ALI GEORGE
WATCHFUL DAYS
The New Album
Releases 11/o8/2023
Watchful Days marks the third and latest instalment of Ali George's album trilogy, produced in collaboration with Josh Clark (drummer for folk legend Kate Rusby). Through a powerful blend of soulful vocals, poignant lyrics, and intricate and inventive guitar parts, the album delves into themes of love, betrayal, and isolation.
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The majority of the album was written during a difficult period for Ali George and his partner, Olia Tsopela. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, they made the sudden decision to relocate from Bath, UK, to Athens, Greece, to be closer to Tsopela's mother after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The title of the album refers to this strange and disquieting period in their lives.
After spending months in Greece writing and refining the songs that would make up Watchful Days, George returned home to Bath in July 2021 for a brief visit to see family and to perform a series of small concerts. During this time, he started recording the album with his longtime producer and collaborator, Josh Clark, at Get Real Audio Studios.
Together, they worked to create a unique ambient soundscape for George's guitar, implementing ping-pong delays, long reverbs, expression pedals, and dual amps to achieve a rich stereo effect. Due to the restrictions of lockdown the album had to be finished remotely. Soon after the album was completed Tsopela’s mother’s cancer was deemed to be terminal. She passed away in September. The album is dedicated to her memory.