We’re delighted to be continuing our relationship with Simone Felice by releasing two albums in one lovely package.

Simone Felice is the singer/songwriter in The Duke & The King and was previously a member of The Felice Brothers with siblings Ian and James.

It is Ian Felice that features alongside Simone on this collection of songs. They have been released as two separate albums on CD, ‘The Big Empty: Lost Tapes Volume I’ and ‘Mexico: Lost Tapes Volume II’, but we decided to package them together in a gatefold double LP. The CDs came in brown cardboard slip cases with simple ink images, we’ve replicated this as closely as possible with the vinyl packaging.

The songs were all recorded at Simone’s home in New York State by his Duke & The King bandmate and long time friend, Bobby ‘Chicken’ Bird.

The songs on Volume I were recorded way back in October 2002 with Volume II following in February 2004. These raw recordings are the sound of Simone and Ian honing the sound that would later make their bands darlings of the Americana scene. Both brothers’ bands have earned comparisons with Bob Dylan and The Band in the past, these songs certainly wear those influences on their sleeve but are stripped down to just the soulful voices of two brothers, acoustic guitar, piano and loose drums.

No studio magic, no overdubs, just two talented individuals learning their craft in the years leading up to The Felice Brothers’ breakthrough release, 2007’s ‘Tonight At The Arizona’.