John Grant enlisted Midlake as his backing band for his breakthrough 2010 solo album Queen of Denmark. They’ve now reteamed for a new double single that’s out now via Bella Union.
“We loved making Queen of Denmark with John and furthering our love for him musically and personally,” says Midlake’s Eric Pulido. “It’s been so great to see his star continue to rise and as fans and friends we’ve enjoyed opportunities to connect over the years. When we went on hiatus as Midlake in 2015, we launched a collaborative project called BNQT that was meant to partner with folks we admire in song. John was originally slated to be on the first volume but we were unable to connect at the time. When our schedules eventually aligned we got together in Denton to record these tunes, and the reunion was everything we’d hoped for. We decided to forego using the subsequent collaborations we recorded for BNQT and instead launch a series of collaborations with Midlake. This is the first of hopefully many to come, and who better to introduce our musical love affairs than the GMF, John Grant!”
John Grant adds: “Very happy that these songs I did with Midlake are finally seeing the light of day. Eric Pulido asked me a couple of years ago to come to Denton and do a couple of songs for their BNQT project and of course I said yes, because working with Midlake on my first solo album Queen of Denmark was one of the greatest times in my life. We became like brothers during that time. I don’t get to see them often enough. I don’t think I want to live in Texas at this point in my life, but I often think about that time in Denton and the incredible people I know now because of it, and sometimes I am very tempted to go back there just so I can be around them. I had a blast doing these songs with them as I knew I would and I hope we get to do more in the future.”
The Queen of Denmark vibes are strong in “Roadrunner Blues” and “You Don’t Get To,” and you can listen to both below.