Last month, we shared the news that Jim Ghedi and Toby Hay, two of the UK folk scene’s finest guitarists, are to release their self-titled, second collaborative album, via Topic Records on May 26th. That announcement was accompanied by their lead single ‘Bright Edge Deep’, the title inspired by Seamus Heaney’s poem ‘Digging’. Today sees the release of their second album single ‘Swale Song’.
‘Swale Song,’ is a grand instrumental that flows with energy and in as natural harmony as its namesake. The duo explain to us the thoughts and feelings behind the chords:
“This track was inspired by a long visit to a small village in North Yorkshire, where the house sat directly onto the river Swale, spending days out walking by the river, waterfalls and moorlands. As time has moved on since writing this, the modern day issue of pollution & sewage damage to all of England’s and many of Wales’s rivers strikes a deep chord with this song now, bringing new meaning. Marvelling at the beauty and history of such rivers like the Swale, you cannot help but see the decline and destruction of most of our rivers during this time with the governments disposing of sewage and pollution into our water systems.”
There is a beautiful rolling guitar motif that features across the first half of the song, emulating a tumbling watery movement. That motif stops at a mid-point pause, slowing, replaced by descending notes…the song has a life-like quality, a reminder of the vital lifeforce we far too often take for granted.
Profit is all too frequently placed before the protection of our vital rivers and coastline, as was made evident recently when 265 MPs voted down an amendment to stop private water companies from dumping raw sewage into the UK’s rivers and coastlines. Just before the vote, the Conservative Environment Secretary George Eustice recommended to his fellow MPs that they should reject it. Music like this is a constant reminder that we must use the power of protest to stop such actions.
The album’s CD/digital release will be supported by a special series of performances, including respective hometown shows at The Lost Arc, Rhayader, and The Greystones, Sheffield.
Jim Ghedi & Toby Hay (CD/digital) is out May 26th on Topic Records.
The vinyl album will follow later this year.
TSCD615 (CD) | TXLP615 (LP)
UK TOUR DATES
10th June – Cardiff, Chapter Arts – Buy Tickets Here
11th June – Rhayader, The Lost Arc (Toby’s hometown show) – Buy Tickets Here
12th June – Sheffield, The Greystones (Jim’s hometown show) – Buy Tickets Here
13th June – London, The Old Church – Buy Tickets Here
More from the duo:
http://www.jimghedi.com/ | https://jimghedi.bandcamp.com/music
https://tobyhay.com/ | https://tobyhay.com/music