Geoff Downes & Chris Braide announce new album Skyscraper Souls

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Geoff Downes & Chris Braide, aka the Downes Braide Association, will release their new album Skyscraper Souls in November

Geoff Downes
Geoff Downes (Image credit: Getty)

Geoff Downes and Chris Braide have announced that they’ll release their third album together under the Downes Braide Association banner.

Titled Skyscraper Souls, it will arrive on November 17 and follows 2012’s Pictures Of You and 2015’s Suburban Ghosts from singer, songwriter and producer Braide and Yes keyboardist Downes.

The new album is said to be more “traditional progressive” than the pair’s previous material but still carries “a strong pop aesthetic.” Guest contributors include Tim Bowness, Big Big Train’s David Longdon, Marc Almond, Andy Partridge from XTC and Kate Pierson from the B52s.

Braide explains: “Geoff would send me folders full of stuff such as the magnificent piano pieces which turned into Glacier Girl and Prelude. As soon as I heard the chords I was writing lyrics like a mad man and before long the album started to materialise.”

Downes adds: “The ideas themselves were in a very rough format, but with the melodies and basic harmonies. Chris started playing around with these, and often, they came back with some radical changes, but Chris was always very conscious to retain my original idea.”

Find the Skyscraper Souls tracklist and cover art below.

Downes Braide Association Skyscraper Souls tracklist

  1. Prelude (ft Andy Partridge - XTC)
  2. Skyscraper Souls (ft Kate Pierson - B52s)
  3. Glacier Girl (ft Andy Partridge)
  4. Angel On Your Shoulder (ft Matthew Koma)
  5. Tomorrow (ft David Longdon - Big Big Train)
  6. Lighthouse (ft Tim Bowness)
  7. Skin Deep (ft Marc Almond)
  8. Darker Times (ft Andy Partridge)

Downes Braide Association: Ghosts In The Machine

Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.