First Train Home
| "First Train Home" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | ||||
| Single by Imogen Heap | ||||
| from the album Ellipse | ||||
| Released | 10 July 2009 (radio) 14 July 2009 (digital) | |||
| Genre | Electronica, ambient | |||
| Length | 4:13 (album version) 3:34 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | Megaphonic | |||
| Songwriter | Imogen Heap | |||
| Producer | Imogen Heap | |||
| Imogen Heap singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "First Train Home" on YouTube | ||||
"First Train Home" is a song by British singer/songwriter Imogen Heap, and the only single off her third solo album Ellipse.
Background
[edit | edit source]Imogen Heap revealed a story behind the creation of the song in a few interviews. She claimed:[1]
"I was trying to project manage my studio, and the house and moving in never having done anything like that before is EXTREMELY stressful. [...] I was so stressed out. So my friend rang me up and said “I never see you anymore, why don’t you come down, you’re not making the record yet – come down”. So I went down to Brighton and all the way on the train I was making phone calls, and I wanted to just be back home working on it. [...] So we went out this festival – it was good – but being around music made me even more jittery like I should be doing more and getting home. I didn’t really have a good night really. I was trying so hard to be into the night and they were all nice people and everything but I just wasn’t into it, but I just couldn’t escape and I couldn’t get home and it was too late and lived three hours away. So I was stuck [...] Literally, you just want to scream and slap everyone around (not really slapping everyone around - joking), but you know you just don’t want to be there. Panic attack set in. Cold sweats. And I just wanted to get on the first train home basically. I did eventually – got the first train home, stayed up all night and wrote the song on the piano at home really quickly. What’s lovely about it is that I recorded the song in the studio which is directly underneath the dining room where the piano is. And then yesterday [says very excitedly], I filmed the video for it which is where I wrote the song!"
Premiere
[edit | edit source]The song premiered on Santa Monica's KCRW radio station[2] on 10 July at 10:30 PDT, accompanying a ten-minute interview with Heap. Within hours the song was uploaded onto multiple websites.
Release
[edit | edit source]"First Train Home" was released through iTunes US and iTunes Canada on 14 July, with the option to pre-order the full album Ellipse or its deluxe version. The song was released on other iTunes internationally on 15 July, also giving the option to pre-order Ellipse or its deluxe version.[3]
The song was also released onto Amazon.com on 14 July and Amazon.co.uk on 15 July.
Music video
[edit | edit source]There are two versions of the video for First Train Home.
First version
[edit | edit source]The first one was premiered on 17 August and directed by Es Devlin.[4] The video shows Imogen trapped in a zoetrope running through various hallways, through people holding drinks and speaking, some of them almost transparent. The video features a change of different camera angles and perspectives.[5] The video shoot took place on 29 and 30 June.[6][7]
Second version
[edit | edit source]As Imogen was not happy with the result she decided to direct herself an alternative video for the song.[8][9] The shoot took place on 15 August at the artist's house.[10][11] The video shows Imogen surrounded by many party-goers in a fancy dress.
Live performances
[edit | edit source]Imogen Heap performed the song for the very first time live on the Late Show with David Letterman. The episode was taped on 24 August and aired 28 August.[12][13]
She also played the track live on WNYC's show Soundcheck along with another "Ellipse" song, "Half Life" on 25 August.[14]
Charts
[edit | edit source]| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[15] | 63 |
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[16] | 6 |
Track listing
[edit | edit source]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "First Train Home" | 4:13 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "First Train Home" | 4:12 |
| 2. | "First Train Home (Jon Hopkins remix)" | 3:06 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 3. | "First Train Home (Immi's party version)" | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Making of First Train Home (Immi's party version)" | 2:51 |
References
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- ^ Imogen Heap surprise interview. KCRW. 10 July 2009.
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- ^ "Imogen Heap Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ^ "Imogen Heap Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
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