The Rails – Other People
1 September 2017 – Sony / Red Essential
Critically acclaimed country/folk duo The Rails, Kami Thompson (daughter of Richard and Linda) and husband James Walbourne (Pretenders, Kinks, solo), made quite an entrance with their Fair Warning debut in 2014 on Island Records. The good news is that they’re back soon with a new album. Other People is to be released on September 1st via Sony / Red Essential.
If their debut is anything to go by then we can expect great things to come. Fair Warning was met with rapturous applause leading to them picking up the Horizon Award for Best New Act at Radio Two’s prestigious Folk Awards in 2015.
It wasn’t just in the studio that they worked their magic; they delivered pretty gritty live performances as well. In a live review of their Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen gig in 2014, Paul Woodgate summed it up:
“The set is just shy of 75 minutes and seems to last half that, but the quality is undeniable, as is the gritty, unpolished force of The Rails live. It would not surprise me at all if years from now far more people than were present say they were there – it was that sort of night. Don’t be fooled by the beauty of the album – there’s blood in these tracks.” Read the full review here.
Here they are performing Bonnie Portmore live. The track featured on their last album and is a ballad that laments the demise of Ireland’s old oak forests, specifically The Great Oak of Portmore, which fell in a windstorm in 1760, the wood from which was used for the building of ships. The duo discovered the ballad while searching for lost treasures in the folk archive at Cecil Sharp House.
Other People was recorded in Nashville and produced by Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams) the album features ten brand new Thompson/Walbourne original songs that showcase their trademark harmonies and vocal prowess.
The Rails 2014 debut album ‘Fair Warning’, produced by Edwyn Collins, had critics gushing. It was chosen as Mojo’s best folk album that year, and the band went on to be presented the Horizon Award for Best New Act at Radio Two’s prestigious Folk Awards in 2015. The new album lives up to expectations as we hear The Rails adopt a slightly harder-edged sound that incorporates elements of folk, 60’s pop, psychedelia and soul with a distinctively British flavour.
James is one of the country’s finest guitarists and full-time member of the Pretenders; he also plays with both Ray Davies and the Pogues. Kami is folk rock royalty, daughter of Richard and Linda Thompson, sister to Teddy. The couple began working together in 2011 and married the following year.
‘Other People’ was recorded at Room & Board Studios in Nashville and features James on guitars and keyboards, drummer Cody Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), bassist Jim Boquist (Son Volt) and Eric Heywood (Ray Lamontagne) on pedal steel. Kami lends her exquisite voice and acoustic guitar playing to the proceedings.
Following the album release The Rails embark on a full band UK tour, their first in two years as follows:
The Rails – Other People Tour
September 2017
Mon 11th GLASGOW, King Tuts
Tues 12th LEICESTER, Musician
Tue 13th HULL, The Adelphi
Thurs 14th HEBDEN BRIDGE, Trades Club
Fri 15th MANCHESTER, Deaf Institute
Mon 18th CAMBRIDGE, Junction 2
Tues 19th NORWICH, Arts
Wed 20th LONDON, Borderline
Thurs 21st NEWBURY, Arlington Arts
Immediately following these dates The Rails set out on a second UK tour taking in 14 major cities between September 30th and October 18th as main support to The Pretenders.
‘Other People’ Full Tracklisting
1. The Cally
2. Late Surrender
3. Other People
4. Drowned In Blue
5. Hanging On
6. Dark Times
7. Shame
8. Leaving The Land
9. Brick And Mortar
10. Mansion Of Happiness
http://www.therailsofficial.com