‘Loving Echoes’ is the first solo album by Scott Mannion, co-founder of Lil' Chief Records (Jonathan Bree, Princess Chelsea, the Ruby Suns). A cult figure in the New Zealand alternative music canon, Loving Echoes is his first release in 15 years.
Mannion won the hearts of critics in New Zealand with two albums released simultaneously in 2003, Caterpillar and Butterfly, as part of the duo The Tokey Tones. He subsequently moved to the UK and was forced to take a break from music, though continued co-running Lil’ Chief Records.
An older, wearier brother to the Tokey Tones music, ‘Loving Echoes’ is delicate, fragmented and painstakingly arranged. It is bold and ambitious like anything from Scott's hero Brian Wilson, but at the same time understated (think Young Marble Giants), with the tenderness and fragility of Sparklehorse.
The album features cameos by Scott’s New Zealand label-mates (Jonathan Bree on bass, Ryan McPhun playing drums and co-producing, while Lawrence Arabia and Princess Chelsea contribute backing vocals), as well as French Horn player and Catalan musician Clara Viñals, who duets with Scott on ‘Somebody Else’s Dream’ and ‘Your Kinda Love’.