Premiere: Adam Masterson’s Delayed Fuse goes off

New album sparked by luck

Delayed Fuse, Adam Masterson’s new album, is a lesson in happy accidents, persistence, and what magic can happen when you pair great songwriting with a Who’s Who of top British studio musicians.

Masterson, a Londoner-turned-New Yorker, ran into James Hallawell (The Waterboys/Graham Parker) at a bar in London. Later, back in the UK for a bit, Masterson found himself free for a time and called Hallawell; that call led to a songwriting session. Ultimately, Hallawell co-produced Delayed Fuse, played piano and organ, co-wrote two songs and provided studio space—all proving that you never know what sharing a pint will lead to.

The duo was able to corral an all-star lineup of session players, many of whom had worked with Hallawell. The all-stars include Jeremy Stacey (King Crimson/Ryan Adams) on drums, his brother Paul Stacey (Oasis/The Black Crowes) and David Rhodes (Peter Gabriel/Scott Walker) on electric guitars, Charlie Jones (Page and Plant/Goldfrapp) and Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) on bass, Peter Tickell (Sting) on mandolin/violin. Flying back to England to record gave the record a unique spin. “It was all recorded in London, with very flamboyant, expressive players, very British in attitude. It has a quirky edge, something that tilts it on its own terra firma.”

The video was shot in New York, by Masterson’s wife Anna Gabriel (who is also a Brit and Peter Gabriel’s daughter), in their new home of New York City. Masterson told Elmore, “‘Take A Little Love’ was cut at the end of the first day of recording the album, it was recorded as an afterthought as we had a few more hours recording time, I showed the tune to the band and it was recorded real quick. The video is directed by my wife Anna, we shot the band footage at a studio in Greenpoint and shot the story stuff on the West Side Highway, Chelsea and the East Village.”

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