WATCH: First Congress – Good Problem
First Congress are delighted to share the official video for upcoming single Good Problem, released August 19th 2016. The video stars 28-year-old Australian dancer Sarah Jane Potter who explores the song’s themes of conflict and tension with movement. Sarah moved to the UK from Queensland to find the opportunities to properly explore her exceptional contemporary and balletic skills amongst the richness of our European culture.
First Congress’ leader, Tom Van Can said of her, “Sarah was a real trooper; I’m a boxer and I know 3 minutes in the ring – the length of a boxing round – is a killer and dancing the 3 minutes of the Good Problem choreography is probably harder and she danced the whole thing 32 times – imagine any boxer doing that!”
Sarah danced in an old 1940’s tennis court now overgrown with silver birch, nettles and thistles. Sarah joked, “Where I come from the animals attack you. I never thought in England I’d get attacked by plants! Stinging nettles, who the hell invented those?!”
The video also has guest appearances from Clyde the Harris Hawk, who Sarah loved working with, “I love animals and I felt I had a real connection with this wonderful wild raptor”, she says, “I had no fear just respect!”
First Congress are not your usual band, they are more of a musical alliance. Led by Tom Van Can – a multi-instrumentalist, lyricist, singer and composer – First Congress is a collaboration between singers, players and producers from a wealth of different backgrounds.
Tender and stirring new single ‘Good Problem’ features lead vocals from welsh singer Bronwen Lewis (seen singing solo in the hit movie Pride). The track was written by Tom Van Can, mixed by Ash Howes and produced by John Reynolds. At the core of ‘Good Problem’ is tension – the struggle of difficult, hopeless and impossible love. “So often in matters of the heart it is instinct that leads us – the unconscious brain – and it takes the slow logical brain to catch up. When it does it carries a dagger in its hands,” explains Tom Van Can.
Tom wrote most of upcoming debut album ‘On A Promise’ from a female point of view, which gives the record an organic sense of tension as he was stretched between the female and male perspective. “All the great music I love has within it the tension between anticipation and regret, light and dark, pleasure and pain,” says Tom, “I have tried to explore – from different angles and in various ways – forbidden, challenging, cataclysmic love and in the end offer peace, hope, joy, congress and reunion.”
First Congress started as a group of like-minded artists making music to satisfy their artistic appetites. This was until BBC Radio 2 caught wind of their track ‘The First’ and swiftly added it to their playlist – it was a prevalent fixture across the stations shows with an unprecedented number of spins. This unexpected success and realisation they had started something special propelled Tom Van Can into action and plans to officially release First Congress’ creations started to form.
Influenced by his love of Miriam Makeba, Edith Piaf and Nico, Tom Van Can has naturally written songs for female vocalists. Joining Bronwen on First Congress’ upcoming debut album is Irish singer Pauline Scanlon ably supported by Zalika King and Simone Daley Richards (backing vocalists for Adele).
Other key members of First Congress are producer John Reynolds (Damien Dempsey, U2), guitarist Graham Kearns (Sinead O’Connor, George Michael), Kevin Armstong – Bowie’s guitarist for 10 years – bassist Clare Kenny (Edwyn Collins) and Iggy Pop’s keys player Seamus Beaghen.
First Congress’ are excited to be releasing their debut album ‘On A Promise’ soon. Watch this space.
Watch the video here
