Nick Frater “Nick Frater”
New album LP/CD/Digital - Sept 2026
Nick Frater releases 13th album, Nick Frater
DIY-scene favourite and acclaimed “songwriter’s songwriter” Nick Frater returns with his 13th studio album — and, for the first time, a self-titled record: Nick Frater.
Frater’s previous albums have earned widespread critical acclaim, with Shindig! Magazine describing him as a “pop tunesmith par excellence.”
For this record, Frater decided to pull out all the stops.
“I’ve made records in every conceivable DIY way and love the way they turned out,” says Frater. “But these songs felt like they needed something extra special. So I went all-in and booked Abbey Road.”
Recorded live at the legendary Abbey Road, Studio Two, where The Beatles made history, and at RAK Studios, the home of classic recordings by artists including Blur and Radiohead, Nick Frater finds Frater pushing himself to write the tightest, most perfectly crafted power-pop songs he can.
Despite the album’s expansive palette of instruments — as detailed in the liner notes — the arrangements remain deliberately lean. Every note, harmony and part has a purpose.
“It’s the sound of my band rocking out in the studio — and they are a phenomenal band,” says Frater. “Several songs are first takes. Everyone brought their best to those sessions and left it all on the studio floor. So much so that our drummer ruptured his appendix!”
A genuine Spinal Tap moment narrowly avoided, the drummer has since made a full recovery.
In recent years, Frater has worked as musical director and keyboard player for Love with Johnny Echols, performing Forever Changes, mixing their new LP, and recording with them for a forthcoming Syd Barrett tribute.
One thing led to another, and Frater took the rock'n'roll mythology one step further by borrowing Arthur Lee’s tambourine for the sessions.
The Abbey Road recordings were engineered by Chris Bolster, whose credits include Elliott Smith, Paul McCartney and Kate Bush. The sessions were set up in the spirit of Elliott Smith’s Figure 8 — a particular favourite of Frater’s, and an album Bolster also helped record.
Nick Frater is released on the Great Sheiks label on LP, CD and digital.
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Nick Frater: Vocals, Yamaha C3 Grand Piano, “Mrs Mills” piano, Challen piano,
Epiphone Casino, Selmer Truevoice, Wem Dominator, VOX AC15, Yamaha FG-180 acoustic,
Hofner Violin Bass (5), Ampeg B15,
Wurlitzer EP200, Hammond RT3, Vox Continental, Roland RS202, Solina strings, Mellotron 4000, RMI Rock-si-chord, Theremin, Moog Prodigy, harmonium, vibraphone
timpani, handclaps, finger cymbals, shaker, glockenspiel, Arthur Lee’s tambourine
Tom Shotton: Ludwig Hollywood Drums 1966 (1,2,5,9), Black Beauty snare, Zildjian cymbals
Joe Montague: Ludwig Classic Maple Mod Drums(3,4,7,8), Premiere 202 Transition Drum Kit (6,10,11), Ludwig Supraphonic LM400, Ludwig Jazz Festival, Amedia cymbals, castanets, claps, Arthur Lee’s tambourine, appendicitis (6,10,11)
Luke Smith: Greco Law-suit Ric Bass (1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11), Ampeg B15, Backing Vocals (2), handclaps
Chris Mulligan: Fender Mustang Bass (6, 10, 11), Fender Bassman, Fender Telecaster, Wem Dominator
Alex Lewis: backing Vocals (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11), Norman B20 acoustic (8)
Steven Wilson: Backing Vocals (6)
Jake Smith: Gibson SG (3,4,6,7), Fender Telecaster (8,10), Marshall Bluesbreaker, Fender Hotrod Deluxe, Vox AC15, Gibson J200 (8), Backing Vocals (3,4,7,8), handclaps
Joe Kane: Gibson J-160e (8), Maraca
Andy Pickering: Yamaha C3 Grand Piano (3), Gibson J-160e (8), Hammond RT3 (8), handclaps
Peter Watts: Italia Rimini electric 12 string guitar(8), Vox AC15, Epiphone Hummingbird acoustic guitar (8), handclaps
Ben Hill: Ibanez 2846 acoustic (8), handclaps
Ross Palmer: Takamine EN acoustic (8), handclaps
Lenny Smith: Kimball Model 30 acoustic guitar (8), handclaps
Jamie Whelligan: Larrivée acoustic (8), handclaps
Grace Hayhurst: French Horn (11)
RAK Studios, London, Studio Two (1,2,5,9)
6th Jan 2025
Engineer: Duncan Fuller
Abbey Road Studios, London, Studio Two (3,4,7,8)
24th Feb 2025
Engineer: Chris Bolster
Assistant Engineer: Daniela Sicilia
Buffalo Studios, Castleford (6,10,11)
17-18th June 2025
Engineer: JB Pilon
Additional overdubs at our homes
Produced and mixed by Nick Frater at Sundown Studios, Croydon
Mastered at Simon Frances Mastering
Art and design Adam Mallett
For Gemma and Ivy
Thank you for listening