For those unfamiliar with Painted Sky, they are a folk duo featuring Holly Brandon (of The Magpies) on Fiddle and Vocals and her brother George Brandon on Guitar and vocals. After releasing their acclaimed debut EP Dawn last summer, next month sees the release of their brand new single “The Unquiet Grave” (out on 2nd July). It’s a well-known ballad in folk circles that tells of a man who mourns the death of his true love…his mourning and weeping prevent her from having a peaceful rest.
In Painted Sky’s version, they take the original story and turns it on its head…
George:
The song was a chance to take an original folk tale and really turn it on its head, subverting the narrative to create a darker story and feel. In our version the protagonist fails to mourn for his dead lover and so is haunted and doomed to his grave as a result – ‘As I kissed her cold grey lips, she pulled me underground / And now I lay all in her grave, ‘til the end of time I’m bound.’
We tried to match some of the more spooky tones with the production and bring a deeper sound than our past recordings, bringing in some of the elements we’ve recently incorporated into our live sound.
Holly:
It was really fun to work with George on the new single. As we’re siblings we’ve been making music together for as long as we can remember, but it’s been great more recently to have the opportunity to work together. The writing and recording process has always been very collaborative, experimenting together with different sounds and techniques.
We were so pleased to work with Kate Griffin to make the video, which we shot up on the moors in the Peak District. The landscape seemed to match the tone of the song really well and Kate encapsulated the darkness of the song perfectly.
The accompanying video was filmed by Kate Griffin also of the Magpies.
The duo not only subverts the story, but they also lend the song an infectious drive that features some haunting moments in an engaging musical narrative that lends itself well to the song’s dark twist. We’re really looking forward to hearing more from Painted Sky; keep that name on your radar.
Painted Sky have only recently emerged onto the UK folk scene, but they have already made a lasting impression with their progressive acoustic sound. Siblings George and Holly have been playing together for as long as they can remember. Recently both have worked on independent projects, with George performing solo and Holly perhaps best known for being one-third of transatlantic folk band, The Magpies. But the siblings have always been drawn back to each other’s playing and their lifelong musical history is reflected in tight-knit instrumentals and harmonies.
Painted Sky have played live shows around the UK, with festival highlights including performances at Towersey Festival, Edlefest and Thame Town Music Festival.
https://paintedskyfolk.weebly.com/