The latest Folk Show is packed with some brilliant new releases, including a number of new singles which we’ve recently featured and premiered videos for.
Music Played
- Katherine Priddy – First House on the Left
- Jenny Sturgeon with Alice Allen and Grant Anderson – Beyond the You and I
- Ben Nicholls & Kris Drever – Greenland Fishery
- Karine Polwart & Pippa Murphy – Night Bees
- Oisin Leech – October Sun (feat. M. Ward, Tony Garnier & Steve Gunn)
- Catrin Finch and Aoife Ní Bhriain – Wonder
- Cerys Hafana – The Wife of Usher’s Well
- Chris Brain – Weeping Willow
- Andy Skellam – Bluebird
- Honey And The Bear – Dear Grandmother
- Clare Sands & Aisling Urwin – Ghost on the Waves
- Makushin – More Easily
- Melrose Quartet – Droving Dreams
- Matt McGinn – To the New Year
Episode 142- Folk Show Notes
We kick off with Katherine Priddy‘s new single, First House on the Left, taken from her sophomore album, The Pendulum Swing.
Jenny Sturgeon releases her new EP Wintergreen on Hudson Records next week (3rd November). The EP was recorded in Shetland, a cluster of islands in the North Sea, along with musicians Alice Allen and Grant Anderson. Meandering subtly throughout the whole project is a nuanced and continuous field recording from Shetland, ensuring that the sights and sounds of this archipelago are able to find a unique home in the ears of each listener who explores the EP. Released on Hudson Records, you can pre-order it here.
Acclaimed double bassist, singer, arranger and composer Ben Nicholls, the bassist of choice for much of the folk scene, has a new album dropping soon titled ‘Duets”. It features many of the artists he has been accompanying over his 35-year career, and the first single, Greenland Fishery, features Kris Drever. We’ll have more on the album very soon.
We shared the news recently of Karine Polwart‘s new project with award-winning composer and sound designer Pippa Murphy and pianist and composer Dave Milligan on ‘Seek The Light’, a new EP and recent BBC Radio 4 series that combines a love of science, history, folklore and the natural world. The original Seek the Light release was a Hudson Club Exclusive in April 2022 – a good reason to get on board if you haven’t already. You can grab the EP here on Bandcamp.
Irish songwriter Oisin Leech, of The Lost Brothers, recently shared his debut solo single and video, ‘October Sun’ (which we premiered here). It was produced and recorded by acclaimed Brooklyn artist Steve Gunn and features Portland-based musicians M Ward and Tony Garnier.
Catrin Finch and Aoife Ní Bhriain release their new album ‘Double You’ today, also a Featured Album of the Month (reviewed here). It goes beyond virtuosic; it’s also layered with emotion, appreciation for style and tradition and the freedom of just playing. You are left feeling that this partnership was inevitable and absolutely necessary…an essential release. Order it here: https://lnk.fuga.com/CFANB_doubleyou
Only yesterday, we premiered the video for ‘The Wife of Usher’s Well’, the stunning new single from Welsh composer and multi-instrumentalist Cerys Hafana, who is performing at Other Voices Cardigan Festival this weekend – more here.
Leeds-based singer-songwriter Chris Brain recently released his new album Steady Away, also one of our featured Albums of the Month. It’s a beautiful album, and I highly recommend the double-gatefold vinyl – order via Bandcamp. He still has some upcoming live dates for his album tour, you can find full details here – chrisbrainmusic.com.
You can’t get much fresher than this, as we premiered Andy Skellam‘s new single and video, Bluebird, just today, which I think ranks among his best.
Another Featured Album of the Month, this time from Honey And The Bear. “Away Beyond the Fret” is a remarkable album, especially for capturing profound personal moments alongside folklore, history, nature, superstition, and awe-inspiring tales. They live it like they sing it, with open minds, ears and hearts. They are also on tour:
Tickets and details: https://honeyandthebear.co.uk/gigs/
Pre-order ‘Away Beyond the Fret‘ (Signed CD/Download) – https://honeyandthebear.co.uk/product/away-beyond-the-fret-pre-order-album-cd-or-digital/
‘Ghost on the Waves’ is the new collaborative single from Clare Sands & Aisling Urwin, which we premiered the incredible video for this week – by the super talented twin sisters Liadain and Kasia Kaminska (watch it here). This is the third in a series of four songs that are deeply personal and universal, sensual and spiritual, ancient and new. Navigating music, film, and photography, ‘Gormacha’ journeys into the darkness, but seeks to find solace and celebration ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea.’ Also, Clare embarks on a UK headline tour next month, details of which can be found here: https://claresands.com/
Makushin is a new collective project featuring double bassist Jon Thorne (Lamb, Yorkston Thorne Khan), guitarist Peter Philipson (Jane Weaver, Fenella) and singer Nancy Elizabeth (Leaf Label, James Yorkston). Their debut album, Move into the Luminous, explores the intersection between folk, jazz and ambient music and also features contributions from Andrew Wasylyk, Raz Ullah, David A. Jaycock and more.
It’s out today via Blackford Hill and is avaiable on Digital and Vinyl – https://blackfordhill.bandcamp.com/album/move-into-the-luminous
Sheffield’s Melrose Quartet, are our current Artists of the Month – Make The World Anew attempts in a small but determined way to achieve the edict set out in its title, and it succeeds resoundingly. It is their most upbeat and accomplished album to date. Read our Album Review and Interview.
Look out for their big Melrose ceilidh in Sheffield on November 25th, and their December “Bright New Year” seasonal tour. And… The Melsons! their eight-piece collaboration with The Wilsons – they’re running a big harmony singing weekend with them in Sheffield on March 23/24th, 2024, called “Raise your Voice.” and they’ll also headlining Upton Folk Festival 2024. All details here: www.melrosequartet.co.uk
Make the World Anew is out now. Physical copies are available here: https://melrosequartet.sumupstore.com
It is also available digitally on Bandcamp: https://melrosequartet.bandcamp.com
Finally, Matt McGinn‘s new album, Behind Every Door, is out today. Reviewed here, by Mike Davies, who concludes: Grained with both aching and joy, it’s a heady, quietly intoxicating work that may well stand as McGinn’s finest to date. Order Behind Every Door via Bandcamp: https://mattmcginn.bandcamp.com/album/behind-every-door-2023
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