The long journey of John Canning Yates as his new single In the Stillness of the Night is released

There’s a single coming out tomorrow which represents the first release from an artist for some twenty years. Twenty years!

Following the hugely acclaimed album ‘The First Album’, which was included in so many ‘best of’ lists from the end of 2004, Ella Guru disappeared from the critics’ radar. During their brief life, the band toured as support to Low and The Frames and headlined sold out shows at London’s Union Chapel, Bush Hall, and Water Rats. A fixture on the 2004 festival circuit, Ella Guru appeared at Glastonbury, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Green Man and many others. To their eternal pride, they became a firm favourite of the legendary John Peel, who championed them on his show and included them in his final Festive 50. Indeed, Ella Guru recorded what turned out to be the last ever Peel session.

And then, nothing. The band dissolved without ever recording that second album. There was radio silence for years. Behind the scenes, however, band leader John Canning Yates quietly continued to write his music. 

Now, some twenty years later, that music is about to enter the world beyond Yates’ immediate family and friendship circle. And it’s worth the wait.

Eagle-eared listeners may already have heard tracks from the forthcoming album, The Quiet Portraits, aired on BBC6 Music. The first single from that album, In the Stillness of the Night, is released today, Friday 15 March. 

A beautiful love song that acts as a perfect primer for the album, the title reflects the time when Yates has composed each of these ‘quiet portraits’ – late at night, when the world hushes for a time and creates a space where stories and melodies can make themselves heard.

Whenever I get frustrated at just how long it takes to write, rewrite, edit, read, and go again on my book manuscript, I take inspiration from my brother’s quiet determination. 

In a world that demands and rewards immediacy, it still takes strength, courage, and time to build a masterpiece.

The Quiet Portraits is released on vinyl and all digital platforms by Violette Records on 19 April.