might have you inspire you to taking another listen to PJ Harvey.

I LOST MY HEART

The rumbling distorted synth bass, the bossa nova-esque groove, the pizzicato strings and the sultry, slightly unhinged vocal; I’ll never forget the first time I heard PJ Harvey. As the figure in the red silk dress danced on the screen in front of me, I knew I was hooked.

Having grown up with the music my parents listened to (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles) my own musical tastes developed very much around the rock and metal scenes of the late 90s and early 2000s but my horizons were expanding. Artists like Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, Björk and Tori Amos were opening up my mind to other genres of music and seeing the superb Maria Mochnacz directed video for Down By The Water, I was primed to lose my heart to the music of an artist that would quickly become one of my favourites of all time.

JOY UNTOLD

I love PJ Harvey because she is an artist, in every sense of the word. Not only is she a phenomenal songwriter and performer, she seeks to constantly break new ground. You never get the impression she is bending to please anyone, she is following her own creative journey and inviting us along for the ride.

With every album she plays with her image, she plays with the way she writes songs, how they are produced and how they are presented. She plays with her live setup and how she reinterprets older songs alongside her latest collection. It’s like with every chapter, the rulebook goes out of the window.

Across 10 studio albums, I would defy anyone not to fall in love with at least one of them. From the raw visceral trio beginnings of Dry and Rid Of Me to the haunting chamber folk of White Chalk, from the stylish indie rock of ‘Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea to the dark and bluesy To Bring You My Love; to this day my favourite of her albums. I don’t pay much attention to awards but the fact she is the only act to have won the Mercury Music Prize on two separate occasions, speaks volumes about her artistry. 

I don’t think I have ever been so consistently captivated by an artist’s output which now extends beyond studio albums into the realms of poetry, plays and soundtracks.

I’D RATHER HAVE DONE IT WITH YOU

It’s not just her incredible solo output but also her knack for consistently collaborating. Her two albums with John Parish contain some of my favourite songs, her vocals are exquisite on Mark Lanegan’s Bubblegum album, she plays a starring role as part of Josh Homme’s Desert Sessions Vol 9 & 10 and her duets with Thom Yorke (This Mess We’re In) and Nick Cave (Henry Lee) are both stunningly beautiful. PJ Harvey is a star that shines with burning creativity whatever and whomever she is involved with.

The sky lit up

I’ve been lucky enough to see PJ Harvey perform live many times over the years, possibly the most memorable being a road trip to Hay On Wye literary festival to see her play a stripped back solo set where she previewed some of the songs which were set to feature on her forthcoming album White Chalk. Strapped for cash, having paid out for the ticket and fuel, I didn’t have anywhere to stay after the gig and so I slept in my car. I didn’t mind though; to be in a small tent with just a few hundred other people watching one of my favourite artists in the world only a few metres away made it one of the most magical gigs I’ve ever witnessed.

THIS IS LOVE

When the needle drops and the bluesy crawl of the opening riff of To Bring You My Love creeps in, I get the same excited feeling I did the first time I heard her music. There are so many reasons why I love PJ Harvey but most of all it is because she inspires me. When I listen to her music it makes me want to make things and push my own creative boundaries.

Here’s Our Blood Is Red from the new album:

Our thanks to Luke and good luck with the album!

You can read more from our extensive archive of Why I Love pieces from a wide array of artists on an even wider array of subjects, here.

Luke James Williams: Website

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