The acoustic project marks a long-awaited return to live performance, and a new creative approach to Sniff’n’the Tears songs new and old.
Since their last European tour in 1992, the band have continued to record and have released four albums, but despite frequent talk of getting the band back on the road they hadn’t performed live. Les had the idea of playing as an acoustic duo with Paul, and together they launched the acoustic project with a fantastically received sell-out show in London in October 2018, followed by two further UK performances.
The gigs were stripped back and intimate performances, opening up a new way to present the songs and connect to an audience.
The latest Sniff’n’the Tears Acoustic album Jump, released January 2020, is about that discovery. The album includes previously unrecorded songs as well as songs from previous Sniff’n’the Tears albums, ranging from 1978’s Fickle Heart to 2017’s Random Elements.
“I spent two years in Paris in the seventies, singing in a restaurant. I did my own stuff plus a bit of Leadbelly and more topical fare. So getting back into playing the songs on a more personal level is something I’ve missed.
Making an acoustic album with Les was a great way to really explore the songs in the way of the troubadours, off the cuff and from the heart, with less concern for ‘the arrangement’.”
Read more about the story behind the new album Jump, listen to samples, and buy the album here:
Paul Roberts and Les Davidson launched the new album at a small and intimate gig at the Harrison in London in March 2020. Two larger shows were planned for the Netherlands, but due to the Covid-19 crisis all gigs were cancelled.
Since then there have been rescheduled gigs in the Netherlands, as well as gigs in London, with more planned. Sign up to our email list (below) or like us on Facebook for new date announcements.
Previous shows
Paul roberts, at the slaughtered lamb in london
Les Davidson, at the slaughtered lamb in london
Some song snippets from a night at the Little Rabbit Barn, UK, 2019:
