The first-ever Mansun fan convention took place this past Saturday at the Live Rooms in Chester, England. Fans were treated to panel discussions, displays of Mansun memorabilia, and performances by Mansun tribute bands Taxloss Lovers and Mansunesque. The convention also saw the debut of former Mansun frontman Paul Draper’s first solo track, “Feeling My Heart Run Slow.”
Since Mansun’s split in 2003, Draper has appeared on numerous projects with bands including the Joy Formidable, the Anchoress, and Menace Beach. His shelved solo album became the stuff of legends but lucky for the Mansun faithful, the album finally appears to be seeing the light of day.
“I’d originally planned on recording a solo album called Spooky Action after Mansun split but shelved it as I wasn’t in a place personally that I could make music at the time,” he told the NME. “However, the recording session went so well that we decided to do a second recording session and I loved playing so much with my new band that I’m putting together a whole album of these songs now. We’ve got on a real roll in the studio.”
“Feeling My Heart Run Slow” has already been compared to Trent Reznor’s recent output by Drowned In Sound. The track’s darkly electronic verses lead up to a rocking chorus that would be at home on any Mansun album. Layered between psychedelic guitar solos and synth riffs, Draper admitted to the NME that he wrote the lyrics while in a very dark place. “It’s all about how you feel when you hit the worst place you can ever hit.”
Mansun fan convention attendee Richard Murray managed to capture the track and has since uploaded it to YouTube. Listen to the track below…
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