Sam Sweeney & Louis Campbell reveal duo EP ‘Shapes’, to be digitally released on 5th May via Hudson Records. Listen to their first EP single ‘Shape #2 (Gmin)’.
Both fiddle player Sam Sweeney and guitarist Louis Campbell were in our spotlight towards the end of last year. Sam’s new album, Escape That, saw him reaching greater heights to achieve a creative freedom we’d not heard before, making it his most personal record to date and his most artistically liberal. Carrying those tunes with him was Jack Rutter on acoustic guitar and Louis Campbell on electric, plus Ben Nicholls on bass and Dave Mackay on keys.
Shortly afterwards, Louis, who has been a member of Sam’s touring band since he was 19, teamed up with fiddle player Owen Spafford for their duo debut release ‘You, Golden‘, described by Folk Radio’s Glenn Kimpton as ‘uplifting, probing and exciting, as well as wise and patient; it is an album to return to and savour.’
‘Shapes’ will be the second in a series of EPs from Sam, the first being Solo, released on Hudson Records in February 2022.
Solo is a thrilling, timeless and thoroughly evocative listen.
Billy Rough, Folk Radio
Shapes was recorded on May 11th 2022, with long-time collaborator Andy Bell at St Martin’s church in Stoney Middleton in the Peak District. The music is the result of two days. It was written at Sam’s house on April 14th 2022, expanding on a composing method Sam had previously explored on his 2020 album Unearth Repeat. Using 18th-century manuscripts and collections as a springboard, the rough melodic shapes of traditional tunes were followed while ignoring the exact notes, time and key signatures and rhythms. Arrangements were left raw, leaving room to explore while recording in the glorious acoustic of the church’s octagonal nave.
Working with Louis on this EP was a real joy. He is such an extraordinarily sensitive musician and natural collaborator, the music came extremely quickly. It feels like a seed has been planted, and I can’t wait to see what grows from it.
Sam Sweeney
Shapes is available from all digital music platforms from May 5th; Hudson Records hope to release the series physically when complete. The first single from Shapes ‘Shape #2 (Gmin)’ is released as a single today, 23rd April 2023.
LISTEN & PRE-ORDER – https://hudsonrecords.ffm.to/shapes
