Premiere: Spottiswoode's "Majesty"

When Soundcheck goes off the air at 3 p.m., we occasionally record an extra song with our in-studio guests. Jonathan Spottiswoode was one of them – and he lived to tell the tale. Below, the ringleader of the New York-based ensemble Spottiswoode and His Enemies describes the not-so-live experience and unveils a brand-new song called “Majesty” that’s available exclusively from Soundcheck.

So the live show finishes, John Schaefer says goodbye to his listeners, and then we are asked to play another song for the podcast. It is a strange moment. We have already been singing to an invisible audience and now they're both invisible and at some virtual point in the future. But the great music and soccer connoisseur is still sitting with us in the studio, wearing his Arsenal shirt and crowned with a pair of headphones. He's listened live to just about everybody imaginable. At the very least we can serenade him.

The song is called "Majesty" and this is the first recording of it in existence. It belongs to a group of pastoral songs that we will record in the studio some time soon. "Majesty" uses words like birds, trees, river, field, etc. and thus proves how remarkably in touch with nature I am. I almost used the word squirrels too but I didn't want to show off. I hope you like it. --Spottiswoode