God Help the Girl: Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian Makes a Musical!

Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch —one of the finest songwriters, in any realm, of the last two decades— has announced a brand new project: God Help the Girl. That's the name/title of his brand new 'musical,' a narrative, character-based album unrelated to his rock'n'roll dayjob.

On tour with Belle & Sebastian in 2004, the twee-pop pin-up was out for a morning jog(!), and heard a song in his noggin that he knew wasn't made for the B&S ball. "I could hear female voices and strings, I could hear the whole thing, but I just couldn’t envisage myself singing it with the group," Murdoch recounts. As the tour went on, Murdoch conceived of more not-band-based songs, and started stringing them into a narrative. Now he's got a story that's worth talking about!

Thus, God Help the Girl was born. Vocally speaking, the Girl in question turns out to be Catherine Ireton. The leader of folkie duo The Go Away Birds (and one-time B&S cover-star on the "White Collar Boy" single) plays the story's leading lady, taking lead vocal on much of the record. Other guests belting it out over the 45-piece-orchestral-arrangements include Asya of teen-pop tyros Smoosh, and Neil Hannon, the pasty rake from the Divine Comedy.

Having already branched out from Belle & Sebastian thus far this year —with a rare solo cut on the monstrous Dark Was the Night compile— Murdoch will truly venture away from the band synonymous with his songwriting come June 23. That's when God Help the Girl is unveiled in full; on Matador Records in the North of America, and Rough Trade for the rest of the planet.

God Help the Girl
1. "Act of the Apostle" (vocalist: Catherine Ireton)
2. "God Help the Girl" (Ireton)
3. "Pretty Eve in the Tub" (Stuart Murdoch, Ireton)
4. "A Unified Theory" (instrumental)
5. "Hiding Neath My Umbrella" (Ireton, Murdoch)
6. "Funny Little Frog" (Brittany Stallings)
7. "If You Could Speak" (Ireton, Anna Miles)
8. "Musician Please Take Heed" (Ireton)
9. "Perfection as a Hipster (Neil Hannon, Ireton)
10. "Come Monday Night" (Ireton)
11. "Music Room Window" (instrumental)
12. "I Just Want His Jeans" (Asya from Smoosh)
13. "I'll Have to Dance With Cassie" (Ireton)
14. "A Down and Dusky Blonde" (various)