I reviewed this band some time ago on our old site, I’ve been spending the week going through a lot of past music we’ve featured and this band, amongst many are being re-introduced into our playlist.
The band fall under the genre Nu-Nordic, which, by definition, combines Scandinavian music with traditions from the British Isles. This cross collaboration has been growing and bands such as the Auvo Quartet, Baltic Crossing, Boreas and Fribo have been leading in the field. What makes Samling stand out is their incorporation of Gaelic into the mix, at the time of my last review they were the only band doing this.
The line-up has changed slightly: Fronted by vocal duo ..Anne Sofie Linge Valdal.. (..Fribo, Jim Sutherland, Andi Neate..) and ..Naomi Harvey.. (..Lurach..), the songs are combined with guitar, five-string fiddle, whistle and flute to create musical landscapes unlike anything you have heard before… .. The songs are intertwined with instrumental arrangements from ..Tom Oakes.. (..The Auvo Quartet..) on guitar and samples, and ..Jon Bews.. (..ex-Malinky, Cantrip..) on fiddle, combined with whistle from Naomi and the unusual and captivating sound of Anne Sofie’s Norwegian willow flute.
From our last review:
Their ability to combine the Scottish Gaelic Tradition with that of Norway to meld the beauty of both cultures into a magical and masterful sound. The result is both unique and captivating. There is a kindred spirit between both Scottish and Nordic cultures that the music of Samling brings to life by evoking the rich musical tapestry of both lands in all their beauty. The talent of these musicians are exceptional in their ability to capture the essence of both cultures. Samling are currently unsigned and Folk Radio UK is very fortunate to be among the first to play this on radio.
Samling was inspired by the musical experience of Anne Sofie, a traditional singer from the north-west of Norway, whilst living in Scotland. Whilst she was being drawn towards the traditions of Gaelic Scotland, Naomi Harvey was also contemplating how to bring Gaelic and Scandinavian music together. Both paths were destined to cross and fortunately for us they did.”….
There is no album release yet so listen out for them on Folk Radio UK!