Joe Danks

On Old Spot (II), fiddle player Rowan Piggott and banjoist Joe Danks continue exploring American Old-time traditions with a discernible difference in the sound — a suggestion of minimalism around some songs, and a precise nature to the playing. The duo’s second album is a significant leap forward — a very accomplished set from two players who clearly love their craft.

Watch the video for The Roustabout Song by Old Spot, taken from their new album “Old Spot (II),” out April 24th on Scribe Records. First encountered at a Morris festival singing session, the track traces a transatlantic thread from English folklorist Sandy Paton to songwriter Dillon Bustin, rendered here as a joyful fiddle-and-banjo reimagining with deep political undertones.

Old Spot are a new Old-Time duo featuring Joe Danks and Rowan Piggott. The first video from Old Spot’s debut album sees earthy gourd banjo and the natural beauty of Padley Gorge underpinning the winding Old Time fiddle tune ‘Black Eyed Susie Jane’.

Joe Danks’ Seaspeak is a sumptuous and adroitly crafted collection. Equally comfortable and adept at creating original work and providing fascinating nuances and arrangements to traditional fare, the album is a very welcome addition to this year’s list of fine releases.

Taken from Joe Danks’ forthcoming maritime-inspired debut album Seaspeak, watch the video for Sea Fever, a re-imagining of two poems from John Masefield’s much loved Salt-water Poems & Ballads collection.