We Are The Monsters: ft members of Monster Ceilidh Band, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening & The Shee

Those of you familiar with the British folk scene will know that it’s quite the norm to attend a festival to find members of one band also playing in other bands; there’s a lot of cross-over, something that no doubt plays a part in keeping the scene so rich and vibrant and full of new ideas and sounds. I witnessed this first-hand this year at Purbeck Folk Festival. Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening were scheduled to play but due to some members needing to remain in Covid isolation, Kathryn had to cobble a band together. The result was a mish-mash of players from The Darkening, Monster Ceilidh Band and The Shee. The result was quite spectacular and was easily my highlight of that weekend.

Now, members of those three bands have announced a new project – We Are The Monsters. While the lineup isn’t the same as the one I witnessed, this is no less exciting when you consider the vibrancy and stage presence these musicians all carry in their respective bands. I’m sure the results are going to be quite electrifying and boundary-pushing.

The five-piece line-up features accordion star Amy Thatcher (whose solo album we recently reviewed here), violinist Grace Smith, octave mandolin player Kieran Szifris, drummer Joe Truswell and award-winning electronic experimentalist and bassist David de la Haye. The project sees the group gain the confidence and creative freedom to boldly step out into previously unexplored territories.

Speaking about the inspiration behind launching We Are The Monsters, band founder and octave mandolin player Kieran Szifris said:

“Working with Kathryn Tickell and getting nominated for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award has been a massive influence on how we approach new music, and this has led to the creation of We Are The Monsters. She gave us the self-belief we needed to create the music we really want to, without any barriers but also with a deep respect for the tradition.

“We’ve all been working on this new celtic folk fusion sound, experimenting further with live electronics, beats and electronica. We’ve found inspiration from the likes of Inyal, Elephant Sessions and Niteworks, who perfectly blend heart-quicking dance tunes and heart-felt slow pieces and everything in between. I personally am proud of the work we’re doing and am looking forward to creating and performing much more music with this project in the future”

The first single, Trouser Worrier, and a new live video being released on 3rd December. This first single is an early taste of what’s in store, ahead of the release of new EP, Mutated, which will be out on 25th March 2022.

A launch party gig for We Are The Monsters will be held at The Cumberland Arms in Newcastle Upon Tyne on Friday 7th January to give listeners a preview of the new material in store. The band will also play at National Forest Folk on Friday 14th January.