Manchester 5-piece Marouli unveil 2nd single ‘Bovine Friend’ (20th Aug) from upcoming sophomore album Tall Tales from a Distant Uncle Volume 2.
Already established as a staple on the Manchester scene, Marouli is led by acclaimed composer, songwriter and musician Graham McCusker, whose impressive composition credits include television productions such as His Dark Materials (BBC/HBO), The Essex Serpent (Apple TV), The Strays (Netflix), and Bodies (Netflix). In addition, he has worked as a sessiotn singer with renowned artists including Hans Zimmer, Boy George, and Clean Bandit.
One of the more experimental, ambient moments from the upcoming album, but in keeping with the intimate, moving storytelling that permeates through Marouli’s music, ‘Bovine Friend’ offers richly constructed musicality and heartfelt, personal lyricism; touching on loss, friendship and McCusker’s own struggle with Cancer.
Opening with a wash of ambient bells, the track instantly sets an ethereal, emotive tone before introducing a wall of choral vocals, and McCusker’s commanding yet warming and melancholic lead vocal. Comparable to the likes of Elbow and Peter Gabriel, the track soon introduces beautiful placed saxophone, tight percussive drums, twinkling keys and warming bass as the vocals dance through splashes of delay and swelling modulation.
As the track reaches its second chorus, the instrumentation glides with an elegant, unpredictable movement. The layering of brass floats in a manner comparable to Bon Iver carrying the track forwards over the flowing left field production choices to a climactic close.
Speaking about the single, songwriter and vocalist Graham McCusker explains:
“At first glance, Bovine Friend reads like a quirky farewell addressed to a literal cow, but the tone and imagery is a deeper, metaphorical relationship of a best friend who goes under the name ‘Bovine’. ‘Bovine’ symbolises something slow, docile, and steady – a friend, a partner, or even a part of the narrator’s own past. The opening repetition (‘Hello hello / I know I know’) creates a circular, almost ritualistic greeting that could frame the song as a final conversation…
Despite the (oddball) animal reference, the emotional core is nostalgia and inevitability. And reflects also conversations with myself fighting cancer twice, once in my mid 20’s and secondly in my early 30’s.”
The upcoming album Tall Tales from a Distant Uncle Volume 2 is a poignant and imaginative tribute to the storytelling tradition of Billy Connolly, featuring rich, lyrical narratives woven through expressive, genre-spanning arrangements. It marks a powerful creative chapter for McCusker, who wrote much of the album after overcoming cancer for the second time.
Formed in 2018, Marouli brings together a stellar lineup of musicians. Graham McCusker (vocals/keys) is joined by Alex Hill (keys), Josh Poole (saxophone), Adam Bidgood (trumpet), Alex Dineen (guitar), Jamie Brewster (bass), and Matt Brown (drums).
Born in Paisley, McCusker grew up in a musical household and honed his talents at the Junior Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Royal Northern College of Music. His work extends beyond the stage, with original compositions featured in major TV and film productions such as His Dark Materials (BBC/HBO), The Essex Serpent (Apple TV), The Strays (Netflix), and Bodies (Netflix). He has also served as a session vocalist with legends like Hans Zimmer, Boy George, and Clean Bandit.
With growing support across tastemaker press and national radio, McCusker’s deep catalogue of original songs is turning heads. In Tall Tales from a Distant Uncle Volume 2, the group crafted the album by giving new life and arrangement to tracks that had been years in the making from Graham, and ultimately offering an astounding, one of a kind body of work.
The new single ‘Bovine Friend’ is due for release August 20th
Marouli – Bovine Friend
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