WHEN we look back on the coronavirus pandemic, there will be a rare collection of songs that will have the distinction of being 'recorded during lockdown'.

One such piece of work features on the new Terribly Beautiful EP from Luke La Volpe - to be unveiled tomorrow (Friday, May 14). 

The three-track release features two songs premiered on Luke’s Tenement TV #2020Vision live session, and on tour earlier this year, plus a brand new song that was written and recorded while the country has been in lockdown.

That song - also called Terribly Beautiful - was co-written by The View frontman Kyle Falconer and has its origins in Luke’s Sofathon Singalong online festivals in support of the Music Venue Trust’s #SaveOurVenues campaign.

Following the first all-day event on April 4, Luke was contacted by the Scottish music legend, who had contributed a live set to the show.

Falconer sent a recording of a few lines of a song that he had started with the message: “I think you’d nail this”.

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser: Photo by Simon M ScottPhoto by Simon M Scott

La Volpe, 24, said: "I hadn’t decided on the third track for the EP before we all went into lockdown, so when everything went a bit crazy we put the idea on hold.

"After Sofathon, I was blown away that Kyle wanted to work on a song together. The View was the first band I went to see live when I was thirteen and I’ve supported him a couple of times since, but I never expected to write with him.

"The first lines ‘When I’m alone I feel nothing, when I’m with you I feel something’ blew me away, they summed up everything about the situation we’ve all found ourselves in.

"We threw it back and forth and it turned out to be an absolute banger and I thought: ‘this is the song we’ve been looking for’."

The recording process was a strange one - La Volpe enlisted the help of Stevie Anderson, who plays guitar in Kyle's solo project, and they laid down their parts individually.

Then, a producer in Bristol called Ali Chant merged it all together.

La Volpe added: "It was a pretty difficult process as we’ve never done anything like that before; most of us have never even done much proper home recording, but it’s turned out amazingly well.

"I’m really proud of it and it’s been great to have a big project like this to keep us busy and pulling together during this mad situation when we can’t even hang out together never mind get in the studio or play live.”

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser: Kyle Falconer co-wrote the title track on Luke La Volpe's new EP. Picture by Bazza MillsKyle Falconer co-wrote the title track on Luke La Volpe's new EP. Picture by Bazza Mills

The Bathgate singer will donate the first six months' sales proceeds of the song to three charities that are close to his heart – Music Venue Trust, for their work supporting grassroots music venues and of which Luke became a patron (alongside Sir Paul McCartney) after the first Sofathon event, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy and NHS Lothian Covid-19 Appeal.

“It feels right to support some really good causes with this song,” he continues, “especially as it only came about because of this crisis.

"I’m honoured to be a patron for the Music Venue Trust and we’ve done two Sofathon events to support them. We need those venues back after all this, so we all have places to play and see new bands.

"I went to the Nordoff Robbins Scottish Music Awards last year and the work they do helping people who find it hard to communicate in any other way is just mind-blowing.

"And, of course, our local NHS is doing us all proud so I really wanted to do something to help there. We’re lucky to live in a time when we can release new music online, so I'm just getting on with it.”