In late 2018, Kitty Macfarlane delivered her astonishingly accomplished debut album “Namer of Clouds”, which Thomas Blake reviewed for Folk Radio (read it here). He concludes his review:
“Namer Of Clouds is an album to savour, a debut full of old wisdom and bubbling over with new ideas.”
Musically and lyrically, it was a highly accomplished album that was also backed by some beautiful field recordings. Rob Bridge interviewed Kitty about the album in which she shared some background into her songwriting as well as stories of making field recordings for the album from setting off to the Somerset levels at 5 am to record bird sounds or in the case of ‘Sea Silk’, travelling with Sam [Kelly] to Sardinia to interview the lady whose voice can be heard at the start and the end of the song.
This October, Kitty Macfarlane returns to selected venues bringing her trademark tonic for the times we’re in (details below). Sustained by the warm glow of her new band, her songs act as both balm and booster as we head into autumn.
Expect music old and new that speaks of eco angst and human connection, Sardinian sea silk seamstresses and migratory marine creatures, mutable skies and plate tectonics, and the fragile threads that bind us all together. The show will balance Kitty’s lightness of spirit with weighty stories – held together by the exhilarating clarity of her voice, empathic songwriting, and heady musicianship.
To celebrate being back on the road again, watch her new video for the album track Glass Eel which features Kitty’s new band lineup.
Talking about the song, Kitty tells us: “It’s a song about the eels that have migrated across the world to European waterways for as long as we know, and it’s about people moving too, and freedom of movement for both. It feels right to be singing this now. There’s still much we don’t understand about the world, and the unstoppable cycle of eel, tide, tree, cliff, is a reminder that we’re a part of a planet in constant motion – we need movement of our own.”
In his review of the album, Thomas Blake notes, “Eclecticism is a defining feature of the album, and Glass Eel exemplifies the wide-ranging sweep of Macfarlane’s vision: what begins as a song about the mysterious life cycle of migratory eels becomes a meditation on the history of human migration and the folly of borders.”
KItty Macfarlane Tour
1st – DERBY Folk Festival
3rd – BASINGSTOKE The Anvil*
4th – CAMBRIDGE The Junction
5th – MILTON KEYNES The Stables*
6th – MILTON KEYNES The Stables*
8th – HEXHAM Queen’s Hall
9th – OTLEY. Courthouse
10th – SHEFFIELD Greystones
12th – CARDIFF St David’s Hall
21st – LONDON Cecil Sharp House
25th – BRISTOL Redgrave Theatre
*indicates Duo show
Kitty will also be supporting Seasick Steve on his UK tour dates in November, an amazing opportunity to bring her music to newcomers and fans alike.
Tickets and further details here: https://www.kittymacfarlane.com/live