Scottish-born, California-based musician Hannah Read has just announced the release of her concept album ‘The Fungi Sessions Vol. 1‘, a collection of fungi-inspired instrumental compositions. Last year, Hannah released ‘Cross The Rolling Water‘, a collaboration with Michael Starkey, described by Folk Radio as an infectious, dynamic, richly layered album that’s a timeless, irresistible and thoroughly entertaining treat. Contained in that album was Hannah’s first mycologically influenced work.
There was a piece titled ‘Waltz De La Funguy’, which caught the interest of Dr Edward Wallace from the Institute of Cell Biology at Edinburgh University, who approached Hannah in March 2023 about commissioning an album of original fungi-inspired work. Funded by a Wellcome Trust grant, The Fungi Sessions Vol. 1 was born.
This may initially appear like a strange subject to inspire musical compositions, but Hannah’s introduction to this world has a long history, thanks to her father. Professor Nick Read was a prominent Mycologist and pioneering fungal cell biologist whose world-leading research advanced our understanding of fungi…he was also a deep appreciator of music, and this album was written as a tribute to him.
Hannah is not alone in turning to the spectacular and neglected world of fungi for inspiration. In 2013, Bellowhead drummer Pete Flood released Mycoworld, described as beguiling, baffling and wonderful. He said:
“Fungi are just the visible fruitbodies of a larger underground organism. I don’t understand what goes on underneath the leaf litter. I like to think of the invisible, thread-like mycelium spreading through the soil, forging connections with tree roots, engaging in chemical warfare with other species, bringing decay to wood and leaf. I imagine them as the wild cards that save us from a monotonous, uniform world. Causing deformity, stain, the crumbling away of once-mighty structures, and the clearing of the ground for new growth. If I’m wrong, I’d rather not be told, thanks.”
He wasn’t wrong…and thanks to the biologist Merlin Sheldrake (brother of Cosmo Sheldarake), this world has become more accessible to the public thanks to his award-winning bestseller – “Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures”. In that book, Sheldrake takes the reader on a “mind-altering journey into their spectacular world and reveals how these extraordinary organisms transform our understanding of our planet and life itself.”
Talking about the album, Hannah shared:
“…It has felt so special to dig deeper into his world and explore the marriage of mycology and music.
“I wrote the album over a week in May and recorded it at a studio in the Scottish Borders a few weeks later. I intentionally wrote the music over this short span of time, as I wanted to create something that felt organic and capture a freshness that often gets lost in the writing/recording process. I really love how this has all turned out and am so grateful to my fellow musicians who helped bring The Fungi Sessions Vol. 1 to life…”
Hannah designed the cover of the album, which includes an illustration by William Hamilton Gibson from 1897.
Throughout the album, Hannah plays fiddle, electric & acoustic guitar. She is joined by a talented cast of musicians, including Michael Starkey on clawhammer banjo & guitar and Nickel Creek’s Jeff Picker on upright bass. Long-time collaborator and sound designer Charles Van Kirk mixed and mastered the album and thoughtfully wove in environmental samples from the forest floor: decomposing bark, dirt, pine straw, and fungi. The result is a mellow, earthy soundtrack featuring six original compositions and three interludes.
Listen to the first track, ‘Silverphae’, below, on which you can hear those incredible field recordings in the opening. Listening to Hannah’s fiddle, it’s easy to imagine the graceful flow of mycelium growing and spreading beneath our feet.
This first offering from Hannah delights the senses – I’m sure the album will also send many of you on a journey of discovery, finding out more about the entangled life beneath us – what a beautiful tribute.
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