Our Song of the Day comes from Cunning Folk (George Hoyle) with Traveller Hide Your Soul. He describes the song as “a musical protective spell to ward off predatory song collectors from traditional singers in the Irish Traveller community. Much in the same way as Lomax took from Leadbelly in the 20th century, song collectors still take from tradition keepers. I thought a protective hex was in order.”
The single features on Cunning Folk’s new album “A Casual Invocation” – a collection of spells, glamours & protective hexes set to music.
The single’s cover (see video above) features The Man – “The Man comes in many forms & one needs to be wary. Often The Man is charming & charismatic, likeable, even. Be aware that The Man may be seeking to collect something from you. Some take songs, some take stories, some take mannerisms, techniques.”
“The Man collects for the service of self, for the service of ego. The Man wants to possess what should not belong to anyone.”
It is rare for an album of predominantly traditional material to sound fresh and inspired all the way through. It is even less common for such an album to feel both thrillingly contemporary and utterly timeless. With Constant Companion Hoyle somehow managed it. As Cunning Folk, he is making some of the finest acoustic music to come out of this country in years.
Thomas Blake (Folk Radio) reviewing Constant Companion
Traveller Hide Your Soul features in our Mellow Folk playlist and is available on streaming services here: https://lnk.to/F8inLP
A Casual Invocation is out in October, keep an ear out for tracks being released on streaming services in advance of this.
Find out more here: https://cunningfolkmusic.com/
Also read our last Interview with Cunning Folk here: https://klofmag.com/2018/12/artist-of-the-month-interview-cunning-folk/