Afterlands

Born as a way of staving off madness during lockdown and patiently nurtured into one of the most exciting projects either of its architects have turned their hands to, Afterlands is Rick Anthony (The Phantom Band / Rick Redbeard) and David McAulay (Strike the Colours / From Scotland With Love). The pair first met in 2009 during recording sessions at Chem19 studios near Glasgow, where Davey worked as an engineer, before coming to know one another much better years later while both studying for a Masters. Their first collaboration was writing music for Cindy Jansen’s 2021 documentary Prince of Muck. When the pandemic descended in 2020, Rick and Davey started exchanging ideas remotely, and Afterlands began.

We Are the Animals in the Night

Featuring a litany of esteemed guest performers from across the Scottish music scene, Afterlands’ spellbinding debut album We Are Animals In The Night is described by singer and songwriter Rick Anthony as being like “a succession of dreams”. It was written remotely during lockdown, Rick’s idiosyncratic alt-folk songs finding their perfect foil wrapped in Davey McAulay’s lush and lovingly detailed soundscapes. Song sketches were then fleshed out in the studio with a supporting cast including Jill O’Sullivan (Sparrow & The Workshop / Jill Lorean) on vocals and violin, Johnny Scott (Chvrches) and Joe Smillie (Modern Studies) on drums, Jessica Argo (Glasgow Improviser’s Orchestra) on theremin, Pete Harvey (Modern Studies/Andrew Wasylyk) on cello and Kev Brolly (Admiral Fallow) on clarinet. “Like a starry-eyed Emmylou and Gram as produced by Angelo Badalamenti” ★★★★ – Mojo.