British soul institution The James Hunter Six unveil “Here And Now,” the luminous centerpiece from their album ‘Off The Fence,’ out now on Easy Eye Sound. The track moves with warmth and restraint, carried by Hunter’s lilting guitar and hushed vocal delivery. It is arguably the most beautiful moment on the record, a love song that feels suspended in time.
The story begins in New York. “I first got talking to Jessie at a gig I was playing in New York. A year later she came to a show in Wilmington. We struck up a friendship, stayed in contact and had our first date in Jamaica, NY after I had played in New York with Van Morrison,” Hunter says. A wedding detour, a borrowed window of time, and a looming flight home set the scene.
“She drove from her cousin’s wedding in New Jersey to meet me, and we hung out for a couple of days before I had to fly home,” he continues. “With perfect timing, just as I was reluctantly making my way to the departure gate, she threw herself at me from behind in a frantic rugby tackle. We embraced, and I saw a tear in her eye. I told her I loved her, something I’d never done on a first date. And I’ve felt that way ever since. This song’s about her.”
GRAMMY-nominated and hailed by MOJO as The United Kingdom’s Greatest Soul Singer, James Hunter marks four decades since his recording debut with ‘Off The Fence.’ The twelve-track collection also features the blues-charged “A Sure Thing” and the Van Morrison duet “Ain’t That A Trip.” Backed by Myles Weeks, Rudy Albin Petschauer, Andrew Kingslow, Michael Buckley and Drew Vanderwinckel, The James Hunter Six deliver timeless rhythm and soul with authority.