Live and locked down video here www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJfzKGHKh0M

Q. Pushing sixty seconds, Fragile, has an intro that, whilst not quite “Papa was a rollin’ stone”, it is pretty long. Was the intention to set the scene , build up the tension and then tell the story?
WB. No, the intro was actually how the song was written. I had come up with the tune as I was learning piano almost 20 years ago. It was a celtic kind of thing that I really liked but couldn't do anything with. When it came to writing “Fragile” I had some words and decided to put them to a version of the intro melody. The chorus melody just came automatically and we kept the long intro because it had fond memories for me.

Q. It’s perhaps the most roots country / gospel song on the album? The fiddle player Nick left the band during the recording of the album didn’t he?
WB. Yes which is a pity because his part on this and the other songs is great. Our sound has changed quite a bit over the last few years but there will always be a roots element to our songs which calls for mandolin and fiddle.
Q. So here, instrumentally there’s drums to the fore, a melancholic fiddle and horns that sound like a New Orleans funeral - are you pleased with the way that Johnny (Smillie) produced it ?
WB. Yes it sounds exactly how I wanted it to (although maybe a trombone in there would have made it even more New Orleans sounding) I always liked the horns in The Band songs and I think we were working towards that.

Live and locked down video here www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJfzKGHKh0M