Folk Show: Episode 103 features: Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan, Grace Toland, Boo Hewerdine & Jenny Sturgeon, The Little Unsaid, Mànran, Findlay Napier, Johnny Doran, John Francis Flynn, Burd Ellen, Stephanie Hladowski & C. Joynes, Alasdair Roberts, Mary Doran, Lisa O’Neill & Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Elle Osborne, Brigid Power & Adrian Crowley, Hannah James & Toby Kuhn, The Ciderhouse Rebellion, The Raineys.
This week’s Folk Show opens with our new Artists of the Month, Karine Polwart and Dave Milligan, with a track from their new album (released today) Still As Your Sleeping reviewed here and described by Billy Rough as “Thoroughly warm-hearted and beautifully life-affirming. A genuinely gorgeous and magical duet.” It’s so great we have another track from the album later on as well.
We also have four tracks from the new compilation Fire Draw Near (An Anthology of Traditional Irish Song and Music), a Featured Album of the Month on Folk Radio – read Billy’s review here. The album was compiled by Lankum’s Ian Lynch, whose liner notes are superbly detailed and informative. He has a podcast of the same name, which explores Irish traditional music and for which he conducts considerable research. The anthology is a result of that project. From that release, we have music from Grace Toland, Johnny Doran (the only recording of him performing), Mary Doran and The Raineys.
We also have new music from:
- Boo Hewerdine & Jenny Sturgeon, taken from Boo’s new mini-album ‘Singularities‘.
- A beautifully moving new track from The Little Unsaid‘s forthcoming album December Songs.
- Mànran‘s latest single ‘Crow Flies’ and their first material to be released since Scottish songstress Kim Carnie and guitarist Aidan Moodie joined their ranks, marking an exciting new chapter for the multi-award-winning group. We’ll have more on there new album ÙRAR (pronounced oo-rar) soon.
- From It Is What It Is, the new album from Findlay Napier (reviewed here) is Piece of My Heart. In his review, Mike Davies described it as “captivating, indispensable work.” That it is!
- The Ragged Woman is a sublime track taken from Hannah James and Toby Kuhn‘s debut album Sleeping Spirals (out on 19th Nov). Described as a journey through music and emotion, bringing together English folk and European melodies, a series of sensitive and personal lyrics both traditional and original, in acomplex and engaging dialog between two skilled musicians.
- We also have two tracks taken from ‘Genius Loci 1: White Peak’, the new album from The Ciderhouse Rebellion (released today) on which we’ll have more very soon. In June/July 2021, Adam Summerhayes (fiddle) and Murray Grainger (accordion) set off walking on the White Peak in Derbyshire’s Peak District. They stopped wherever the surrounding countryside particularly grabbed them, set up microphones, cameras and a drone, picked up their instruments and allowed the landscape to inspire them to play. The scene for each of the six tracks is set by Jessie Summerhayes with six short poems, one of which is included here, followed by the associated track.
- From John Francis Flynn’s I Would Not Live Always, is a personal favourite from. John was our Artist of the Month in July. Read our review | interview.
We also have two tracks from the new compilation In The Echo – Field Recordings from Earlsfort Terrace, namely, tracks from Lisa O’Neill & Colm Mac Con Iomaire and Brigid Mae Power & Adrian Crowley.
In The Echo is an eight-track concept compilation album curated and produced by Ross Turner. Recorded in various locations in the historic National Concert Hall building in Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin – ranging from old lecture theatres to disused stairwells to a former morgue – this record features collaborations between Irish musicians across an athletic span of musical traditions. As well as those featured in the show, there are also contributions from:
Katie Kim & Seán Mac Erlaine, Paul Noonan & Roger Moffatt, Eileen Carpio & Sean Carpio, Conor O’Brien & Cian Nugent, Saileóg Ní Cheannabháin & Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, & Lisa Hannigan & Crash Ensemble.
Ross Turner says:
“There are musicians from different disciplines working together. A conduit runs through the collaborations – that is the environment, the surroundings in which the music was created.”
He continues: “Recording within remote pockets and open spaces of the building provided a completely unique atmosphere to the performances. I understand what it means to most musicians to feel comfortable, and I also understand that a sense of something special happening is vitally important for inspiration and performance. When the balance is right, the results yield truly satisfying situations for the musician and the listener.”
The results here are always intimate and engaging – by turns warm, dark, forlorn, gently humorous, and transcendent – and always possessed of a certain “first-touch” freshness always found in the most fertile collaborations. Order via Bandcamp here.
I’ve also included some favourite tunes from Alasdair Roberts, Elle Osborne and Stephanie Hladowski & C. Joynes.
Folk Show 103 Playlist
Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan – The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood
Grace Toland – Flora
Boo Hewerdine & Jenny Sturgeon – No Words
The Little Unsaid – Ebb & Flow (Yuletide!)
Mànran – Crow Flies
Findlay Napier – Piece Of My Heart
Johnny Doran – Colonel Fraser, My Love Is In America, Rakish Paddy Reels
John Francis Flynn – My Son Tim
Burd Ellen – The High Priestess and the Hierophant
Stephanie Hladowski & C. Joynes – Lord Bateman
Alasdair Roberts – Long Lankin
Mary Doran – When I Was In Horseback
Lisa O’Neill & Colm Mac Con Iomaire – Peggy Gordon
Elle Osborne – Dalesman’s Litany
Brigid Power & Adrian Crowley – Halfway to Andalucia
Hannah James & Toby Kuhn – The Ragged Woman
The Ciderhouse Rebellion – setting ii
The Ciderhouse Rebellion – Troll Wood
Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan – The Old Men of the Shells
The Raineys – Woman Of The House
Photo by Alex Gallacher