In June last year, what now seems a very distant past, a diverse group of folkniks and underground artists gathered in the grounds of Cleeve House in Wiltshire for a small and forward-thinking festival that had returned after six years – Woolf II. Among the lineup, were the likes of Ian Anderson, The Bevis Frond, The Left Outsides, Sharron Kraus, Alasdair Roberts, Alex Rex, Trappist Afterland & Toby Hay. There were many highlights that weekend but one particularly memorable moment was courtesy of Jim Ghedi. When he took to the stage with a band there was a tangible buzz of anticipation within the grand, oak-panelled walls. We’ve been waiting to share the results since and this first offering has made it so worth the wait and goes way beyond all expectations.
Jim’s last album A Hymn for Ancient Land, had a strong focus on sense of place and nature…
“a small masterpiece, a homage of sorts to the subtleties of nature, place and space, played out with a string of instruments that rattle and sweep along together wonderfully to evoke the landscapes and stories this musician has taken in so far along the way.”
Glenn Kimpton, Folk Radio UK
In The Furrows Of Common Place which is set for release on 22nd January 2021 on Basin Rock, Ghedi’s focus shifts to voice a more personal one.
“Since the last record I’ve been working on using my voice in both traditional and original material, which has been reflected in our live shows,” he says. “Initially, adding more of my own vocals was a musical decision which then led me to write more original material. As I began to write more, I started to speak about my environment, inevitably observing the times we find ourselves in socially and politically – a continuation of austerity measures and its effects on communities, alongside social inequalities and working-class issues.”
However, this isn’t a brash raging political polemic. As is now customary with Ghedi’s work, it is rich in nuance, history, poetry and allegory.
The weight of his lead single, Beneath the Willow, is made all the more potent thanks to the accompanying video directed by Jordan Carroll who perfectly captures Jim’s rich connection between the past and the current. The video was shot in Sheffield and the Peak District with a mix of archive footage, you can read Jordan’s comments on the video below.
Jordan Carroll on Beneath the Willow
”We follow a protagonist (a prolific painter / artist based in the Peak District, and friend of Jim). through the countryside as he reflects on memories past.
The idea behind this music video was to portray the history and culture behind Sheffield and the surrounding region. Showcasing the industrial heritage, how people worked and lived, and conflict that arose through the years for working-class people like the ‘Battle of Orgeave’ and the Miner’s strike.
The film also looks at the Peak District National Park and how this wide-open, green space was a haven for the workers away from the smokey city. But even this space had to be fought for with access originally being restricted to small footpaths in limited areas in order for rich landowners to shoot grouse. This ultimately lead to the ‘Mass Trespass of 1932’ where a group of brave volunteers intentionally broke the law in order to bring awareness to their cause. Their actions, and many more, paved the way for the ‘Right to Roam’ being enshrined in law throughout the UK, which gave access to mountain and moorland for all.
As this history is showcased through old stock footage, we follow our protagonist Keith How as he reflects on his life, enjoying his right to roam in the countryside. He journeys to the high point of a hill where he uses his art to capture the landscape.”
Jordan Carroll, Director
This finished album is the product of a band who have a deep-rooted sense of musical intuition and trust with one another. This sense of camaraderie was key to the construction of the album. “It was great having us all eating together and living in the space where we were recording music,” Ghedi says. “The first day it snowed and I looked out the window onto the Atlantic sea to see the snow on the hills, the ice on the water, the birds overhead and a deep silence. I felt glad my friends were there, humble to have the opportunity to record music with the people I care about.”
The band Ghedi plays with – Neal Heppleston, dbh, Sally Smith, and Guy Whitaker – feel increasingly utilised as key collaborators on the album. “I wanted to push the sound away from the last album which was quite orchestral into something more live sounding, punchier, direct, even aggressive,” Ghedi says. “To work specifically with the musicians involved instead of adding anything else to it down the line.” With this in mind the group huddled away together in Peter Fletcher’s Black Bay Studio far out in Loch Roag on the north-western isles, the band recorded the album live over a week in January 2020 as the wild Scottish elements battered against the studio door.
We are looking forward to sharing more on this forthcoming gem, in the meantime, get those pre-orders in…
In The Furrows Of Common Place is released 22nd January 2021 on Basin Rock. Pre-Order via:
https://jimghedi.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-furrows-of-common-place
https://www.basinrock.co.uk/records/in-the-furrows-of-common-place/