The Wedding Present debuts ‘You’re Just a Habit That I’m Trying to Break’ off lockdown LP

The Wedding Present’s David Gedge

The Wedding Present will release a new album later this month called Locked Down and Stripped Back that’s exactly what the title advertises: stripped-down versions of the band’s songs, plus a couple unreleased numbers, recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The indie vets today premiere the sole new composition on the 12-track album: “You’re Just a Habit That I’m Trying to Break,” a song bandleader David Gedge co-wrote with new guitarist Jon Stewart.

You can stream it right here:

The Locked Down and Stripped Back album is due out Feb. 19 via the Scopitones label in the U.K. and Europe and on HHBTM Records in North America. It features a dozen songs recorded with each band member playing their parts at home due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Gedge says of the project:

“As the summer of 2020 wore on it became increasingly obvious that ‘At The Edge of The Sea’ — my annual festival in Brighton — was sadly going the way of other live music events. Following its cancellation, I decided to replace it with an ‘online’ version, presented live from my own living room and featuring home-recorded videos from many of the artists that had appeared at the festival over the years. For The Wedding Present’s contribution, we picked 12 tracks to re-work in a ‘semi-acoustic’ style, and it was fascinating to see how stripped-back arrangements brought out different aspects of the songs. The Seamonsters track ‘Blonde’ was a prime example of this, with a ‘just-two-guitars’ approach resulting in a naïve and moving interpretation.”

In addition to the new song “You’re Just a Habit that I’m Trying to Break,” the album features a cover of the unreleased “We Should Be Together” by Briptop act Sleeper, featuring a guest appearance by that band’s frontwoman Louise Wener.

Here’s the full tracklist:

The Wedding Present, Locked Down and Stripped Back

1. “A Million Miles”
2. “California”
3. “Starry Eyed”
4. “We Should Be Together”
5. “You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends”
6. “Granadaland”
7. “You’re Just A Habit That I’m Trying To Break”
8. “Crawl”
9. “Sports Car”
10. “Deer Caught In the Headlights”
11. “Blonde”
12. “My Favourite Dress”

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

• Listen: The Wedding Present, ‘Shatner’ — off Steve Albini re-recording of ‘George Best’
• Watch: The Wedding Present spotlights ‘Going, Going…’ in 30-minute set for KEXP
• The Wedding Present re-record ‘George Best’ with Steve Albini, prep Record Store Day EP
• The Wedding Present to reissue first decade’s output in hugely expanded 3CD/1DVD sets
• Video: The Wedding Present at SXSW — full KEXP set at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop

Editor’s note: The title of the song “You’re Just A Habit That I’m Trying To Break” has been corrected.