Record Store Day is almost upon us and one of Folk Radio UK’s favourites has announced the release of the vinyl only Songs From The River EP. It’s very limited to a pressing of only 500. For fans of Emily it is of course an essential purchase, but for fans of the black stuff, there is extra interest, in that it was recorded direct to vinyl. This means that each side was recorded live in a single take, including the gap of silence between tracks, with no facility for overdubs, corrections or anything.
The fours songs are cover versions of some of the foundation blocks of or stepping stone to Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo’s Dear River. Each has a unique personal connection and inspirational quality. Whether it’s Emily learning to sing by wearing out a copy of Aretha’s Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, from which Dan Penn’s Do Right Woman, Do Right Man, or the long car journeys across Australia that led to Springsteen’s Tunnel of Love and especially Tougher Than The Rest, becoming indelibly engrained. Then there’s Patti Smith’s Easter and the Tom Waits’ song Day After Tomorrow that come via the singing of Linda Thompson.
They are four songs that create a template of aspirations and framework for Emily to further develop her own songwriting skills. She talks about them and the recording process in this video (by Kieran Short):
Tracklist for ‘Songs Beneath The River’:
SIDE A
1. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
2. Easter
SIDE B
1. Tougher Than The Rest
2. Day After Tomorrow
Label: Everyone Sang
Cat No. ES141V
Limited Edition 10″ Vinyl EP
Release date: Record Store Day – 19th April 2014
In-Store Appearances
Emily and her band will also make a number of in-store appearances over the Easter weekend, playing at four stores on Record Store Day itself.
Fri 18 Apr
Union Music Store, Lewes, 3pm
Sat 19 Apr
Brill, Exmouth Market, London, 9am
Banquet, Kingston, 11am
Pie & Vinyl, Southsea, 2pm
Music’s Not Dead, Bexhill, 5.30pm
Sun 20th Apr
Sound Knowledge, Marlborough, 3pm
Tues 22nd Apr
Trading Post, Stroud, 7pm