The Attention Seekers Show Us The Sight Of The ‘Seven Bridges’

Songs about home or hometowns are everywhere in the world of music. Personally, a lot of them can be cliche, but some are something special. Well crafted lyrics with an honest delivery helps the listener connect in a way that may provoke memories about the place/area (both past and present). A song with that quality is the recently released “Seven Bridges” by The Attention Seekers. A track co-wrote by founding members Alan Fish and John Leslie about their hometown of Newcastle. 

The song came about after lockdown stopped a return trip to perform in America. Fish decided to use the time to focus on The Attention Seekers upcoming album. He worked on new and old material, but also on tunes from his previous projects White Heat and The Loud Guitars. 

One of these tracks included the new single “Seven Bridges”. While tinkering with the track, Fish (Guitars, Bass, Backing vocals) worked with Sarah Arthur (violin), Tony Davis (keyboards), Stu Haikney (drums), with Nadeem Shakir and Rachel Shakir (both adding additional backing vocals). He brought in the vocal talents of fellow ‘Geordie’ Sam Blewitt to help give his lyrics that special something. 

As the song opens up, Fish’ gentle acoustic guitar sets a relaxed mood. Soon, Blewitt mirrors the tone with the delivery of the opening lines, “Feel the beat of the city tonight / See them all dressed in black down in Old Eldon Square / Feel the heat in the city tonight / In the streets of Newcastle tonight”. As a local, Old Eldon Square was a popular hangout place referred to by some as ‘Hippy Green’ and the area attracted a lot of goths. Due to its modernisation, this place does not have the same attraction as it used to have. But, the lyrics brought back some happy memories. 

As the song progresses, the lyrics talk about other iconic areas of Newcastle. They take the listener on a journey down to the Quayside, where you can see the seven bridges. One of which is the iconic Tyne Bridge, which makes everyone think of the city. They also mention The Mayfair, a legendary music venue that is no longer with us.  The soundtrack has a laid back vibe, including some electric guitars in its latter parts. 

But, “Seven Bridges” stands out because of how Blewitt shares their lyrics. He delivers each word with pride, giving them more of a personal feel. Doing so makes the listener more engaged with the story. Its chorus is a great singalong that sounds even better as the song comes to a close. It makes the listener want to sing along the lines, “Well this much I know wherever I go / seven bridges will carry me home”. 

The Attention Seekers release ‘Seven Bridges’ which the locals would describe as a ‘canny song about the toon’

As mentioned earlier, The Attention Seekers are getting ready to release a new album. As well as “Seven Bridges” they released other tracks to showcase what people can expect from it. Of the five singles, including “Seven Bridges”, “The Girl With The Jukebox Mind”, and “Do Me A Favour” are more great examples of their talents at work. From the calibre of their music so far, it is an album not to be missed.