Syd Egan Archives - charleshutchpress

*Miles And The Chain Gang frontman Miles Salter*

YORK band Miles And The Chain Gang have released their ninth track, Wildcats & Koalas, on digital formats such as Spotify and Apple.

This acoustic love song, with its shades of English songwriters Billy Bragg and Ray Davies, was written by Syd Egan, a friend of frontman Miles Salter since schooldays.

“Syd writes very good songs,” says Miles, who formed a short-lived band with Egan as teenagers. “I wish he would write more. I’ve been playing his songs for more than 30 years.”

Syd penned Wildcats & Koalas for his wife, Raf. “The song goes back to 2018 and the lyric is very personal,” says Miles. “Syd played it to me one day at my home in York and gave me a sheet with the lyrics and chords.

“We started to record it in 2021, the year after the pandemic struck, when Young Thugs Studio had moved to the Arts Barge in York while the studio at South Bank Social Club was renovated.”

The recording features contributions from Alan Dawson, Andrew Willie and Antony Thompson. “Alan did a great job with the guitar part and solo – he’s a great musician. Andrew supplied the piano and synth and the trumpet part was by Antony,” says Miles.

*Syd Egan’s artwork for Miles And The Chain Gang’s Wildcats & Koalas*

“It has a very English feel to it, like something Billy Bragg, or Squeeze, or maybe Ray Davies might have written. I think Syd escapes some of the Americana cliches I might fall for by writing very atmospheric lyrics.

“There’s a tenderness to it that’s very affecting. When Syd and Raf got married in 2023, I played it for them and their family and friends at the reception in London.”

Miles And The Chain Gang have released nine songs since 2020. “Last year our cover of Black Hole by Griff was played around the world on indie and internet radio, and we’ve racked up in excess of 25,000 plays on Spotify,” says Miles.

“We keep chugging on. It’s not easy to get noticed when there’s so much stuff out there, but I like to think we put out good songs that have a bit of heart. It’s energising when you know people listen around the world.”

Miles And The Chain Gang will play The Terrace, New Street, York, on April 12 in a full band show from 8pm. Entry is free.

Listen to Wildcats & Koalas at: https://open.spotify.com/album/2dl4FXgLu0EoqvbEKFeAoC?si=ZsIEjspQRmuW9Sgg3bdm1

Ganging up again: Miles And The Chain Gang return to the concert platform next week in York. Picture: Jim Poyner

AFTER an 18-month hiatus, Miles Salter’s York band are back on the Chain Gang, tooled up with new material to play The Fulford Arms, York, on July 29.

In the line-up are singer, songwriter, storyteller, published poet and radio presenter Salter, on guitar and vocals; Billy Hickling, from the hit show Stomp!, on drums and percussion; The Bogus Brothers and Goosehorns’ stalwart, Tim Bruce, on bass, and Alan Dawson, on lead guitar, augmented for this gig by Fay Donaldson’s flute and saxophone and Bernard Scarcliffe’s keyboards.

Miles And The Chain Gang have been working on a debut album since September 2019, recording first with Hairul Hasnan at University of York Studio, then with Jonny Hooker at Young Thugs Studios, in Ovington Terrace, York. “It’s not quite finished yet, but it’s sounding great,” says Miles.

“We were just about to start a run of gigs in the spring of 2020 when Covid struck. Instead, we focused on recording and making videos, releasing three well-received download singles across 18 months.”

The latest was All Of Our Lives, a cover of a late-1990s’ Syd Egan song, recorded by the band in January and February, when Sam Pirt and Karl Mullen added accordion and piano respectively.

“We’ve had lots of airplay over the last year or so, on Jorvik Radio and YO1 Radio; it’s been great to hear our songs on these stations. We’ve done well, under the circumstances, but after a really long time away from playing, it’s great to get back to live sets again,” says Miles. “We’d love to see you, so do come along if you can. We have new songs and a new band member in the very talented Fay Donaldson.

“Support will come from North Yorkshire’s purveyors of hillbilly, King Courgette, who featured at our last show, way back in December 2019.”

Tickets for next Thursday’s 8pm concert cost £7 at thefulfordarms.co.uk or £8 on the door.

Tag: Syd Egan

Miles And The Chain Gang release Syd Egan’s acoustic love song Wildcats & Koalas. The Terrace gig to follow on April 12

Miles and his band are so glad to be back on the Chain Gang for Fulford Arms concert