It was filmed by a well known British director, who is contractually obliged to remain anonymous. The location was deep in a haunted wood on a moonless night. All the crew engaged in a voodoo chanting ritual before filming to summon up the spirits in the wood. Ed doesn’t remember two hours worth of the filming and believes he was possessed by spirit during that period. At one point, all power went, including all the battery operated devices, and the temperature dropped by 10 degrees so you could see your breath in front of your face. 15 minutes later, quite suddenly, there was a rush of wind, all the lights simultaneously came on again, and the temperature soon returned to normal. During the cold period, two crew members left and haven’t been seen since. There were some naked scenes that were left out. Ed was left traumatised for several weeks afterwards and has to sleep with the corridor light on.

Sounds probable enough– the video is pretty nightmarish (but the fireworks are cool):

For his next video offering from the Russian Roulette EP, Harcourt is calling upon your talents. Directors (and anyone with a camera, really) are encouraged to create their own video for “Sour Milk, Motheaten Silk” and submit it for the chance to have their masterpiece chosen as the song’s official music video. In addition to a pretty legit director’s credit, the contest winner will receive a plethora of prizes, including an iPod full of Ed Harcourt music and a miniature piano.

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“Sour Milk, Motheaten Silk” video submissions will be accepted until July 1st. For more information, visit myspace.com/theedharcourtvideocontest.
For more information about Ed Harcourt, visit edharcourt.com.

With the help of David Lynch, Harcourt recorded and mixed all six songs on the EP in a matter of days. Of his collaborator, Ed has said, “Dave is a very lovely man and extremely brilliant at what he does-– he’s a miracle worker.” The same could probably be said for Harcourt himself. The partnership between the two men resulted in an EP that is stalwart and energetic, even at its quietest and most vulnerable moments. What the album lacks in length, it makes up for in the weight of its sound and content.

Each song on Russian Roulette offers a different side of the musician as both a songwriter and as a person. As we mentioned back in March, “Caterpillar” discusses the experience Harcourt and his wife shared when their newborn daughter became ill and they could do nothing but wait with her at the hospital while she became well enough to be taken home. The song offers an upbeat tone on the surface, yet the song takes on a different meaning when you realize exactly what the songwriter is implying when he asserts that he has “declared a war on sleep.”

Though the lyrics on Russian Roulette are rarely cryptic, it’s easy to mistake the message of each song if you’re relying solely on the tone set by the music. It’s an EP that is willing to be exactly what you want it to be, based on where you allow your focus to lie. Harcourt manages to slip some really profound lyrics right under your radar by keeping the words simple and without emphasis. Though it was created as a mere half-step between two full-length albums, Russian Roulette offers more focus and texture than a six-song EP would imply.

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Russian Roulette is currently available on iTunes.
For more information on Ed Harcourt, visit edharcourt.com.

To give you a taste of what’s in store (which is the wrong choice of words, as Russian Roulette will be available only through online retailers), the song, “Caterpillar,” has been released on Ed Harcourt’s imeem page.

Though Harcourt’s songs are known for being deeply personal, “Caterpillar” was written about his newborn daughter and the time she spent in an incubator while he and his wife could do nothing but sit and wait. Harcourt says, “It’s the first song I’ve written about her. She was a little ill and we waited for her in the hospital for the chrysalis so we could take her home.”

Russian Roulette will be released through Dovecote Records on May 5th.

Track listing:

1. Russian Roulette
2. Sour Milk, Motheaten Silk
3. Black Feathers
4. Caterpillar
5. Creep Out Of The Woodwork
6. Girl With The One Track Mind

For more information about Ed Harcourt and Russian Roulette, visit edharcourt.com.