LAU

Part one – Best Folk Music Albums of 2015 including: Alasdair Roberts, Anna & Elizabeth, Darren Hayman, Marry Waterson, LAU, SImpson Cutting Kerr, The Rheingans Sisters, This is the Kit, The Weather Station, Trembling Bells, Ryley Walker and more.

Listen to the full stream of Imprint, the second in a series of EPs from the internationally acclaimed multi award winning Scottish fiddler, composer and producer Aidan O’Rourke.

This year’s MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards shortlist is announced and voting is now open to the public. We’ve put together a preview of many of the nominations which you can listen to here.

The Ultimate Guide To Scottish Folk is a collection that’s worth delving into, but with Mary Ann Kennedy’s notes, there’s also a wealth of insight and information, especially for anyone who’s beginning to realise just what’s on offer from Scottish Folk music.

For three days, Bristol’s Colston Hall was transformed into a place called Lau-Land. Traditional music mixed with the avant-garde and the genre-defying to create an all-round remarkable experience. But what else would you expect from a weekend curated by such an innovative, creative band such as Lau?

Constant innovators and superb musicians, Lau invited Joan As Police Woman to produce the new album The Bell That Never Rang. It charts bold new frontiers. Is it the best Lau album yet? There’s absolutely no doubt about it!

We have an exclusive premiere of Lau’s dramatic new video for ‘The Bell That Never Rang’. We also talk to one of the video co-directors David Liddell who provides a unique insight into the film – “It’s an epic piece of music and I wanted to take it seriously and do it justice.”

Lau’s travelling festival is back again from Fri 29 – Sun 31 May 2015 as they curate one of their broadest musical events to date at Bristol’s Colston Hall. Expect exhilarating collaborations and a freewheeling mood as artists like Omar Souleyman, Tinariwen, Sun Kil Moon and Plaid create an intoxicating atmosphere at this inimitable festival.

Exclusive – Lau’s new album The Bell That Never Rang released 4/5/2015 and interview with Aidan, Kris and Martin and the albums producer Joan As Policewoman.

Simon heads to Edinburgh for Lau-Land for a spectacular series of concerts, workshops and more. He gives a valuable insight into the event and talks to Joan Wasser, Karen Matheson, Lau and more.

Our Tune of the Day is from a very special performance recorded by Baylis Gray at Lau-Land Sage Gateshead in May 2014. This is Lau with the legendary Fred Frith.

With the next Lau-Land up in Edinburgh now less than a month away we talk to Aidan O’Rourke about the bill and plans for this latest instalment of their unique, portable, curated weekend festival.

Johnny continues his review of Towersey Festival taking in performances from Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, Lau, interviews with Blair Dunlop, Urban Folk Quartet and more. Plus a look at the future…

The New Music Biennial at Southbank Centre includes London Premieres from Lau, Matheu Watson & Luke Daniels, Mary Ann Kennedy & Alistair Anderson. Entry is Free but you must book.

Martin Green offers FRUK an exclusive glimpse of the other side and the commissioning and stage production of Crows’ Bones with all its ghostly chills and musical thrills.

With the line up to Lau-Land announced the festival looks a mighty enticing end to May. Martin Green of Lau gives us an exclusive on how it all came to be and what to expect.

Haiku Salut’s debut album Tricolore can’t be taken at face value, there are depths of colour and emotion here to set the imagination wandering (or wondering) and the spine tingling. This is an absolute gem of an album.

Bringing you an exclusive première of a track from the new Lau ‘Remix’ CD, Martin Green offers some insight into the creative whirlwind world of the Lau vs EP series.