One of the highlights of this year’s Celtic Connections was The Shee’s launch of their Continuum Project; you can read our live review of the launch here. The project, which marked the band’s ten-year milestone saw them involve some of the biggest, most respected names in the folk music genre. Each member commissioned a British folk musician hero to write an original piece specifically with the band in mind. In a running series of guests posts on Folk Radio UK they each shared their reasons for choosing their particular hero, you can read them here. The chosen musicians were: Andy Cutting, Brian Finnegan, Karine Polwart, Martin Simpson, Kathryn Tickell and Chris Wood.
This month (23 September 2016) sees the release of the Continuum album, an aural souvenir of that collaboration, ten tracks varying in theme and influence but bound by exquisite craftwomanship. There might be six performers in the band, and multi-instrumental skills in abundance, but each track allows the narrative – be that words or melody – to take centre stage with accompaniment that is never the most obvious choice but complements naturally.
Songs are delivered by full-bodied, confident vocals, a call to arms, like the curious ‘Cradle Song’ where Olivia Ross continues to sing even when the storm is closing in around her. Tunes are wordless songs, where instrumental interplay conveys the message just as easily as lyrics, like the talkative fiddles in ‘The Vampire Rabbit of Newcastle’. Invocation of atmosphere and ambience is evidently of utmost importance to The Shee, too, with instruments and textures permitted to shift and mutate as the imagined scene dictates.
Continuum is the powerful product of a unique collaboration, of which the band and their contributors should be proud. Lead single, ‘Song For Mary‘, composed by Karine Polwart, will be released on Friday 9 September, listen to it for the first time below:
Caption Competition
The Shee head out on tour later this month and to celebrate, we have a fun caption competition to win a pair of tickets* to one of their tour dates (details below).
To enter please email your caption for the image above (that’s Rachel Newton centre stage) to info@klofmag.com along with the subject heading “The Shee” and your name and your choice of gig from the dates below. Closing date for entries is 10:00am on 14 September 2016. A winner will be chosen by The Shee shortly after.
Continuum Tour Dates 2016
23.09 Eden Court, Inverness
24.09 Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (Scottish launch)
29.09 The Hug and Pint, Glasgow
30.09 Caird Hall, Dundee
1.10 Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
14.10 King’s Place, London (English launch)
15.10 The Platform, Morecambe
*Terms & conditions apply:
- Only one entry per household.
- Winners will be chosen by The Shee.
- The winners will be informed by / or on behalf of The Shee.
- The winner and winning caption will be posted on Folk Radio UK.
- Your information will not be shared with any other parties other than the winner’s contact details which will be passed on to The Shee for notification of their win and details of the gig and tickets.