Palmer Edition Iv: Close To Home

The essence of the duo formed by pianist Bill Laurance and bassist and oud player Michael League: say a lot with very little - a concept that, through two albums released to date and acclaimed concerts, has earned them a following that, for once, truly deserves to be called "cult". For their third album together, "Close to Home", Bill Laurance and Michael League retreated to a magical place: Château Palmer in the Bordeaux region - home to some of the world's finest Grands Crus, as well as a place of creativity and exchange. Since 2023, this setting has provided the backdrop for an annual release in the "ACT x Palmer" series, jointly initiated by ACT director and producer Andreas Brandis and Château Palmer director Thomas Duroux."When we arrived at Château Palmer in late April of 2026, time instantly slowed down. It's a place where nature is encouraged to do it's thing, given all the time it needs, and that felt like the perfect setting to record." Bill Laurance and Michael League recall. The tranquillity and beauty of the location helped them capture the essence of their collaboration more vividly than ever: "Close to Home" goes deeper into what the duo is in it's purest form. From the writing to the performances, to the way in which Nic Hard recorded it, we are trying to get closer to the root of what we are doing as two musicians in dialogue - simple, exposed, and raw." What this means can be heard from the very first track, "Luray", in it's intimacy and immediacy. You can hear the musicians breathing as they play, the sound of the oud's strings and the muted knocking of the piano mechanism; in the spaces between the notes, birdsong drifts in from the gardens of the château. It is this sense of closeness - being in the same room with the musicians - that runs through the entire album and gives it it's special appeal. As Michael League puts it: "we're inviting the listener into this house with us rather than trying to put on a show for them." Many of the album's pieces were created at night, often between 2 and 5 a.m. - a circumstance that further enhances the music's tranquillity and intimacy. Like it's predecessors, "Where You Wish You Were" and "Keeping Company", "Close To Home" is a song- album. Rather than focusing on individual styles, the pieces revolve around distinctive moods, carried by clear melodies and rhythms that appear effortless while revealing just how closely and precisely Bill Laurance and Michael League play together. As Bill Laurance says: "The beauty of this duo is that there is no style that's off the table". The music draws on a wide range of sources: Western and Eastern music, influences from North and South America and the Mediterranean, pop, jazz, blues, folk, minimal music.. For Bill Laurance and Michael League, all of this forms the vocabulary of a shared musical language developed over more than 20 years of collaboration and close friendship. Ultimately, "Close To Home" is a celebration of human connection. The recording sessions were accompanied by shared meals and conversations among the musicians and members of the ACT & Château-Palmer family. These encounters shaped the music so profoundly that Bill Laurance and Michael League ultimately came to a shared conclusion: "We have decided to only do records like this for at least the next few years. Quick sessions in non-typical recording spaces with good friends, food, and drink. Make it more like a celebration. No time to overthink, second-guess, fixate ourselves on small details. Keep it natural, keep it human."