Last month, we shared the news that Jack Sharp, frontman of Wolf People, was to release a solo album Good Times Older on 24th April via Stick in the Wheel’s own label “From Here Records”. Joined by Ian Carter of Stick in the Wheel, Jack has today revealed the accompanying video for his new album single White Hare, which is also our Song of the Day. Together, they set off at a fair pace, depicting the speed of the hare which can outrun any hunting dog in England.
There are some fascinating superstitions surrounding the hare, both in the UK and Ireland, ranging from luck and bad luck. They were also believed by some to be witches in disguise. March is, of course, the month when you can expect to see them behaving excitedly (mad as a March hare) as they enter the breeding season – so this is a well-timed single. With such rich folklore surrounding these beautiful creatures, there are numerous folk songs relating to them…some of which we included in a playlist a while back.
This collection of 11 songs features Jack’s guitar and voice, recorded in an austere and spare setting, using mostly traditional music and words gleaned from his home county of Bedfordshire. It’s imbibed with a very tangible sense of place, memory and belonging, with plaintive, but at times necessarily intricate guitar lines, accompanied by a fine distinctive English voice that harks back to English tradition, but without any problematic rose-tinted nostalgia. It’s a nod to, but is not defined by, the 1960s revivalists like Martin Carthy and Nic Jones. Rather, it shows that the English folk tradition remains as vital as ever, when treated with the respect and care that Jack Sharp shows.
Pre-order: https://jacksharp.lnk.to/goodtimesolder