Acclaimed producer, musician, songwriter, and author Mark Rae, unveils its latest single, ‘The Seaburn Batlads’, another offering from the upcoming New Town Ghosts. Set for release on April 11th, the multimedia project is an intricate and thought provoking project that displays the seemingly boundless creativity Mark possesses.
A unique fusion of music and storytelling through both the upcoming album and novel, New Town Ghosts crafts an immersive experience that delves into themes of childhood friendship, supernatural encounters, and the mysteries of growing up. Mark Rae recalls a harrowing childhood incident that inspired the new single ‘The Seaburn Batlads’: “At 10, my friends and I were stealing golf balls when we passed a tent on a country road. Suddenly, its occupants emerged, swinging a hammer and chasing us. They caught one of my friends, parading him with the hammer near his head until we surrendered. Taken back to their tent near an old slag heap, we met a witch-like girl with piercing blue eyes. She told eerie tales of trapped miners and ghosts rising from the earth. Terrified, I punched the boy captor, and in the chaos, we escaped. They chased after us playing a trumpet and waving a hammer.
This 1976 encounter sparked ideas that shaped both the song and my novel. The boys just want a skateboard, but now they face The Seaburn Batlads—a gang led by Lenny, who plays his trumpet in the suffocating heat, summoning ghosts from the cracked ground. As tensions rise, a rival gang emerges: The Conker Boys, setting the stage for what’s to come.”
Recorded across London, Tunbridge Wells, Manchester, and Liverpool, New Town Ghosts features a staggering lineup of over 40 world-class musicians. Mixed by Erik Miles (Kate Nash, Soft Play) at The Forum, Tunbridge Wells, the album boasts a rich sonic palette of strings, horns, live instrumentation, and choral arrangements, including Steve Wood’s VoxPop choir.
With an illustrious career spanning decades, Rae has produced and remixed for over 100 artists, including Dinah Washington, Jay-Z, Texas, The Jungle Brothers, The Pharcyde, and M People. As one half of Rae & Christian, he has released three celebrated albums, including Northern Sulphuric Soul, collaborating with legends like Bobby Womack, Foster The People, and Jazzy Jeff. His influence on the UK’s electronic, soul, and hip-hop scenes is undeniable, with over 50 million streams, multiple platinum records, and placements in hit TV shows like Sex and the City and Six Feet Under.
With the new album on the horizon, Mark Rae continues to push boundaries and strive for new horizons.
Listen to the new single below:
