Beth Porter releases a new single ‘When The Lights Are Bright’.

Released under the Marshes pseudonym, the track from the Bookshop Band vocalist and cellist is available via Bandcamp.

Ben Please, the other half of The Bookshop Band, makes a guest appearance on the Marshes release, which is their first new material since ‘Live in American Bookshops‘, a limited edition vinyl LP consisting of recordings made in 2019 on their debut tour of the US.

That visit took in 24 venues in 21 days including bookshops and libraries in New Jersey, New York, Colorado and New Mexico where the band played songs inspired by contemporary writing and classics from the UK and North America.

Of the single, Porter said: “The Marshes project was very close to my heart, and I’m really looking forward to the single and the video being out there.

“We wanted to create something that explored the forces and pressures that performers feel and the struggle to reconcile the different sides of your character – the part that loves being at home in the countryside and the part that craves the high-octane life of rushing from city to city and climbing on stage at dozens of different venues.

Produced by Bristol guitarist Luke Cawthra, the single features other musicians from Porter’s home in the south west of England before relocating to Wigtown, including long term collaborators Jools Scott, Sue Lord, Pete Gibbs and Paul MacMahon.

Porter has previously recorded with a range of musicians, including The Proclaimers, Maximo Park, Petula Clark, Eliza Carthy, Newton Faulkner, Mel C and The Heavy.

As well as The Bookshop Band, she collaborated with Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Kris Drever, Rachel Newton, Seckou Keita and Jim Molyneux on a project inspired by ‘The Lost Words’ by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. She is also currently working on a project with Aardman Animation.

More at www.facebook.com/marshesbethporter / www.marshesmusic.com.