Guitarist James Kitchman and vocalist Sylvia Schmidt (Kitchman / Schmidt) unveil ‘Lowlands’ (available here), the first single taken from their upcoming collaborative album ’As Long As Songbirds Sing’ on 27th November. The single, which is released tomorrow (18 September), premieres on Folk Radio UK today who also caught up with the duo for a chat about their music and influences.
Lowlands’ – thought to be a long-lost Anglo-Scottish ballad, is here inspired by a version from one of folk music’s most enigmatic figures, Anne Briggs (interviewed here). This new arrangement conjures a sea-like atmosphere, immersing the listener in an ambient soundscape of reversed electric guitars, over which Sylvia Schmidt’s soaring voice candidly revives the character of the song. Surviving in fragments as a sea shanty, it tells the story of a ghostly sailor who seeks out his lover in a dark dream to foretell his death. The accompanying video by Tom Sankey which was shot in black and white, captures the essence of their music beautifully, minimalist yet totally engaging.
“We were particularly inspired by the Anne Briggs version which restored the ballad character of the song”, explain Kitchman / Schmidt. Anne Briggs sang ‘Lowlands’ in 1964 on her Topic Records seminal EP, ‘The Hazards of Love’. Talking further about the song, Sylvia Schmidt reveals, “’Lowlands’ has always felt very personal and relevant to me. Having experienced mental health issues in the past, I felt connected to its depth of darkness. The song evokes not only the loss of a loved one, it also speaks to a loss of self and one’s vision of the future. I hope our re-working of the song will compel people to connect with it, as they have done for centuries.”
Well known for their critically acclaimed live performances among the UK’s jazz scene, between them Kitchman / Schmidt have graced some of the most iconic music venues and international festivals, including Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Union Chapel, as well as performing at the BBC Proms.
These two compelling improvisers have been deeply influenced by American composer John Jacob Niles, a pivotal figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. Niles collected traditional songs from oral sources, giving them new life through his interpretation. In the same manner, Kitchman / Schmidt have reimagined the songs on ’As Long As Songbirds Sing’, layering influences of jazz and chamber music – creating a body of work that wouldn’t sound out of place on seminal record label ECM Records.
Kitchman / Schmidt’s reinterpretation of ‘Lowlands’ is a deep, powerful and nurturing experience, and a glimpse of what to expect from their upcoming collaborative album ’As Long As Songbirds Sing’.
Pre-Order the single ‘Lowlands’ here https://smarturl.it/7ldn8n
Kitchman / Schmidt Q & A
How did you both meet?
Sylvia: We met at a late-night jam session in London’s West End, literally on stage. I remember that we had a great musical chemistry right away. When we started playing regularly it quickly became apparent that we both love taking songs on a journey that we cannot predict. And in doing this together we found that we kept surprising and supporting each other in quite a natural way. It felt exciting, fresh and intuitive to play with James.
In terms of a common thread that drew you together, I understand you share an affinity for the Anglo-American folk ballads of the Appalachian mountains. What is it about Appalachian music in particular that so appeals?
James: Many of the old songs travelled to America with settlers from England, Scotland, and Ireland in the 18th Century. Displaced cultures found themselves in the Smokey Mountains of Southern Appalachia – including African-Americans, Germans, as well as the British. The heritage of the music is fascinating, but most of all, the stark and beautiful melodies are what we found striking.
You also share a love for American composer John Jacob Niles who spent time in the southern Appalachians as an assistant to photographer Doris Ulmann during which time he transcribed traditional songs from some of those he met. What is it about Niles that made him stand out for you from say, other singers of that era?
Sylvia: Niles was a fascinating performer and a man of great passion and curiosity. What first drew us to his song interpretations and compositions was his captivating style of storytelling and his courage to perform traditional songs in very non-traditional ways. His arrangements often carried a lot of musical tension and drama, and he would enhance this further through his eccentric performances. I have to admit, the first time James played me a Niles recording I was in a state of puzzlement. His voice was so intense and alien, but also hugely intriguing. I knew that I had to find out more – and WE knew that we had hit the tip of a huge inspirational iceberg.
James: Most people are pretty shocked when they first hear Niles. To me, he sounded like a cross between Jeff Buckley and Nina Simone. The liberties he took in his interpretations were inspiring and felt like a sense of permission for us to do the same in our music.
Bob Dylan was among those inspired by John Jacob Niles. His description of him is spot-on:
“Niles was eerie and illogical, terrifically intense and gave you goosebumps. Definitely a switched-on character, almost like a sorcerer.”
And what drew you to Anne Briggs? Is there a common denominator between Niles and Briggs that you perceive and does that also reflect in your own music?
James: I first heard of Anne Briggs when I was learning to play Bert Jansch’s version of ‘Blackwaterside’ as a teenager. Later, I heard her sing ‘The Snow It Melts The Soonest’ – a song from Northumberland, where I was raised. There is so much nuance and subtlety in the way she sings, her flow is natural and egoless. I feel like Niles and Briggs were both unconventional in their approach to traditional ballads, but they had very different personalities as performers. Niles was bold and melodramatic, whereas Briggs didn’t enjoy the spotlight.
Sylvia: For me, the common denominator is that it’s pretty much impossible to mistake either of them for another singer.
Can you tell us about your own research for this album? I understand you’ve spent months researching, transcribing, arranging? Can you expand on what that involved as well as how you decided on which songs to include?
James: I initially transcribed Niles’ recording of ‘Black is the Colour’ (the old-fashioned way of pen and paper!), and some other well-known versions, before taking the song to Sylvia and suggesting that we make it our own.
Sylvia: I used to sing the Scottish version with my folk band in Germany, so the lyrics were very familiar to me. However, it took a bit of time to learn Niles’ starkly different melody (the man does have a thing for cliff hangers!). His version is considered by many in the U.S. as ‘definitive’.
James: The sheer audacity of re-writing the melody of a folksong seemed to stir something in both of us. It was around this time that I became more curious about his approach and listened to as many of his recordings as I could find. I took down some of his other songs including ‘Lass From The Low Country’, ‘Go ‘Way From My Window’, and ‘I Wonder As I Wander’. Once transcribed, much of the work involved us absorbing the song – melody and lyrics – in order to surrender to its story and connect to it, freely, and in the moment.
I’m also quite fascinated about your own additions and interpretations…including additional lyrics and poetry, expanded melodies, reworked harmonies, and experimenting with electronics. Are you able to verbalise what you’re trying to achieve when you start that process, how does that work in practice?
James: That’s a hard question! I don’t think we have a fixed idea of what we are hoping to achieve when we start working on a song, it’s always a work-in-progress. These songs have a life of their own. The album is a mix of arranged material, improvisations, as well as some sampling and looping from me. We recorded everything ‘live’, without any overdubs, as this felt most natural.
The songs allowed great freedom for interpreting the harmonies on the guitar. Sometimes that involved finding the most obvious set of chords for a song and deviating from there. On a good day, I won’t be thinking about the chords at all, but let the melody and lyrics guide the harmony kind of spontaneously. Music affects everyone differently – it’s about finding what resonates with you personally, and building a bridge forward with it.
Sylvia: If there is an underlying concept to our work then it is to bend and push the material in different directions until we find a setting that feels exciting, yet true to the song’s story. Of course, the emotional make-up of the story can change through that process – the lyrics might expand slightly, the melody might question instead of state, a sweet harmony might turn bitter – as long as it serves the story it is valid.
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Photo Credit: Ravi Chandarana