Off the Shelf with Chris Brain

Leeds-based folk singer Chris Brain is our latest ‘Off the Shelf‘ guest, in which we ask artists to present objects from a shelf or elsewhere from their home and talk about them. Chris has also very kindly positioned many of his prized objects in front of his books so we can have a really good nose.

Chris recently released his new album Steady Away, one of Folk Radio’s Featured Albums of the Month (reviewed here). In the words of our reviewer Glenn Kimpton:

Steady Away is everything a second album should be; it stays with a formula that worked very well on his debut and adds depth and guts. The writing has been elevated, as has the playing, and there is confidence at every turn, as the handling of the final song suggests. At once intelligently written and considerately handled by all involved, this is an excellent album by a musician really starting to bloom.

Chris’ album is available now on Digital, Vinyl & CD and can be ordered via Bandcamp: https://chrisbrain.bandcamp.com/album/steady-away

Here’s a recent live video of Chris performing ‘Wish’.

Off The Shelf With Chris Brain

Wonky teapot

The first thing sitting on my shelf I’m going to share with you is my rustic wonky teapot! The thing hardly pours and goes cold in a few minutes, but it holds a real value to me as I’m the one who made it! As a proud Yorkshire-born human, I hold real significance in a properly brewed Tea, so this pot doesn’t quite do that sentiment justice, but it’s a lovely memory to reflect on as it’s the first thing I ever made with clay! I’ve since thrown nearly 1000 pots on the wheel, mostly cups and bowls and anything else that is functional. And when I say thrown, I don’t actually mean chucking pots about, I just mean using the wheel ha. At this point, when I play a show, I sell more pots than music! Maybe it’s a sign…..

Collins Bird Guide

I’m going to hit two birds with one stone with my next choice….weheyy. My Collins bird guidebook! I’m not quite showing off my taste in literature with this one, but in all honesty, this is probably the most-read book on my shelves! I always dip into it when I’ve taken a mental picture of a flying friend. I go bird-watching fairly regularly and find myself looking up more than down on some occasions, which can sometimes end up with me on my bum, but always worth it to get a good glimpse of a rare passerby!

On the topic of birds, now is the right time to confess my love of the pigeon, which, for me, doesn’t get its dues. Let’s be fair, wherever we go in this country, there’s always a pigeon knocking about to make us feel at home.

Climbing Shoes

As a folk singer, I think It’s only natural to also share a love for climbing around on rocks or in trees…just me? Out of everything that sits on my shelf, I probably get the most use out of these little shoesies. Although I’ve got to cram my feet in them, and sometimes they make my feet sore, they’ve carried me up many routes, and there’s no better feeling than hanging upside down on a climbing route, right?! Plus, you get to see a view whilst clambering on rocks!

Sea Glass

I’ve recently got into collecting sea glass. There’s something about finding shiny things that makes me feel like a kid again. I like to think of it like metal detecting or fishing. Instead, you get to shout woo hoo every 30 seconds because there’s so much of the stuff! My rarest find to date is a piece of cobalt blue sea glass, which resulted in an extra loud woo-hoo. Hopefully, one day, I can turn it into a necklace or a ring or something along those lines; maybe one day, my merch table will just be sea glass and pots; that’s what the people really want, right?

Hyde Park Folk Festival Posters

Not quite on the shelf, but next to it? Here are three years’ worth of Hyde Park Folk Festival posters. This is a festival I run every year celebrating folk music around the local area. I run two folk clubs in Leeds, so clearly, I can’t get enough of it. I’m slowly filling up all my Sundays with folk clubs. These monthly folk clubs culminate into a big bash every October, and so far, there have been four.

Film Photography

I like the old ways of doing things, taking your time and being completely absorbed. Which I believe is why I’m a keen film photographer. I’ve got loads of lenses from short to long distance; whether it’s a landscape or a soaring figure, I can snap it! When I rock up to my local Tawny Owl spot, and all the birders have got the latest camouflage lenses that look something like a telescope, I always feel a little inferior with my old film camera, but it does the trick! Of course, my love for film goes as far as getting it developed and then realising that not everything has come out quite right ha.

Big yellow mug

Out of the cupboard, once again traversing from the shelf into the cupboard where my big yellow mug lives. It’s another homemade number, but this time trying to replicate one of those massive Sports Direct mugs you see in every student’s house. I can’t handle the judgment of having a Sports Direct mug, so I’ve got the next best thing: a homemade mustard-coloured one instead. Having 1 cup of tea just isn’t good enough, so I need a pint of tea! Maybe there’s a song in that….