Isobel Campbell Sunday At Devil Dirt Vinyl

Cooking Vinyl are set to release the long-awaited vinyl reissues of ‘Sunday At Devil Dirt’ and ‘Hawk,’ the celebrated second and third collaborative Americana-noir studio albums recorded by Isobel Campbell and the late Mark Lanegan who passed away in 2022. Revered as a modern-day Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, their contrasting vocal dynamic redefined indie-folk melancholy. Remastered and revitalised, both albums will be available on 180g black vinyl, CD and digitally. Two artists with very different musical backgrounds, Campbell initially made her name as founding member, cellist, and vocalist for Glaswegian indie collective Belle & Sebastian, before releasing two albums of dream-pop/indie folk as The Gentle Waves in the late nineties, and her debut solo, the acclaimed ‘Amorino,’ in 2003. Lanegan was the polar opposite. A central figure in the late-1980s and 1990s Seattle grunge scene and a close friend to Kurt Cobain, he was the singer with grunge band The Screaming Trees until they disbanded in 2000. One of the greatest singers of his generation, he recorded a number of solo albums while still in the band and was also the occasional frontman of Queens Of The Stoneage. Carving out a strong individual identity as a vocalist and songwriter, Lanegan's music was nearly always informed by the blues, and the singer was willing to take his darkly poetic sensibility to whatever style his muse pointed him.Originally released in 2008, ‘Sunday at Devil Dirt’ followed the pairs’ critically acclaimed, Mercury Prize-nominated debut album ‘Ballad of the Broken Seas,’ released two years previous – Campbell's whisper-soft vocals and intricate songwriting combined with Lanegan's nicotine-ravaged growl, proving to be a successful formula once again.The album was recorded between studios in the Catskills and Campbell’s native Glasgow. An album of dust bitten ballads and troubled wanderings, ‘Sunday at Devil Dirt’ blends slow, dark folk, lowdown country blues, and Tom Waits-style grit, with a sultry jazz feel. Pitchfork said, “He's got the voice, she's got the songs, and together they take us back to the late 60s.” Highlights include the provocative ‘Come On Over (Turn Me On)’ and the deeply haunting ‘Who Built the Road?’ showcasing the partnership at its peak.The pair reunited again for 2010’s ‘Hawk,’ the third and final album recorded by the duo. Featuring a number of guest musicians, including folk singer Willy Mason, bassist Bill Wells and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, Lanegan’s husky growl and the soft, gentle beauty of Campbell proved to be the perfect match once more. Brimming with sparkling guitars and lavish piano lines, the album is arguably their most focused and diverse, blending their signature dark Americana and country-noir sound with deep soul and garage-rock.Recorded in America, Denmark and Scotland, the album highlighted Campbell’s growing confidence as a producer and arranger. "With this record, I wanted to stretch the canvas further," said Campbell. "Mark and I have built a true shorthand together over the years, which gave us the freedom to push into heavier grooves, raw blues, and sweeping orchestral textures while keeping the core intimacy intact.” The songs are fuller and more ambitious with highlights including the sinister waltz ‘Come Undone’ and the energetic ‘Get Behind Me.’ The album also includes haunting interpretations of Townes Van Zandt tracks like ‘Snake Song’ and ‘No Place to Fall.’Almost five years after his death, Lanegan’s influence continues to run wide. Echoes of his style seep into indie ballads, Americana, and the darker corners of alternative rock. Two decades on from their original release, both Campbell and Lanegan remain the trailblazers for bittersweet, dusty ballads.