The British expeditions in search of the NW Passage through the North of Canada and in particular the loss of Franklin’s expedition to the ice during the 19th Century affected many. The Navy and families who waited at home, the Inuit encountered and the British public who looked on from afar and seemed to signal the beginning of the end of British Empire. These losses and failures left a large wealth of musical, theatrical and literary material as the nation tried to make sense of events.
Following their acclaimed 2014 self-titled debut, this second release by Kings of The South Seas vividly brings to life the music left by these events and their cultural fallout. ‘Franklin’ (Hudson Records – 2nd Feb 2018) features Canadian Voyageur paddling songs, English folk ballads and songs composed on-board ice-bound wintering ships to Victorian parlour pieces – all delivered in powerful, foreboding and affecting style by this unique band. Listen to lead track Lady Franklin, our Song of the Day:
https://soundcloud.com/user-944301817/09-lady-franklin/s-CQ6v3
About Lady Franklin: A broadside from the 1850s. After the disappearance of her husband, Lady Jane Franklin sponsored several expeditions to discover his fate and worked hard to keep the search going for decades. When explorer John Rae returned with Inuit stories of cannibalism, she refused to believe them, but they’ve subsequently been proven largely accurate. The recent discovery of the two Franklin ships is mainly thanks to Inuit oral histories which were mocked by the British Navy at the time of the ships’ disappearance. ‘Lady Franklin’ is released digitally on 20th Sept.
‘Franklin’ was recorded in St Andrews Mission Church in Gravesend under the glow of stained glass windows dedicated by Lady Franklin (wife of John Franklin) to the sailors who lost their lives on his last voyage.
Kings of The South Seas are:
Ben Nicholls – vocal, concertina, organ, banjo (The Full English, Seth Lakeman Band, Nadine Shah Band)
Richard Warren – guitar (Spiritualized, Mark Lanegan Soulsavers)
Evan Jenkins – drums (Neil Cowley Trio)
‘Franklin’ was produced and mixed by Ben Hillier (Blur, Elbow, Depeche Mode) and will be released by up and coming indie folk label, Hudson Records on 2nd February 2018
UK LAUNCH DATES OCTOBER 2017
(further details to be announced for January 2018!)
4th Oct 2017 Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY
www.cecilsharphouse.org
5th Oct. Loders Village Hall, Loders, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 4LZ
http://www.seetickets.com/tour/kings-of-the-south-seas-with-peter-wilson
6th Oct. St Andrews, Gravesham Arts, 19 Royal Pier Road, Gravesend, Kent DA12 2BD
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/411419
21st Oct. Folk Expo,
Home-Theatre 2, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN
https://www.manchesterfolkfestival.org.uk/kings-of-the-south-seas
www.manchesterfolkfestival.org.uk
More Details here: www.kingsofthesouthseas.net