Life In A Northern Town

Zoo Freaks, get ready to vibe with some cool trivia about Life In A Northern Town by The Dream Academy! This dreamy tune, released in 1985, was written by band members Nick Laird-Clowes and Gilbert Gabriel in a Southgate bedsit, strumming on a guitar once owned by folk legend Nick Drake. In a 2011 Mojo magazine interview, Laird-Clowes shared that they aimed to craft a folk song with an African-style chant chorus, inspired by the haunting melodies of Drake, whose guitar he used—the same one pictured on Drake’s Bryter Layter album cover. The song, dedicated to Drake, isn’t about him but captures the economic struggles of Newcastle, UK, reflecting the collapse of the shipping industry. Laird-Clowes told The Guardian in 2024 that when he played an early version for Paul Simon, Simon suggested changing the title from “A Hey Ah Ma Ma Ma” to Life in a Northern Town, as no one would know how to ask for the former in a record store. Produced with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, the track’s ethereal sound, blending strings, woodwinds, and synths, hit No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 15 in the UK.

Here’s a wild story from the song’s video shoot! The first music video was filmed in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, during a freezing Siberian gale. Laird-Clowes recounted to The Guardian that a child actor, slathered in lipstick, was so fed up he declared, “I’m going to wipe this muck off my face and go home to my mum!” The second video, shot in Newcastle, featured concert footage mixed with scenes from Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester, and Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, tying into the song’s theme of industrial decline. Fun fact: the song has been covered by artists like Sugarland, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen in 2008, earning Grammy and CMA nominations, and even got a fresh spin in 2025 by Justin Hayward and Mike Batt with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Oh, and Zoo Crew, you might’ve heard it in King of the Hill, where it underscored Luanne’s encounter with Buckley’s angel!

Now, let’s rewind to how The Dream Academy got started. The band formed in 1983 as a trio: Nick Laird-Clowes (vocals, guitar), Kate St John (woodwinds, piano), and Gilbert Gabriel (keyboards). Laird-Clowes and Gabriel first crossed paths in the late 1970s when Laird-Clowes was in a band called The Act. Inspired by a mix of classical, jazz, folk, and Nick Drake’s melancholic sound, they wanted to break away from the UK’s power pop scene. Initially calling themselves Politics of Paradise, they aimed to create a unique “songscape” with lush instrumentation—think strings, timpani, and synths. Kate St John, formerly of The Ravishing Beauties, joined after meeting Laird-Clowes at a party. By 1984, Warner Brothers signed them, and their debut album, co-produced by David Gilmour, dropped in 1985, with Life in a Northern Town as the standout hit. Though they never matched that success, their music, including tracks like The Edge of Forever from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, left a mark on 1980s dream pop.

Zoo Freaks, want to connect with The Dream Academy online? Unfortunately, the band doesn’t have an active official website or social media presence, as they disbanded in 1991 and only briefly reunited in the 2010s. However, you can check out Nick Laird-Clowes’ work and updates via his X account. For fan vibes, head to the r/TheDreamAcademy subreddit on Reddit, where fans discuss the band and the 2023 survival show (unrelated but shares the name). There’s also a Dream Academy Fan Group on Facebook for those craving more nostalgic chats. Keep spinning those records, Zoo Crew, and let Life in a Northern Town take you to that wistful, northern dreamland!