Vamberator - I Used to Be Lou Reed

‘I Used to Be Lou Reed’ - the new single and playful video from former Shelleyan Orphan members Jem Tayle and Boris Williams (The Cure).

‘I Used to Be Lou Reed’ is the second single from the magical funky hybrid that is Vamberator: the newest collaboration between surviving Shelleyan Orphan members, Jemaur Tayle and Boris Williams (The Cure). Premiering with The Spill Magazine earlier today (Friday 20 September), the new single features the first video from the forthcoming Vamberator album, Age of Loneliness (Unifaun Productions) – a playful clip from filmmaker Seb Pecchia, which sees Jem and Boris joined by a cast and crew of family and friends: Inky Crawley, Emer Heavey, Mollie Ruck, Reuben Myles Tyghe, Jo Ruck, Martin Whitbread, and Grace Pecchia. Jem says:

“Was I ever Lou Reed? The grime and the crime living beneath my fingernails? Or was I just a tourist? I know I read Hubert Selby and certainly stood out black among the flowers: my collar turned up, wrap around shades. I even spent time with art on the walls. But was I ever actually Lou Reed?”

Boris adds:

“If he’s not Lou Reed, who is he? And who have I been playing with?”

Since the earliest Shelleyan Orphan recordings, Jem Tayle has been known for his innovative, sophisticated arrangements. Vamberator continues that tradition, while taking things in an entirely new musical direction. ‘I Used to Be Lou Reed’ follows on the heels of widely praised debut single, ‘Sleep the Giant of Sleeps’, and brings together elements of ‘70s soul and funk, ‘80sindie pop, and ‘90s Britpop, subtly interwoven with sweeping synths and electronic components. Jem’s lavish string arrangements are brought to life by Italy’s Archimia String Quartet; with horns
bursting down through the inside from Joe Northwood (tenor sax), Pete Johnson
(trombone), and Joe Bentley (trumpet); embellished by the joyous backing vocals of Jo Nye. At the centre of it all, Jem Tayle in the role of bandleader and multi-instrumentalist performs vocals, guitars, bass, and synths; driven along and tethered together by Boris Williams’ sturdy but elegantly understated drums and percussion.

Jem recently described his and Boris’s transition from Shelleyan Orphan to Vamberator, since the passing of longtime bandmate Caroline Crawley in 2016.

“After Caroline’s passing, I had been offered the chance to make a solo album. I had been writing on and off without a focus and not having someone to bounce off was new to me. Boris is family, and we have played together with Shelleyan Orphan live and in the studio on and off for years, so it felt very natural for us to work on this together. I am extremely fortunate to have a drummer of his calibre pounding out the rhythms on this album”

Elsewhere on the upcoming Age of Loneliness album, as with the ‘Sleep the Giant of Sleeps’ single, Vamberator are also joined by bassist and fellow Shelleyan Orphan collaborator, Charlie Jones (also of Goldfrapp and The Cult, and previously Siouxsie Sioux, Robert Plant, et al).

‘I Used to Be Lou Reed’ from Vamberator is available now for download from Bandcamp, and streaming from Spotify and all the usual digital music outlets.