The New Album:
Long March Through the Jazz Age

Recorded at Church Street Studios in Sydney, Bailey and longtime Saints drummer Pete Wilkinson flew in from Europe to reunite with guitarist/engineer Sean Carey, who had previously toured and recorded with the band. They were joined by Davey Lane (You Am I) on guitar, plus a handpicked ensemble of Sydney’s most exciting young horn, string and keyboard players.

From Bailey’s rough demos, Long March Through the Jazz Age grew into a deeply human snapshot of modern times.

Lead single Empires (Sometimes We Fall) is the album’s anthemic opener, cast on a bedrock of western guitars punctuated by Bailey’s aching lyrics: “Sometimes we rise, sometimes we fall”. It’s the perfect set up for an album that swaggers with Bailey’s inherent punk spirit while flowing freely in a spacious production.

A 12-string adds harmony and warmth to the string-laden Judas, a glorious melancholic piece, Gasoline smacks of the Stones country honking for Exile On Main Street, while Bruises is a candid recollection of how this celebrated troubadour got to where he did.

There are moments of Dylan-esque majesty as chiming guitars and strings widen the panoramic scale, while the title track carries a haunting, poetic intensity, its mournful trumpet break as spine-tingling as anything you’ll hear. And throughout this Long March Through the Jazz Age, Chris Bailey’s distinctive vocal carries the storyline.

Pete Wilkinson remembers it vividly: “When it came to recording vocals, Chris Bailey saved the best until last. His lyrical prowess is well known to those familiar with The Saints, new and old, but these recordings offer a new-found depth and breadth to his voice that surpass anything I had heard before.”

Sean Carey added, “Chris was a true artist, it was like watching someone paint a fresh artwork every single day. This collection of songs and recordings were inspired and felt different to anything else I’d been doing.”

Long March Through the Jazz Age, arrives in November and marks the end of Chris Bailey and The Saints’ remarkable journey – over four decades of music making and rule defying.