The Balky Mule - The Lenght of the Rail

01] dust bath birds
02] before too long
03] jisaboke
04] a moth
05] blinking
06] wireless
07] chalk
08] the length of the rail
09] range
10] illuminated numbers
11] paper crane
12] instead
13] we sometimes write
14] glass boat
15] tell me something sweet

Currently resident in Melbourne, Australia, The Balky Mule is the alias of Sam Jones, a highly
talented, self-taught multi-instrumentalist, who over the past decade or more has been a key member of the vibrant Bristol post-rock scene, playing in numerous bands, both live or on records, including Movietone and Crescent (alongside his bandleader brother, Matt), Flying Saucer Attack, Minotaur Shock, and Third Eye Foundation. During this time The Balky Mules' home-recorded releases have been confined to a handful of compilation tracks, remixes and tapes swapped among friends.

For his first solo set back in 2000, Sam was booked to open for Pram at the legendary Cube
Cinema in Bristol. In a worrying stroke of luck for a first gig, the venue burned down the night
before, cancelling his debut. The Cube recovered from the damage and the show with Pram was later rescheduled, with a line-up extended to include his brother Matt and Kate from Crescent and Movietone. Sporadic live shows in the years since have veered between analogue synth solos and songs sung to the accompaniment of Tom Cops' (of My Two Toms) banjo, plotting a course between electronic instrumentals and acoustic songs. Other treasured helpers have included Francois Marry, George McKenzie, Naoto Kawate and Peter Emptage.