Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells Join Forces for New Album

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Apr 11, 2011

Scottish artists Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat are no strangers to musical collaborations. Wells is the leader of the Bill Wells Octet and has worked with Isobel Campbell, Maher Shalal Hash Baz and the Pastels, while Moffat used to perform with the moody Arab Strap before going solo. Over the years, the two have crossed each other's path, with Wells playing piano on Arab Strap's 2003 LP Monday at the Hug & Pint. And though they have wanted to work together on some new tunes for quite some time, it wasn't until now that the fruits of their efforts ripened, as the pair are releasing an album this spring.

Titled Everything's Getting Older, the debut from Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells will drop on May 10 via Chemikal Underground. Work on the album started way back in 2003 with the recording of first single "(If You) Keep Me In Your Heart," a dark, breezy tune which you can listen to below, with the duo slowly plugging out more numbers as the years went by. Though it was a slow process for sure, Moffat knew they had to keep at it.

"I didn't want to rush it at all," he said in a press statement. "I have a great love and respect for Bill's music, so it was important to me that I try my absolute best, and that takes time."

While Moffat's work with Arab Strap often came across as salacious and often alcohol-laced, the vibe of Everything's Getting Older is more reserved.

"I don't really live [a hedonistic] kind of lifestyle anymore," he explained. "I still go out as much as a dad can, but I'm not really interested in writing about that kind of thing now. My mid-life crisis is due in a decade or so, so maybe I'll get a second wind then."

You can see the cover art above and download the nervous, yet downtempo piano number "Cages" here.

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