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Aug 03, 2016 By Christopher Roberts C Duncan

Scotland’s C Duncan (aka Chris Duncan) released his acclaimed debut album, Architect, last year via FatCat. It was nominated for prestigious Mercury Prize and was a gorgeous collection with shades of Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear in its multi-layered harmonies. Now he has announced his sophomore album, The Midnight Sun, which is due out October 7 via FatCat. He has also shared the album’s first single, “Wanted to Want It Too,” which is below. Also below is the album’s cover art, as well as C Duncan’s tour dates.

The Midnight Sun is inspired by Rod Serling’s classic sci-fi series The Twilight Zone. Duncan explains in a press release: “I knew I wanted the album to have more of a theme/thread throughout it which Architect didn’t have. I have always had a bit of an obsession with The Twilight Zone (the original 1960s series) - the strange stories, the often brooding atmosphere, and the stylized aesthetic. No matter how different the stories in each episode are there’s a strong atmosphere and look to each episode which ties the all the episodes together. Although the songs themselves, I wanted to capture the atmosphere and create something that is almost an anthology series styled album, in which all the tracks tie together stylistically without being one big conceptual record.”

The album is even named after a season three Twilight Zone episode from 1961 in which the Earth’s orbit is broken and the planet is falling into the sun. “‘The Midnight Sun’ is one of my favorite [Twilight Zone] episodes. It embodies the style of Twilight Zone perfectly, which is often claustrophobic, mysterious and unnerving. The Midnight Sun is also a real natural phenomenon, occurring in the Arctic Circle during summer, preventing the nights from ever being fully dark. Although not as extreme in Glasgow, during summer we often only get 3 or 4 hours between dusk and dawn. This has always had a profound effect on me mentally during these months, being more of a night owl myself, as it completely messes with my internal clock and confuses me year after year.”

Read our recent interview with C Duncan.

C Duncan Tour Dates:

August:

Friday 5th - Glasgow, Kelvingrove Park Bandstand w. Idlewild
Saturday 6th - By Beauly, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Saturday 20th - Port of Menteith, Doune The Rabbit Hole
Saturday 27th - Dumfries, Electric Fields

September:

Friday 2nd - Berwick, Lindisfarne Festival
Saturday 3rd - Birmingham, Moseley Folk Festival
Sunday 4th - Portmeirion, Festival No.6
Friday 23rd - Aberdeen - The Lemon Tree at True North Festival

October:

Thursday 13th - London, ICA
Saturday 15th - Glasgow, Citizens Theatre

February:

Wednesday 1st - London, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire