Iain Hornal - Fly Away Home (2021)

Plans were made and we were on our way, but life had other ideas…

I was having a ball, celebrating my 10th birthday (I’m a leap-year baby) and touring Australia with 10cc when I first heard about a new virus that seemed to be spreading at an alarming rate in various parts of the world. Upon my return in March the government announced that our country, like many others, was about to go into lock-down. What do musicians do when they can’t gig? Drink and watch TV. But they also create new music, and so began a project which was recorded, produced and mixed almost entirely remotely, with no two musicians in the same room at the same time (save one or two performances that were recorded as part of “The Game Begins” sessions).

2020 was such a challenging year, as so many people experienced considerable loss of one form or another: loss of earnings, of momentum, of identity, or of loved ones. As people across the world locked themselves away in the safety of their own private spaces, it felt natural that this album would reflect upon all things personal and domestic: family, friendship, finding love, finding your feet, finding a home.

Dedicated to the memory of George and Una Craigie.