Watch Supergrass star Gaz Coombes’ new single with choir for homeless people

Since 2008, the Choir with No Name has harnessed the power of song to offer people impacted by homelessness a safe space where they can express themselves without being labelled or judged. Earlier this year, their Birmingham choir acquired a surprise guest member – Supergrass frontman and Mercury nominated solo artist Gaz Coombes.

Together, they recorded a live version of Coombes’s single, Long Live the Strange and filmed a music video which has been released on Coombes’s YouTube channel today. You can watch the video below. The single will also be hitting streaming services soon.

The collaboration came about whilst Coombes was in town to play a show at The Mill in Digbeth, as part of his UK tour in April. A fan of the charity’s work, he invited to choir down to sing with him before the gig. Their contribution brought a whole new dimension to the song, he said.

“It was such a pleasure to meet and spend time with the brilliant folks from the Choir With No Name,” said Coombes. “There was a lot of love in the room that afternoon and their energy and joyous performance elevated the track even higher. I’m so happy we got to do this together. I look forward to seeing all the guys again soon… and maybe do another song!”

Being part of the Choir with No Name helps members gain the vital life skills and renewed sense of purpose that can be a vital part of someone’s journey away from homelessness.

Choir member Steve said singing with Gaz Coombes was a very special part of his journey. “Singing with Gaz and his band was totally out of this world, one of the best experiences of my life!” he added. “He made us all feel very conformable and relaxed, a real worldwide superstar!”

The Choir with No Name was founded in 2008 and has since expanded to meet the growing need for their services. They now sing with upwards of 700 people a year across six choirs in Birmingham, Liverpool, London, Coventry, Brighton and Cardiff.

Each rehearsal ends with a hot meal for the singers – for some, the only hot meal they get in the week.

The collaboration with Gaz Coombes is hugely exciting for the Choir with No Name, according to their communications and operations officer Hayley Thompson. Not only did they love the experience, she said, but the single also offers a brilliant opportunity to amplify choir members’ voices and raise awareness of the charity’s mission to empower as many homeless and marginalised people as possible to showcase their talents, and build positive, joyful singing communities. 

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Members of the choir say it has been important for building their confidence. “If my life was a ladder, when I joined choir I was on the bottom rung,” said Liverpool choir member Dan. “Choir is a really happy space – I’ve made a lot of life-long friends. Coming to choir was the start of me climbing up that ladder and becoming the confident person I am today.”

Birmingham choir member Bill said coming to rehearsals had helped him find a reason to live. “People don’t realise that anybody can find themselves homeless for all sorts of reasons,” he said. “I was lost and didn’t know how to find any direction. Quite simply, Choir with No Name has given me something to live for.”

Read more about the Choir with No Name here. See Gaz Coombes’ tour dates here.