Ben Gazur, author of ‘A Feast of Folklore – talks to us about ‘Witch Cakes’…There are two main types of “witch cakes” that occur in folklore. One is more palatable than the other, as we shall see, but neither is something you would want with a cup of tea.
Ana Silvera shares an insight into ‘Halos’, the latest single from her forthcoming album ‘The Fabulist’. “…Frozen furrows of barren fields and the crows pecking and wheeling about the withered crops. The bright skirts of fog encircling black trees.”
We interview Peter Knight and John Spiers about their new album, Both in a Tune, the excitement of free improvisation, comparing playing to 90 minutes playing as a midfielder and the beauty of being lost in a tune.
We talk to NYC-based musician and folklorist Derek Piotr who recently released two folk music compilation albums of mountain songs from North Carolina featuring Child ballads and local murder songs that sit alongside dulcimer & close harmony singing.
Ben Gazur, author of ‘A Feast of Folklore – From witch cake to wassailing, strange stories of Britain’s food’ talks to us about ‘Soul Cakes’. If you have prepared for Allhallowstide then you will have a pile of Soul Cakes ready to reward the singers.
We chat to Eliza Marshall, Catrin Finch, Dónal Rogers and Jackie Shave, members of Freedom to Roam, about their album The Rhythms of Migration which will be launched next month at Cecil Sharp House followed by a UK Spring tour.
Still As Your Sleeping is the stunning new album from singer Karine Polwart and pianist Dave Milligan. Shortly before the record’s release, we sat down with the duo to chat about their new release, babysitting each other’s children and the hunt for patrons with pianos.
We chat to John Spiers and Jon Boden (our Artists of the Month) about their new album Fallow Ground that finds them reunited and revelling in the sheer fun of music-making rooted in the English folk tradition.
Read the final guest post from Ye Vagabonds for their ‘All Boats Rise’ canal boat tour…they are joined by Leo O Kelly of Tír Na nÓg, Laura Quirke and Joshua Burnside and Brigid Mae Power. Don’t miss their Vicar Street gig on 25th September.
We chat to Simon Moreton about his book “Where?” Following his father’s death in 2017, the author went back to his childhood home in rural Shropshire trying to process his grief by revisiting his family’s time as transplants to the countryside.
We rejoin Ye Vagabonds who are currently on their ‘All Boats Rise’ tour. They update us on their journey after Belmont as they make their way to Ballycommon via Pollagh and Rahan playing gigs with Feli Speaks and John Francis Flynn along the way.
Ye Vagabonds share their first weekly postcard from their inland waterway tour of Ireland. “Everyone we met along the way, auld lads driving tractors, cyclists, couples with prams, all greeted us with smiles and waves. They all move faster than us too.”
