{"product_id":"arborist-looking-for-love","title":"ARBORIST - Looking For Love","description":"\u003cp\u003eLove or its absence dominates the intimate songs on the new album from \u003cstrong\u003eARBORIST\u003c\/strong\u003e – the musical outlet of \u003cstrong\u003eMark McCambridge\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cem\u003eLooking For Love\u003c\/em\u003e, Arborist’s fourth album of exquisitely inventive Americana, places us firmly in his hometown of Belfast, allowing it to act as a microcosm of the wider-world, with all its foibles and charms. We find fictional protagonists scouring the dark corners of the city, wiling-away afternoons in strip clubs, wandering the streets in all weather and reflecting on the harsh reality of modern society, all in search of an elusive love – emphasising our need for it now more than ever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLooking for Love\u003c\/em\u003e is ARBORIST’s first album to be self-produced by McCambridge, largely from his home studio in Belfast – and at times it feels like we are in the room with him. It’s a different kind of record for him as previously he has always sought collaboration; whether it be with \u003cstrong\u003eKim Deal\u003c\/strong\u003e who chose to sing intertwined harmony on his debut single \u003cem\u003e“Twisted Arrow”\u003c\/em\u003e, or recording in The Curfew Tower owned by \u003cstrong\u003eThe KLF\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cstrong\u003eBill Drummond\u003c\/strong\u003e who described Mark’s songwriting as being “riven with more loss than any record since \u003cstrong\u003eLeonard Cohen\u003c\/strong\u003e quit this world”, and who \u003cstrong\u003eMatthew E White\u003c\/strong\u003e and his \u003cstrong\u003eSpacebomb\u003c\/strong\u003e band collaborated with to such astonishing effect on the previous Arborist LP, 2023’s \u003cem\u003eAn Endless Sequence of Dead Zeros\u003c\/em\u003e, winner of the prestigious Northern Ireland Music Prize. This time, with no outside producer steering the way, McCambridge found that the quiet hours were where he felt most at ease, despite periods of trial and error, and, by his own admission, moments of feeling genuinely lost in it all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite playing many of the parts himself, McCambridge still called upon old friends from the community around him; Spacebomb’s resident bassist \u003cstrong\u003eCameron Ralston\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003eBonnie Light Horseman\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eHiss Golden Messenger\u003c\/strong\u003e) again features throughout the record, alongside \u003cstrong\u003eEamon Ferris\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003eThe Waterboys\u003c\/strong\u003e) on drums, with the great and the good from Belfast’s vibrant music scene. \u003cstrong\u003eGrainne Meyer\u003c\/strong\u003e plays concert harp and \u003cstrong\u003eAga Olek\u003c\/strong\u003e plays violin for the quasi-title track \u003cem\u003e“Looking 4 Love”\u003c\/em\u003e – an off-kilter love-letter to Belfast. \u003cstrong\u003eMeilana Gillard\u003c\/strong\u003e provides a sleazy saxophone on \u003cem\u003e“Bye Bye Johnny Cash”\u003c\/em\u003e – a seedy tale of a man obsessively visiting a dancer in a club, and \u003cstrong\u003eThe Larne Community Youth Choir\u003c\/strong\u003e provide backing vocals for \u003cem\u003e“Go Kill The Fatted Calf”\u003c\/em\u003e – a song Mark wrote about his son growing up, a take on the parable of the prodigal son, with \u003cstrong\u003eJonny Ashe\u003c\/strong\u003e’s blistering guitar solo adding an album highlight. \u003cstrong\u003eThe Errigal Ensemble String Quartet\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eAisling Agnew\u003c\/strong\u003e’s breathtaking flute solo feature on \u003cem\u003e“What Is It You’re Asking”\u003c\/em\u003e – a song about love, or its absence, both personally and universally in these times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMcCambridge was recently honoured with a “Fellowship” by the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University Belfast where he collaborated with such illustrious names from the literary world as \u003cstrong\u003eNick Laird\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eCaoilinn Hughes\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eConor McPherson\u003c\/strong\u003e. Through the University he was given access to the music department's Steinways and pipe organs, and decided to try one out for the album’s centrepiece \u003cem\u003e“I’ve Been A Flaneur”\u003c\/em\u003e. As Mark explains, \"The drone on the pipe organ — and the sound of it starting and stopping — was so visceral that I decided to try a half-written song against it right there and then, and this came out in one take… The song was a breakthrough artistically - I don't think I'll ever record in the same way again after this.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album was engineered by longtime collaborator \u003cstrong\u003eBen McAuley\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003eVan Morrison\u003c\/strong\u003e) and mixed by \u003cstrong\u003eJimmy Robertson\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cstrong\u003eAnna Calvi\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eBeth Gibbons\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eFat Dog\u003c\/strong\u003e). The results are staggering, devastating and uplifting in equal measure, calling to mind albums such as \u003cstrong\u003eSongs Ohia\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eMagnolia Electric Co.\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Divine Comedy\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eRegeneration\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Blue Nile\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eHats\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eWilco\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cem\u003eOde to Joy\u003c\/em\u003e, as well as early-70s records from \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Cale\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Lennon\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eBill Fay\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelfast native Mark McCambridge played his first show as Arborist supporting \u003cstrong\u003eJames Yorkston\u003c\/strong\u003e. A solo tour followed, and impressive performances led to notable support slots alongside \u003cstrong\u003eLow\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eCat Power\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eEcho \u0026amp; The Bunnymen\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eGuy Garvey\u003c\/strong\u003e. Arborist's debut single, the Americana-tinged \u003cem\u003e\"Twisted Arrow,\"\u003c\/em\u003e caught the attention of the critics with an astonishing duet with Kim Deal of \u003cstrong\u003eThe Breeders\u003c\/strong\u003e. The debut album \u003cem\u003eHome Burial\u003c\/em\u003e (2016) and its follow-up, \u003cem\u003eA Northern View\u003c\/em\u003e, both received glowing praise, from The Guardian (\"instant classic\" ----) to MOJO (\"devastatingly bleak… upliftingly beautiful\" ----) to Uncut (8\/10), with BBC 6 Music play from \u003cstrong\u003eCerys Matthews\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eCillian Murphy\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eLauren Laverne\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eRadcliffe and Maconie\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eGideon Coe\u003c\/strong\u003e — and \u003cstrong\u003eSteve Lamacq\u003c\/strong\u003e calling single \u003cem\u003e\"Taxi\"\u003c\/em\u003e \"one of those records that makes you immediately stop what you're doing.\" He went on to even greater success with the 2023 Northern Irish Music Prize winning third LP, \u003cem\u003eAn Endless Sequence of Dead Zeroes\u003c\/em\u003e, which was recorded at SpaceBomb Studios in Virginia with musician and producer Matthew E White. For his fourth LP, \u003cem\u003eLooking For Love\u003c\/em\u003e, he has signed with Fika Recordings and with a tour approaching in November, 2026 looks set to be a seminal year for the Irish artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"A staggering debut of depth and substance\"\u003c\/em\u003e - UNCUT\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"An instant classic\"\u003c\/em\u003e - The Guardian\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Devastatingly bleak…upliftingly beautiful\"\u003c\/em\u003e - Mojo\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"A poignant, beautiful record\"\u003c\/em\u003e - Lauren Laverne BBC6Music\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"FIKA RECORDINGS","offers":[{"title":"Limited Edition White Vinyl LP","offer_id":59258375569753,"sku":"SDZ-51493","price":30.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":59258375635289,"sku":"SDZ-51494","price":13.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/CAR_20260828_1655_155712_981_v_5057998866618_002.jpg?v=1788254007","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/arborist-looking-for-love","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}