Auto Pilot arrives just as the singer-songwriter kicks off his UK tour.
Taken from Sean’s warmly-received debut album of last year, Auto Pilot is another prime example of the perfectly preened and poetic indie-pop that made Son Of The Smith such a rewarding listen.
Brimful of Sean’s distinctly wry social observations and set in vividly relatable situations, Auto Pilot is tells a tale to lost loves and the pitfall-strewn pathway that lies beyond a bitter break up.
“And I can’t hack it any more, a splash of cold water doesn’t cure, the shame, the guilt, regret and all the dread in the morning and the next few days”, sings Sean, in a track that stands as one of the singer’s most emotionally complex and endearingly confessional outings to date.
Speaking about the themes of the song, Sean says: “Autopilot came from the realisation that drinking culture can be extremely toxic. I noticed most music I listened to was painting boozing as an escape and actually doing much more harm than good. ‘Everything has gone to shit – let’s go get drunk and pretend everything is OK’ is all well and good sometimes and often part of healing processes. But, if that’s your answer every time you inevitably spiral downwards. I wanted to write about a particular experience of mine with booze, honestly. It’s great fun to play live.”
Weaving interloping guitar lines around a driving motorik beat, ‘Auto Pilot’ is an adrenaline-racing rush that testifies to the tight-knit musical mentality of his trusty backing band, who, fittingly join him on the road for an extensive run of UK shows this February and March.
“I’m looking forward to tour. We’re sounding tight and playing well. I don’t handle time off well. I need to be working and need to be on the road. So, after the Christmas break I’m raring to go now.”
Sean and band are on tour now, travelling the length and breadth of England and Wales for a whopping 21 live dates that culminate in Bournemouth’s The Anvil on 3 March 2019.
Sean McGowan live dates 2019:
14 February – Cardiff @ Clwb Ifor Bach
15 February – Hastings @ Blackmarket
16 February – Oxford @ Jericho Tavern
17 February – Guildford @ Boiler Room
19 February – Norwich @ Bermuda Bob’s Rum Shack & HiFi
20 February – Cambridge @ Portland Arms
21 February – Swindon @ Level 3
22 February – Leeds @ Hyde Park Book Club
23 February – Newcastle @ Underground
24 February – Glasgow @ Hug & Pint
25 February – Edinburgh @ Sneaky Pete’s
27 February – St Albans @ The Horn
28 February – Nottingham @ The Bodega
01 March – Bedford @ Esquires
02 March – London @ Borderline
03 March – Bournemouth @ Anvil
High Fives & Stage Dives 