Ferris & Sylvester have released a beautiful live version of their single ‘Knock You Down’, recorded at the iconic Real World Studios. The new version of ‘Knock You Down’ strips the track back to stunning acoustics, with Archie Sylvester swapping the bite of his blues guitar for soft grand piano keys accompanied by hearty cello. It lays the foundations for the captivating vocal harmonies with Issy Ferris in this intoxicating coming of age anthem.
The video premiered with EARMILK alongside an interview where Ferris & Sylvester explained, “We’d always wanted to record something at Real World. We were in the studio’s smaller live room called The Wood Room and everything looked and sounded warm, lively and exciting. It felt really interesting in this new set up, making it perhaps more melancholy and thoughtful.
“We waited until it got dark, cleared the room of everything but this amazing grand piano and just sang it together. In the spirit of a live session, we wanted it to be totally transparent, so we shot it with one camera angle. There isn’t anything to hide behind in that environment, we just had to trust ourselves in the moment. We’d never done a live session on piano before, so it felt nerve-racking and exciting when the engineer hit record. It certainly had a magic to it and we hope that translates in the video.”
‘Knock You Down’ is taken from the band’s brand new EP I Should Be On A Train, released earlier this month via LAB Records. The EP is an outstanding expansive record from the pair, which has been crafted during Covid-19 in their home studio and also in freer times in Seattle with the award-winning and Grammy-nominated producer Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile, The Strokes), the latter working on the riff-laden new track ‘Good Man’.
It also features acclaimed singles including ‘Everyone Is Home’, described by Clash Magazine as “the duo’s very own isolation anthem”, and the explosive blues ballad title track, which gained strong support from Bob Harris on his Radio 2 show, while it led BBC Introducing South West to feature the band as their ‘Artist Of The Week’. Ferris & Sylvester were featured as ‘Legends Of The Future’ by Sunday People and the song has continued to receive critical praise from the likes of American Songwriter, Maverick Magazine and many more.
The EP closes with their stunning cover of The Beatles’ ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, inspired by the band’s lockdown livestreams where they shared a new cover every week with their fans and also raised money to help local venues stay in business via the Music Venue Trust, of which they are patrons.
The I Should Be On A Train EP finds Ferris & Sylvester thriving in the world’s state of transition, taking the opportunity to explore new territories, spurred on by the success of the past and looking forward to the future.
FURTHER INFORMATION ON FERRIS & SYLVESTER
Ferris & Sylvester kicked off 2020 by being awarded the ‘Emerging Artist Award’ at the UK Americana Awards, selected by Radio 2’s Bob Harris who declared the band “a rising force in British music [with] a sound that is absolutely unique.”
The award reflected what huge success Ferris & Sylvester have enjoyed in the early stages of their career so far. 2019 saw the duo complete two UK and Ireland headline tours and play over 100 live shows. Particular highlights included their debut at SXSW, Nashville's AmericanaFest and Glastonbury festival and two consecutive sold out shows at London’s Omeara.
Over the course of just two EPs and a selection of singles, Ferris & Sylvester have received vast critical praise across the board, including being featured in high profile lists such as Rolling Stone Magazine’s ‘Best Americana of the Week’ and ‘Top 10 New Country Artists You Need To Know’, NPR’s Top 100 SXSW Artists and BBC Introducing Devon & Cornwall’s Best Of Year lists for three consecutive years. They have received strong radio support from Radio 1, BBC 6Music, Radio 2, Radio X and BBC Introducing, which also saw them complete a live session at Maida Vale.
Their EP Made In Streatham has received over four million plays on Spotify, following great support from the platform who put its singles in a number of high profile playlists including numerous New Music Fridays and charted at No.14 on the Spotify UK Viral Top 50. It also topped the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Chart.
The band’s monumental touring schedule has seen them play to thousands of people alongside the likes of Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Tom Jones, George Ezra, James Morrison, Jade Bird and Billy Lockett. They also performed at major festivals including Glastonbury, Isle Of Wight, Sziget, Black Deer, BST in Hyde Park, Eurosonic, Barn On The Farm, The Great Escape, SXSW and many more.
The release of their debut album in 2021 will only see the band continue to solidify their status as one of the most exciting and loved new names on the scene.
NEW ACOUSTIC VERSION RELEASED WATCH THE VIDEO HERE