Rachael McShane, while best known as an original member of folk big band Bellowhead, has more recently been taking to the stage as Susannah Holmes, one of the leading roles in the latest adaptation of Peter Bellamy’s The Transports. Rachel played opposite Henry Cabell, played by Sean Cooney, and together they provided some of the most moving moments of the production which featured The Young’uns, Faustus, Nancy Kerr, Greg Russell and Matthew Crampton.
Rachael is now working on an exciting new solo project, Rachael McShane & The Cartographers, reworking traditional songs with a brand new band, featuring guitarist Matthew Ord (Assembly Lane), melodeon player Julian Sutton (Kathryn Tickell, Sting) and Dan Rogers (The Unthanks) on double bass. Rachael is heading into the studio later this year and will be releasing her new album in 2018. Ahead of this she has revealed a new video for Sylvie, which you can watch below:
Rachael shared the followng about the song and forthcoming new album: “I’m so happy to announce my new band and plans for a new album, and to share this preview video with you. Sylvie is a version of the song The Female Highwayman or Sovay. I stitched it together from lyrics found in dusty old books and websites and wrote a new melody and arrangement. The video was made with my good friend Ian Stephenson (Simpson Street Studios) who just happened to be hanging out at the big library we were playing in! We recorded the song earlier in the year as a little taster of things to come and will be re-recording it along with more arrangements of traditional songs and tunes later in the year.”
Rachael McShane & The Cartographers will be playing a handful of select shows towards the end of the year and then tour dates to follow next year.
Find out more here: www.rachaelmcshane.co.uk
Photo Credit: Georgia Claire