Sister Ray Davies - Holy Island Baby Sister Ray Davies

Alabama duo Sister Ray Davies follow their debut album Holy Island with an EP of alternative versions and reworkings, which is released on April 17, ahead of their first ever UK tour, which includes dates with shoegaze legends Chapterhouse. The EP features two remixes by Pye Corner Audio, who has made new shapes out of ‘Aidan’ and ‘Morning Bell’; the former with a harder, Suicide-style approach, the latter expanding on the almost ambient nature of the original and elevating it. “This version of ‘Aidan’ found new space, new depths, new melodies and new rhythms,” enthuses singer/guitarist Adam Morrow. “While the mix of ‘Morning Bell’ carries the song into a whole new, mythic place. “I think the EP adds extra layers of depth to the original album. We’re aware that it’s a short record, so having some additional tracks to dive into feels like a way to extend your stay in that space as a listener. There is more waiting down the rabbit hole. Genre collapses a bit, too, which is great.” There’s a Boards Of Canada-style version of ‘Nave’ by Malaphors – aka Chris Tomsett who, in his Innerstrings guise, spent a couple days wandering around Holy Island filming the stunning trilogy of videos that accompanied the album. The band themselves rework the remaining two tracks. The Portside Dub of ‘Iona’ came from them “sending stems to various effects boxes” and capturing the results, while the Guitar Armada version of ‘Big Ships’ takes a similarly fun approach, with the band inviting nine acoustic guitar players into the old Muscle Shoals Sound Studio B and recording live to tape.

“We tried to include as many friends as we possibly could and capture the wall of sound in real time, versus building it up with the studio,” explains Adam. “Music is fun, and it feels good to turn the studio into a big tent and invite people in.” The duo have been surprised to have been similarly welcomed into many people’s record collections. “We really didn't imagine that our record made in a little corner of Alabama would have the reach that it's had or find the crowd that seems to have really gotten it,” concludes Adam. “Finding that community is really wonderful.”