Photo by Aude Chagnon

Assembling a network of collaborators, ex-Level 42 drummer and songwriter Phil Gould returns with new single Faint Love. The track follows on from Beautiful Wounds and The Dance from his forthcoming solo album, Beautiful Wounds, out this summer via Abbey Records.

“Faint Love started life as a Wally Badarou melody, sitting on an ostinato keyboard part, which I transferred to marimba and then built the track from there,” Phil says. “The plaintive mood suggested by the chords inspired me to write a song about the often-painful awakening that comes with honesty, when you realise that you can no longer accept second best and that settling for an ‘easy life’ is, in truth, an uneasy life.”

Phil Gould is an internationally acclaimed drummer, composer and lyricist who is most recognised for being a founding member of Level 42. Alongside the band’s original lineup (Mark King, Mike Lindup, Boon Gould and Wally Badarou being an unofficial fifth member) they recorded seven studio albums and one live album, achieving widespread acclaim across Europe and North America.

Following the many successes achieved by the band, Phil decided to take his own solo route, spending his time raising his family whilst exploring other music genres, collaborating with myriads of talented artists and continuing to write, away from the pressure of a major touring band. Beautiful Wounds will be Phil’s second solo album after 2009’s Watertight.

Faint Love is available from 7 May, with the album following on 18 June.