“Raise A Glass For My Brother comes from the loss of a dear close friend and band member who had been part of the Southerlies’ core for many years. Faisal Sketty was a much loved and admired chromatic harmonica player who had been on the Hampshire/Portsmouth music scene for many years and was taken away far too soon.

This song tells the story of how he is missed and just what he meant to all the people around him.
In an ironic twist the Southerlies were writing a lot of slower ballad and folky type songs back in 2020. Faisal’s big inspiration was Stevie Wonder, so this song is an upbeat homage to that era and to the type of song that Faisal would have loved to play along with.

The Southerlies vocal harmonies keep this song expressive and alive, and incorporate some of those classic epic guitar riffs that you expect to hear in the middle sections. You will even hear a tribute harmonica part from the Southerlies bass player, Sam Cutbush, to boot.

Raise A Glass to this time of year, ‘Raise A Glass For My Brother’, peace and love to you all.”

– Ross Murphy Southerlies