‘Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art— Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night’ John Keats.
The new Winter single from Folk Singer Songwriter Emily Mae Winters inspired by the themes of fate, love and transience in John Keats’ poem Bright Star.
Building on the substantial success of her first EP, Foreign Waters (reviewed here), released in July 2016, her debut album ‘Siren Serenade’ will be released in April 2017, and will include, this current single, The Star. The record is being co-produced by BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner Ben Walker (musical partner to Josienne Clarke) and Lauren Deakin- Davies (Laura Marling). There are 12 tracks on the album, a combination of self-penned and traditional folk songs which draw inspiration from poetry, myths and stories of love, loss, fate and memory.
The album will feature a host of top names, including Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage, Lukas Drinkwater and others too – with choral and ensemble arrangements that will leave the listener in no doubt that – this writer, performer, and interpreter of traditional and original folk song is set to make much noise about the place in the coming year.
Siren Serenade will be launched at The Teahouse Theatre in London on 15 April 2017 and officially released in the UK on Friday 14 April 2017. Full UK tour dates listed below.
Spreading her wings internationally, Emily will also be going to Kansas City, USA, with the English Folk Song and Dance Society (EFDSS) to showcase at Folk Alliance International in February 2017 in Kansas City.
Siren Serenade – UK Album and Launch Tour
(Confirmed dates- more TBC)
1st April Bournemouth- St Andrew’s Church, Kinson
3rd April Brighton – Brighton Acoustic Session
6th April Leicester – The Musician
7th April Coventry- The Comfy Bookshop
9th April Milton Keynes- The Stables Theatre
11th April Birmingham- Kitchen Garden Cafe
15th April Siren Serenade Album Launch- London– Tea House Theatre *
19th April Essex- Epping Folk Club
28th April Cambridge- Cambridge Folk Club
2nd May Northampton- Great Knight Folk Club
7th May Hitchin Folk Club
12th May Royston – Royston Folk Club
22nd June Norwich- The Guildhall
*With full choir and ensemble
Photo Credit: Elly Lucas