DEAD LETTERS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Dead Letters is the new album from Aqualung - aka songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Matt Hales - his first in more than seven years. Aqualung first came to attention in 2002 when the debut single ˜Strange & Beautiful (I™ll Put A Spell On You)™ became a surprise UK Top 10 after being discovered via a Volkswagen Beetle advert. While that song created a magnetic allure, the strength and versatility of Hales™ songwriting further enamoured audiences. The debut self-titled Aqualung album reached Gold status in recognition of over 100,000 domestic sales, while the brighter symphonic scope of his second album, ˜Still Life™, led to another chart hit with ˜Brighter Than Sunshine™. By the time Aqualung™s third album, ˜Memory Man™ emerged, glowing comparisons had been made with everyone from Bacharach to Radiohead via The Beach Boys, while his music has featured in ˜Twilight™, ˜Gossip Girl™ and ˜Grey™s Anatomy™. Collaborating with all kinds of artists - including Lianne La Havas, Bat For Lashes, Mika, Tom Chaplin, Jason Mraz, For King & Country and countless others  Hales™ hectic yet immensely rewarding schedule resulted in huge acclaim, including both an Ivor Novello and a Grammy. No wonder, then, that aside from occasionally briefly resurfacing, Aqualung remained in hibernation. Hales says, šWhen I need to work something out I write a song. When I'm overwhelmed by a feeling I write a song. When there's something I need to say but can't say it, I write a song. There were things I needed to say and songs I needed to write for myself and once we were home and the piano was there, I started writing them. At some point I realised these songs were all letters, but not necessarily to be sent. Dead letters.›