The home demo recording of Mike Scott’s new song A Wild Holy Band, a ten minute-plus epic narrative starring a handsome taxi driver, two sad lovers, a crumbling druid college and a roll-call of gods, sailors, literary characters and at least one briefly-glimpsed Waterboy, will get its unexpected world premiere on a music CD accompanying the July edition of the American arts magazine Believer. The recording is a rare opportunity to hear Mike’s work behind the scenes, to experience a song in the raw before it has been taken to the band, and it features only a drum machine and Mike’s own vocal, guitar and piano. The CD comes with Believer’s annual music issue, and among the 13 other artists included are Stuart Moxham, Lisa Germano, Lloyd Cole, David Sylvian, Mary Margaret O’Hara and Stephen Duffy. The magazine comes out is available now from here.

LET THE EARTH BEAR WITNESS, The Waterboys’ video/song tribute to the Iranian protesters is now uploaded to youtube with the song’s lyric, written by W.B. Yeats, in Farsi (Persian) subtitles. View it here.