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From The Desk Of Pete Astor: “Walker” (Miles And Miles And Miles)

Pete Astor has been a staple of the British indie scene since the early ’80s, fronting a diverse number of outfits including the Loft, the Weather Prophets, the Wisdom Of Harry and Ellis Island Sound. He launched a solo career in 1990, as well, and is also a senior lecturer in music at the University of Westminster. Astor’s latest release is One For The Ghost (Tapete). He’ll be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week, writing about the origins of these songs and how they relate to the LP’s theme of past and future, complete with illustrations he created with Susanne Ballhausen.

Astor: My friend and Ellis Island Sound collaborator David Sheppard (boots on the right) is always the person that I look to when programming a record. He’s particularly good, I think, at nailing that all-important first song, the one that announces the record, the calling card. This time, he came up with “Walker,” and it felt right. Already at shows, this feels like an old favourite, like it’s always been there. Recently, a radio DJ introduced it as though it was an old song of mine that I was re-playing, which I think kind of proves the point.

Also, walking is the best. I rode a bike around London for 20 years, and that was great, too. But the slower and even-better walking has taken over. Good for your feet and good for your brain.

“Walker” DNA: