Singer-songwriter Joe Danks may live in landlocked rural Derbyshire – about as far as it is possible to be from the English coast – but the sound and smell of the sea and multitudes of maritime images are locked firmly in his head.
Danks found his ‘sea legs’ when he landed a year-long residency at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich as part of the English Folk Dance & Song Society’s (EFDSS) ‘Musicians in Museums’ project.
Nottingham-born Danks, until recently a member of Anglo-Irish alt-folk band Ranagri, has penned a selection of new songs inspired by stories and objects exhibited at the National Maritime Museum – from model ships to Turner’s famous ‘Battle of Trafalgar’ painting, commissioned by King George IV.
The result is Seaspeak – a buoyant and beautifully crafted mix of new songs, revisited traditional songs, schottisches and hornpipes– a sonic equivalent to a well-shaken Salty Dog cocktail. His debut album is set for release on July 9th, 2021.
Below, you can watch the accompanying video for album opener Sea Fever which skilfully melds two poems by John Masefield who also wrote two of my favourite children’s fantasy novels: The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights.
Guest musicians on the album include Danny Pedler (Pedler/Russell) on accordion and hurdy-gurdy, Sarah Matthews (Sweet Visitor Band, Cupola, Intarsia) on fiddle, viola and vocals and harpist Jean Kelly (Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments). Joe, who himself dances with Harlequin and Makeney Morris sides, also brought in the excellent Simon Harmer who contributes his distinctive step dancing on two numbers.
Joe Danks on Sea Fever:
‘This is the first song to be shared from the album and is a re-imagining of two poems from John Masefield’s much loved Salt-water Poems & Ballads collection. The video was made during the recording process, in the beautiful orangery of The Queen’s House at the museum. I first wrote this chorus melody (from the poem Sea Fever) and was singing it for weeks before I sat down to finish the verses. I found the poem Roadways in the Masefield collection and decided it would work as one complete lyric. I took inspiration from a 1921 setting of the poem by composer Hermann Löhr. It’s almost indistinguishable now but it was a key part of the writing process. Working closely with The National Maritime Museum was a great honour and privilege. The collection at the Museum and in The Caird Library is the richest stimulus imaginable for a songwriter and arranger, and I feel honoured to have recorded songs old, new and previously undiscovered for this project.’
Seaspeak is to be released on July 9.