ChimpanA are starring in Tapestry Rewoven, a 50th anniversary livestream remake of Carole King's classic 1971 album Tapestry. The fundraising event is being presented live, under lockdown rules, at the south London venue the Sound Lounge tomorrow night (February 23), curated and hosted by Prog contributor Paul Sexton. Others taking part include KT Tunstall, Robert Vincent, Jo Harman, Charlie Dore, Mollie Marriott and venue co-owner Hannah White.
The delicate singer-songwriter pop of Tapestry may seem a distance from the progressive world, but ChimpanA, whose 2020 album The Empathy Machine was widely acclaimed, will bring a distinctly experimental edge to one of its favourite tracks. The performance features lead singer Steve Balsamo with bandmate, keyboard maestro and Magenta founder Rob Reed.
Sexton says that the “casting” of tracks to artists will remain a secret until the broadcast, but that ChimpanA fans are in for a treat when they see and hear their contribution. “We all know that Steve is one of the UK's best vocalists,” says Sexton, “and when he said that he wanted to bring Rob in on his track, I knew the result would be something special. It's amazing how adaptable these songs are to different treatments, which of course is always the mark of great songwriting.
“The Chimp is my happy place,” says Balsamo, “and having the chance to work with Rob Reed again – albeit remotely due to 'Rona – is always a joy. We were given a classic from Tapestry and have taken it on a trip aboard the ChimpanA UFO to Progville. We absolutely love it, so much so that we think it will be the beginning of the third Chimp album!”
Tapestry Rewoven streams live from 7.30pm on February 23. Digital tickets are £5 each.
