News
This duo really made my week: Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith are a London/Bristol based duo who play mainly traditional music that originates from the British Isles. They perform on guitar and banjo and together with their great vocal harmonies are an absolute joy to listen to. Their debut album ‘Let the Wind Blow High or Low’ is out now on Fellside Records.
This year’s Hothouse Festival at Halsway Manor in Somerset looks set to be another great year with performances from Sam Kelly, The Elephant Sessions, The Magic Lantern, Tom Kitching Band and many more. Now in its fourth year the festival continues to champion new young performers and is one we always go to.
We have a lovely video premiere for you today with ‘Say It’s True’ taken from the forthcoming 7-Song-EP from Siobhan Wilson, formerly known as Ella The Bird. She is currently supporting Idlewild on tour and is also lined up to support Lau on their forthcoming tour. Lau’s Aidan O’Rourke is one of several notable guests on the forthcoming record.
We have some great nights coming up for The Levels Collective at Bridgwater Art Centre in Somerset with Alasdair Roberts & Kitty MacFarlane this month followed by Solarference and The Dead Rat Orchestra in April and a special event in May featuring Sam Lee & Friends. It’s all happening so try and come on down.
Kris Delmhorst provides our Song of the Day with the title track of her album Blood Test which she performs live with Anders Parker. Kris is promoting the album on her newly announced UK tour next month. This is a rare opportunity for fans to see the Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter who last toured here in 2008. So nab those tickets quickly!
We have a great video premiere to share with you today from Rich McMahon. Ten Thousand Miles From Dublin features on his latest album ‘Songs of Exile, Love & Dissent’ which was produced by Mercury and BBC Folk Award nominee Gerry Diver. The song was inspired by the new generation of economic migrants that are leaving Ireland for Australia.
To mark the release of her new Toerag Sessions album Emily Barker heads out on tour this month with Gill Sandell who also has an album out (with Chris T-T) on 23 March. Emily has also announced her album launch plus solo dates and record store appearances. Watch her latest video for Little Deaths and get those all important dates in your diary.
Our Song of the Day is a track premiere from Swedish songwriter Jenny Lysander. Northern Folk is the title track of her highly anticipated debut album which was produced and arranged by Piers Faccini. Jenny is both a confident and unique voice and her debut album will hopefully giver her the spotlight she so richly deserves, we are all the richer for her music.
We have a video premiere today from Dan Walsh for ‘Whiplash Reel’, a track that features on his latest album ‘Incidents & Accidents’, one of our featured albums of the month. Dan also shares with us the story behind this tune which is rooted in his obsession with Indian classical music which culminated in an amazing trip to India in February 2013.
This is a short film featuring Blair Somerville, a New Zealand based inventor, artist and self-confessed tinkerer. His inventions are made from recycled parts, his mortgage free and he relies on solar power. He has a very simple philosophy that has been driving his creative juices for years, as testified by his Lost Gypsy Gallery, a wonderland of homegrown wizardry and a playground for kids and adults alike.