Max Decharne Shines on 2020 Releases “New Shade of Black” & “Sixteen Coaches Long”

Press Release

Two urbane cool albums, New Shade of Black (May), and Sixteen Coaches Long (September), were released in 2020 by singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and noted author, Max Décharné.

Both albums gift his fans with some initial cuts of several songs released on records by The Flaming Stars. The songs were captured after Max noodled around developing them, so we get early glimpses of his style and lyricism.

“These songs were all written on a four-track cassette-based tape recorder, often late at night, wherever I happened to be living at the time. I’d then play them to our band, The Flaming Stars, and we’d record group versions, which would be released on LPs and singles, but sometimes – often in the case of the quieter numbers – there’s something you capture right at the start on the first recording which inevitably changes once you move on to the next stage. You never play a song the same way twice, and the first attempt is interesting because there’s no pre-existing blueprint in your head for it, you’re not replicating anything. “ – Max Décharné

During the course of his music and journalist careers, Max has written over 100 songs, some minimal and quiet to appease roommates, while at other times mixed to appeal to his sonic interests and the emotions he wanted to convey.

While mentioning this New Shade of Black he noted, ““What you have here are eight tracks which combine the original backing tracks with proper studio vocals and the occasional simple overdub, plus two completely new versions of songs of mine where I didn’t have a surviving four-track recording that fit the bill.”Backing tracks for 1,2,3,4,5,6,8 and 9 recorded and mixed by Max to 4-track tape in London and Berlin, 1995-2002. Vocals and other instruments for these recorded and mixed by Ed Deegan at Gizzard Studios, London, July 2017. Tracks 7 and 10 entirely recorded and mixed by Ed Deegan at Gizzard Studios, London, July 2017.