Clay Pipe releases a ghost story for Christmas with our first spoken-word recording – a trio of stories by M.R. James and Algernon Blackwood retold in the landscapes of 20th-century northern Appalachia. Written and performed by Justin Hopper with music from Jesse Chandler (Mercury Rev, Midlake, Madison Cunningham) and guest luminaries including Alasdair Maclean (The Clientele), Sally Timms (The Mekons) and Alison Cotton.

‘My home in East Anglia often reminds me of the spookier side of the Western Pennsylvania region I long inhabited,’ says Hopper. ‘I wondered how these ghost stories pitting powerful against powerless from one period of transition, Edwardian England , might translate into those of another, the industrialised landscapes of pre/post-war coal country. With musicians of this calibre, the landscapes themselves are created by the music; I just filled in some characters.

‘I hope it gives a few chills next to the fire this winter, in Suffolk or Pittsburgh or wherever you may be.’

Any artist profits from The Autochrome will go to mental health charity MIND.

credits:
Justin Hopper: texts, production
Jesse Chandler: bass clarinet, bells, clarinet, flutes, mellotron, composer (2, 3)
Alison Cotton: viola (2)
Alasdair Maclean: guitars (1), composer (1)
Melanie Little: Smith percussion (3)
Sally Timms: vocals (3)
Frances Castle: artwork