Steve Hackett has announced a new album.
‘Under A Mediterranean Sky’ marks his first acoustic solo record since 2008’s ‘Tribute’ and follows up his 2019 studio LP ‘At The Edge Of Light’.
It will arrive via InsideOut Music on January 22 and was inspired by his travels around the Mediterranean with his wife Jo, who he also co-wrote some of the material with alongside his longterm musical collaborator Roger King.
The former Genesis guitarist said:
“A lot of acoustic ideas had been forming over the years, and it felt like the perfect time to create this album, a time to contemplate the places we’ve visited around the Mediterranean with the kind of music which evolved from the world of imagination.
“Because we can’t really travel, substantially at the moment, I hope that the album will take people on that journey. Whether you sit down and listen to it or drift off to it with a glass of wine…”
The album features Steve Hackett playing nylon, steel string and twelve string guitars, charango and Iraqi oud, while keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements were handled by King.
There were also musical contributions from John Hackett, Rob Townsend and Christine Townsend, with King recording and mixing all tracks and Steve taking care of production.
The latter continued:
“I had a great time doing this album, seeing it take shape, and I’m very pleased with the outcome. I’m very proud of it. The nylon guitar has a very individual sound but, within the compass of what the nylon-strung guitar can do, there are a lot of different tones.
You can do the full-on attack, the kind of salvo that you expect from the flamenco players but, at the same time, it can also be very gentle, gentle as a harp. It’s shades of black and white. It’s also exciting to play alongside instruments from around the world, as well as a wide range of orchestral sounds.”
Steve Hackett has rescheduled his Genesis Revisited Seconds Out + More! Tour to autumn 2021 due to COVID-19. He will play Genesis’ 1977 live LP, ‘Seconds Out’, and more at venues across the UK.
‘Under A Mediterranean Sky’ tracklist:
Mdina – The Walled City (Steve Hackett / Roger King)
Adriatic Blue (Steve Hackett)
Sirocco (Steve Hackett / Jo Hackett / Roger King)
Joie de Vivre (Steve Hackett / Jo Hackett)
The Memory of Myth (Steve Hackett / Jo Hackett / Roger King)
Scarlatti Sonata (Domenico Scarlatti)
Casa del Fauno (Steve Hackett / Roger King)
The Dervish and the Djin (Steve Hackett / Jo Hackett / Roger King)
Lorato (Steve Hackett)
Andalusian Heart (Steve Hackett / Jo Hackett / Roger King)
The Call of the Sea (Steve Hackett)
Steve Hackett Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Fri September 10 2021 – LEICESTER De Montfort Hall
Sat September 11 2021 – LIVERPOOL Philharmonic
Sun September 12 2021 – STOKE Victoria Hall
Tue September 14 2021 – BIRMINGHAM Symphony Hall
Wed September 15 2021 – CAMBRIDGE Corn Exchange
Fri September 17 2021 – CARDIFF St Davids Hall
Sat September 18 2021 – BASINGSTOKE Anvil
Mon September 20 2021 – LONDON Palladium
Tue September 21 2021 – LONDON Palladium
Wed September 22 2021 – LONDON Palladium
Fri September 24 2021 – MANCHESTER O2 Apollo
Sat September 25 2021 – EDINBURGH Playhouse
Mon September 27 2021 – GLASGOW Royal Concert Hall
Tue September 28 2021 – DUNDEE Caird Hall
Thu September 30 2021 – SCUNTHORPE Baths Hall
Fri October 01 2021 – BRADFORD St Georges Hall
Sat October 02 2021 – NOTTINGHAM Royal Concert Hall
Mon October 04 2021 – CROYDON Fairfield Hall
Tue October 05 2021 – GUILDFORD G Live
Thu October 07 2021 – BRIGHTON Dome
Fri October 08 2021 – POOLE Lighthouse
Sat October 09 2021 – BEXHILL ON SEA De La Warr Pavilion
Mon October 11 2021 – SOUTHAMPTON Mayflower Theatre
Tue October 12 2021 – PLYMOUTH Pavilions
Thu October 14 2021 – CARLISLE Sands Centre
Fri October 15 2021 – STOCKTON Stockton Globe
Sat October 16 2021 – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 City Hall
Mon October 18 2021 – AYLESBURY Waterside Theatre
Tue October 19 2021 – OXFORD New Theatre
Thu October 21 2021 – PETERBOROUGH Cresset
Fri October 22 2021 – HARROGATE Royal Hall