Grabbing a couple of minutes out of the Commonwealth Games mayhem Kris Drever tells us about his new Mareel EP with Éamonn Coyne. Look out for them at Sidmouth and touring in September.
Who are the others involved on Mareel?
We have Louise Thomason and Freda Leask on vocal duties, Graham Malcolmson on Double Bass, Margaret Scollay on Piano, Maurice Henderson and Ewen Thomson on Fiddles and Ross Couper on Fiddle and Snare Drum. Éamonn played Banjo and Tenor Guitar and I played Guitar. Also I played the Drums on the songs.
Why Mareel?
Mareel is the local cinema and arts centre and it’s where we recorded most of the EP, it has a beautiful sounding auditorium and is well set up for recording both in the main space and in other rooms and booths around the centre. It’s almost certainly the only facility in Shetland that could handle that size of ensemble and get such nice sounding results in such a short space of time (3 days tracking). It was a no brainer in terms of Shetland recording and the reason we decided to record in Shetland is because I live there. I wanted to meet my neighbours and making a recording with them was a good ice breaker.
Mareel, the UK’s most northerly music, cinema and creative industries centre.
What was the thinking in revisiting Winter Moon?
I like the song and we no longer perform it with Lau, I had worked a version of it up a couple of years ago for a BBC thing in Orkney so I already had the alternative vibe in my mind and with the big group available to me it seemed like a good time to put it down. I had always wanted to hear it in three part harmony and the lazy swing was how it started as a song. I think it’s come out as a pretty strong recording and different enough from the Lau version to be listened to without conjuring up the first recording.
What are the plans for the rest of the year?
I’m playing a lot of festivals with Lau and I have a tour with Éamonn in September, some writing with various people including Boo Hewerdine, Lau are writing and making a new album in between shows in South Korea, Brazil and Australia and in November we will host our next Lau-Land curation this time in Edinburgh at Queens Hall. There’s also some recording for some very interesting Breton musicians, Paul McGeechan and a project over in Ireland with Alan Kelly and Ian Carr among others, Phil Cunninghams Christmas show featuring Eddi Reader and Karen Matheson…. Actually, I’m off for a lie doon!
Interview by: Simon Holland
Kris Drever & Éamonn Coyne ‘Mareel’ EP (Reveal Records)
New 5 track EP out September 2014
Tour Dates
Aug 08 – Sidmouth Folk Festival, Sidmouth
Sep 09 – Mareel, Shetland
Sep 11 – The Platform, Morecambe,
Sep 12 – The AtkinsonSouthport,
Sep 13 – Forest Arts Centre, New Milton,
Sep 14 – Kings Place, London,
Sep 16 – Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham,
Sep 17 – Phoenix Arts Centre,Exeter,
Sep 18 – Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham,
Sep 19 – Folk House, Bristol,
Sep 20 – South Street Arts Centre, Reading,
Sep 21 – Arts Centre, Paisley,
http://krisdrever.com
http://www.eamonncoyne.com/