Feature: Salmon Brothers – More To Love

Blending infectious fun, groovy rhythms, and clever lyrics that explore the many facets of human relationships; Nick Meredith on behalf of Salmon Brothers, unveils their debut album More To Love.
The path to releasing the album has been marked by authenticity, emotion, and a celebration of Nick Weaver’s enduring legacy.
The journey to releasing ‘More To Love‘ has been marked by unwavering determination and collaboration, as Nick’s friends and family rallied together to honour his vision. Spearheaded by his devoted mother, Helen Wellings, producer Richard Belkner, and close friend Simon Relf, the album has been meticulously crafted to uphold Nick’s standards of excellence.
Prior to Nick’s passing, ‘More To Love’ was in the final stages of completion. With every song written and recorded, the album has preserved his artistic direction and creative essence in every note and lyric.
Speaking on the final release of her son’s works, Helen Wellings shares “I defy anyone listening to Salmon Brothers songs not to feel upbeat at the sheer joy and energy they radiate. The two Nicks formed a perfect duo and it’s heartwarming to know that creating what turned out to be his last work, gave my Nick the greatest pleasure and sense of liberation he’d ever felt musically. I’m thrilled he reached those heights of happiness that culminated in ten amazing tracks you never tire of listening to. Thank you Nick Meredith for collaborating with him and making him sparkle.”
With its vibrant energy and eclectic influences, the ten track LP is a testament to Salmon Brothers’ unique sound and unwavering dedication to their craft. A fitting introduction to Salmon Brothers, the record opens with ‘Fools Can’t Tell No Lies’. Weaver’s brilliant lyrics offer sheer joy, irresistible danceability, and a witty perspective on life.
‘Sugar Daddy’s Lament’ is a standout from the outset; the duo laid down easy, cool, groovy chords interlaced with Nick Weaver’s stunning, signature falsetto vocals. Sonically taking influence from Hall and Oates (‘Kiss on My List’) and Coolio (‘Gangsta’s Paradise’), the song is a unique look into a relationship from a Sugar Daddy’s point of view.
Despite being an incredibly upbeat track, ‘VIP Lounge’ is a song about a character stuck in the depths of a gripping addiction. The instrumentation is exceptional, with Karl Laskowski on the sax, and Harry Sutherland on the organ. As Nick Meredith shared:
“[Harry’s] playing adds a great rhythmic counterpoint to the track. That’s also Harry soloing in the outro with Karl. During the final edit I was forced to cut the outro short because I was getting carried away listening to the beauty of Karl and Harry’s duelling solos.”
One of the more romantic songs on the record, ‘Two Parts Of A Broken Heart’ is about connection. The way two people can, however damaged they may be, come together to form something whole. A prime example of Nick Weaver’s ability to write from an obscure point of view, whilst finding the humour/irony within, is ‘Slow and Steady Wins My Heart’. The unassuming track details the inner thoughts of a creepy stalker, while the production is upbeat and fun, deluding the listener into believing that nothing sinister is going on. The second offering from the project, ‘Coming Up For Air,’ begins with a dreamy, swirling flute composition of another world. As if awoken from a dream, the record quickly changes direction with funky guitar licks, synth trills, and captivating vocals that exude charm and charisma from the outset.
Being the title track of the record, ‘More To Love’ epitomises the energy of Salmon Brothers, both as a musical duo, and moreover as two friends having fun, sharing their passion for what they love most. As Nick Meredith shares “this was always a favourite of ours to listen to after a recording session. The original fade-out goes on for about 5 minutes. Nick always laughed at my fade-outs because they were either ridiculously long or short. Something I probably won’t change about myself in the near future.”
Fast-paced, swirling, and almost nostalgic production, ‘Peaches’ was technically the very first song the pair recorded together, which started with Weaver asking Meredith to play drums on his solo album. Whilst ‘Salmon’s Theme’ is summarised perfectly by Nick Meredith,
“Nick was one of the best bass players I’d ever played with. My feelings towards [Nick Weaver] and our sense of connection are personified in this track at the 4 minutes at 35-second mark. I had already recorded a demo drum take and Nick was adding some bass. He hadn’t listened to my drum take fully yet as we were just mucking around. We do the exact same fill and the exact same time without planning it. I remember that moment and us bursting into laughter. If this doesn’t make you dance, especially when Karl lights up his flute then I’m afraid there is no hope for you.”
The album closes with ‘Now That The Music Has Changed’, which explores how notoriously fickle and exploitative the music industry can be at times – a conversation that Weaver and Meredith were having throughout the making of the record. With the track technically not finished, Meredith explains
“I just don’t want to take that liberty with this song as it was the track with the most left to do on it. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want this album to come out because it means this thing Nick and I had together is now over. Obviously, there is another part that wants the world to hear it. But that is why the track is 80% done in my opinion. But sometimes those are the best ones on an album.”
With its vibrant energy and eclectic influences, the ten-track LP is a testament to Salmon Brothers’ unique sound and unwavering dedication to their craft.
Salmon Brothers debut album More To Love is available to stream now on Dot Dash / Remote Control Recordings.
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