It was in 2021 that we shared the video for She Bands the Drum, a Stone Roses cover by Good Habits, the Manchester-based duo featuring Bonnie Schwarz (cello/vocals) and Pete Shaw (accordion). Unsurprisingly, this duo have gone down really well with UK audiences; who can resist such vivid storytelling? But the icing on the cake comes not just with their vibrant cello/accordion folk/jazz fusion but also with how they weave that music into their song narratives.
They demonstrate this to brilliant effect on ‘The Earth Has Moved‘, their new single, released today. Watch the accompanying video, made in collaboration with the beautiful family-run Chorlton Bookshop and don’t miss their April/May tour (details below).
The Song: Written after having experienced her first earthquake, it evokes Bonnie’s feelings that you can be ‘shaken’ in more ways than one. It sits in a space fusing the trad tune ‘Tie the Ribbons’ with a smooth rhythmic groove to create a powerful and thought-provoking song. ‘The Earth Has Moved’ is being released to tie in with their April and May tour ahead of the release of their much anticipated second album due for release in late 2023. See if you can spot a reference in the video to one of their generous hosts while in New Zealand.
The Video location: As a hub of the community in Chorlton, the bookshop was the perfect place to film a collaboration piece celebrating the duo’s recent move. A gorgeous family-run spot, Chorlton Bookshop has been serving the local community since 1982. Find out more about them here.
Originally meeting at University in Manchester following two years happily stranded in New Zealand due to the pandemic, they returned to the city and the UK as winners of the Purbeck Rising Competition 2020. A chance meeting during their time on the other side of the world led to them forging a friendship with Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman, who provided them with accommodation and championed their music. 2022 saw Good Habits’ first year of establishing themselves as a duo back in the UK. To their delight, it was a jam-packed calendar of performances, tours and musical collaborations, including performances at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Bristol Folk Festival, Manchester Folk and more.
The duo have spent Winter’s hibernation, working hard on new material and exploring their love of world-folk music. Pete has been diving into klezmer music, whilst Bonnie has been exploring the world of folk-cello, learning directly from her idol Ayanna Witter-Johnson, and investigating alternative cello tunings.
With a wealth of ideas raring to go, they are excited to share this in gigs across the country and with the support of Help Musicians.
April/May Tour Dates
7/4 – Bodmin, Haywood Farm
8/4 – Plymouth, B-Bar
25/4 – Leeds, HEART Centre
27/4 – Newcastle, Cobalt
28/4 – York, FortyFive Vinyl
30/4 – Todmorden Folk Festival
5/5 – Winchester, The Arc
6/5 – Purbeck, The Square and Compass
11/5 – Swindon, The Tuppeny
12/5 -Bath, The Royal Oak
13/5 – Ledbury, Ale House Concerts
14/5 – Bournemouth, The Wight Bear
19/5 – London, Live at Thornsett Road
21/5 – Manchester, Castle Hotel
27/5 – Soul Festival, Shropshire
Tickets here: https://www.goodhabitsband.com/live