Running in parallel with The Red Clay Halo, Emily Barker is one third of the creative force in Vena Portae, an Anglo (Australian)-Swedish alt-folk band, in collaboration with songwriter and performer Dom Coyote and Swedish producer and multi-instrumentalist Ruben Engzell. The fourth member for the live band, percussionist Jesper Jonsson, also plays on the self titled debut album due for release in August.
Our Song Of The Day is the first single, Summer Kills, remixed by Peter Morén (lead singer of Peter, Bjorn and John). It’s one of the brighter poppier tracks on an album that also skirts some fairly dark musical atmospheres. Lyrically it typifies the album’s theme and is described as, “A song about longing, about a broken past and an uncertain future. A song about regret and vain hopes. A song about love.”
Summer Kills also features Mats “Magic” Gunnarsson on tenor and soprano sax and bass clarinet and like the rest of the album was recorded in a make shift studio, full to the rafters with analogue equipment, spring reverbs and assorted instruments in the tiny Swedish town of Mölnbo just outside Stockholm. It was all recorded over the course of a month back in 2012, when Vena Portae took advantage of being snowed in by writing and recording a selection of songs, 11 of which will make the album cut. We’ll bring more on the album closer to release, so watch this space.
Meanwhile, as this summer provides a suitable break in Emily’s always busy schedule to do the release justice and you’ll be able to see Vena Portae on tour, with more dates to be added imminently.
Tour Dates
15 August – The Goods Shed, Stroud
17 August – Beautiful Days festival, Devon
21 August – Square Tower, Southsea
22 August – Sound Knowledge, Marlborough
23 August – Union Music Store, Lewes
23 August – Music’s Not Dead, Bexhill
24 August – Purbeck Folk Festival
25 August – Swiss Cottage, Winchester
27 August – Green Note, London
30 August – Castle Hotel, Manchester
Order the Album here: http://venaportae.tmstor.es/