Category Archives: Folk music

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Preview: Hastings Fat Tuesday weekend 21st-25th February 2020

Folk music, Hastings music scene, Music news, Rock music, , , , , ,

This article was originally published by Hastings Online Times here

Fat Tuesday festivities break out on Friday

Now in its eleventh year, Hastings’ annual Mardi Gras celebration, Fat Tuesday, where scores of acts converge on dozens of venues to entertain thousands of punters for five days of music and general madness, launches on Friday 21 February this year. Darren Johnson surveys the rich offer of music and entertainment which lies in store.

Friday 21st

In what organisers claim is the most diverse line-up ever this year, Baxter Dury (indie singer-song-writer and son of the legendary Ian) will headline the opening night at the White Rock Theatre. He’ll be supported by Hastings’ own Kid Kapichi.

Earlier in the day the White Rock Hotel next door will host another Unconvention conference, a day of panel debates, discussion and workshops for those involved in some way in the grass-roots music industry – or looking to break into it. Keynote speaker is singer and broadcaster Tom Robinson.

While most of the Fat Tuesday weekend gigs are free, these two are ticketed events which you can book via the Fat Tuesday website.

Saturday 22nd

As usual the centrepiece of Saturday’s proceedings is the mega Saturday Unplugged session. Running from 1pm until 5pm 40 artists from a wide variety of genres will play 15-minute sets across a number of participating bars and restaurants in Hastings Old Town. Brand new for this year, St Leonards will also be part of the action with 10 acts spread across five venues.

Always a great opportunity to seek out new talent or enjoy old favourites, you can either stay in one place and catch the whole programme for that venue or you can move from bar to bar seeking out the acts that particularly catch your eye. For the really dedicated you can simply stalk your favourite artist all afternoon and watch them perform each of their sets.

In the evening there’s another ticketed event at White Rock Theatre, where the The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club, featuring Red Dwarf and Corrie star-cum-radio DJ Craig Charles, is the headline act at Le Grande Mardi Gras Ball.

Sunday 23rd

The pace, but not necessarily the volume, quietens down a notch on the Sunday when two venues, The Carlisle and Printworks, play host to Under The Radar. Aimed at showcasing the best emerging young talent from across the country, it’s curated by BBC Introducing, the Academy of Contemporary Music, Incubate and the Joe Strummer Foundation. The organisers are touting Kudu Blue, Brighton-based indie rising stars, as one to watch out for this year.

For those on the look-out for something a bit more traditional, there’s always the eccentrically quirky Umbrella Parade which culminates in an afternoon of music and some flamboyantly extravagant brass at the White Rock Theatre.

Monday 24th

Now an established fixture on the Monday evening, the Lord Nelson plays host to acoustic blues/roots musician King Size Slim for a laid-back evening prior to the frenetic madness of The Fat Tuesday Tour the following day.

Tuesday 25th

This is the big one. Twelve venues will host The Fat Tuesday Tour where 24 bands will play 20-minute sets in three venues apiece. Again, there’s a ticketed aftershow at the Brass Monkey with live music from Buddah Triangle and a DJ set from Greentea Peng.

Announced so far

While the full weekend programme is yet to be announced, all of the following acts have been confirmed so far:

Baxter Dury, Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club, Plaid, DJ Food, Greentea Peng, Sam Wills, Kudu Blue, Kid Kapichi, Duke Garwood and the Rank Panache, Nova Twins DJ set, Dizraeli. Hayley Ross, Buddah Triangle, Loud Noises, Georgia Meek, The Great Malarkey, Funking Barstewards, Mzz Kimberley, Sister Suzie, Dr Savage, Aris, The Colleens, Blabbermouth, Otto, The Curst Sons, The Shady Pines, King Size Slim, Johanna Bramli, Georgia May, Trevor Watts with Grassy Noel & APE, Leila (DJ Set), Mr Thing, Creature Creature, The Village Metronome, Massicot, Tim Exile, Silent Natives, The United Stoats Of America, Victoria McDonnell Band, Milton Hide, Sugar Loaf Band, Frank From Blue Velvet, Anna Page, Kahlla, Dayana, Claire K Nicolson, Edward Sanson, Oli Barton & The Movement, Glashin, L, Now and Then, Someone Anyone, Abstract Source, Crunchy Bat, David Toop & Rie Nakajima, Gawd Status, Dave Malone.

Keep an eye on the Fat Tuesday website for more information as it’s published.

Header photo: Loud Noises - image supplied by Fat Tuesday PR team

Related posts:

Fat Tuesday preview 2017

Review: Hastings Fat Tuesday 2017 – Unplugged Saturday 25/2/17

Dodgy at The Carlisle, Hastings (Fat Tuesday headliners 28/2/17)

Live review: Glen Matlock headlines Hastings Fat Tuesday 5/3/19

News: Kankou Kouyate’s ‘Kuma’ album – when the Mali singer-songwriter met the Scottish folk-rock guitarist…

Album reviews, Folk music, Music news, , , , , , , ,

Back in 2017, Kankou Kouyate a singer and songwriter from Mali from a renowned musical family, met Scottish musician Mark Mulholland. A collaboration ensued which led to a batch of original songs fusing both African and western influences. The ten-track album Kuma (meaning “words” in Bambara – Mali’s most common language)  is the result of that collaboration.  Parisian musician Olaf Hund adds electronic beats and on a couple of tracks Vincent Bucher provides some beautifully evocative harmonica. Combined with the rock, blues and folk influences of Mulholland’s guitar work and Kankou’s enchanting voice they have created something altogether special.

Mali. Bamako. 06/2017. Kankou et Mark Mulholland.

In Mali, Kouyate has worked with musicians such as Toumani Diabate, Bassekou Kouyate and Cheick Tidiane Seck. She’s collaborated in Africa Express and also contributed to the soundtrack for a 2015 documentary about musicians displaced by Mali’s civil war while internationally she has worked with the likes of Damon Albarn, Brian Eno and Nick Zinner.

Released: Cannery Row Records 6th December 2019

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https://www.facebook.com/Kankou-kouyate-Malian-music-300084397563791/

Folk: album review – Atlantic Union ‘Indulgence’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , ,

Not the bank but rather a folk trio from Newfoundland, Indulgence is the fourth album from this long-running Canadian enterprise. Formed in 1997 Atlantic Union has seen various line-up changes along the way but Sally Goddard, originally from England, has been at the heart of the trio since its inception and she brings with her one of those classic English pure folk voices that immediately make you sit up and listen.

Joining Goddard (vocals, guitar, bass, bodhran and concertina) are Dan Rubin (violin, viola, mandolin, octave mandolin, bouzouki, dulcimer, guitar and bass) and Jane Ogilvie (Celtic harp, piano and accordion). More than two years in the making Indulgence comprises nine original tracks and five covers, the latter ranging from the traditional ‘Star of the County Down’ to Bob Dylan’s ‘The Hour That The Ship Comes In’. The rich, Celtic-inspired instrumentation and lovely blend of instruments used across the album provides a fine setting for Goddard’s (and on some tracks Rubin’s) vocals.

The trio guide as through the album as follows:

“The opening track is a gentle reminder that we are not alone. The songs that follow reflect on unrequited love, loss of a loved one and memory loss. We emerge from this with a song for a beloved granddaughter, then move through pieces that share an oceanic setting: songs about transcending racism, surviving war and sailing out of St. John’s harbour on a fully rigged ship. After a piece written by Lord Byron and a nostalgic visit to Mallorca we come to a tribute to the loggers of New Brunswick who supplied masts for the British navy and a rather strange song about kayaking in the Queen Charlotte Islands. The collection concludes with a sonata inspired by Scottish themes and a Caribbean sing-along about the joys of living more simply.”

A pleasing album with some enjoyable songwriting, beautiful vocals and fine melodies, Indulgence will hopefully serve to help Atlantic Union become better known among folk listeners here in the UK. It would be well deserved.

Released: November 2019

http://atlanticunion.ca/

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Folk: album review – Seth Lakeman ‘A Pilgrim’s Tale’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , ,

This review was originally published by Get Ready To Rock here

The latest album from folk singer Seth Lakeman marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower setting sail from Plymouth for north America. While A Pilgrim’s Tale showcases his distinctive vocal style and delivery precisely as his fans have come to love and expect, this is more than simply another Seth Lakeman album though. Comprising twelve songs that seek to tell the story of the Mayflower, the album is narrated by Dr Who actor, Paul McGann, and features a stellar cast of some of the leading lights in the contemporary folk world: Cara Dillon, Benji Kirkpatrick, Ben Nicholls et al.

“I didn’t have to go far for inspiration,” contends the Devon-based folk singer. “The Mayflower’s steps on Plymouth’s cobbled streets are twenty minutes away from me.”

Lyrically, Lakeman paints some vivid pictures for the listener and the songs come from a variety of perspectives. It doesn’t attempt to gloss over the brutality of this early adventure in colonialism. It deals with death, brutality and tragedy experienced by both sides but also examines the religious motivations of the pilgrims and their initial sense of optimism as they set sail as well as their trials and tribulations en route. As well as seeking to explore the perspectives of the pilgrims, however, Lakeman also attempts to look at things from the point of view of the indigenous Wampanoag tribespeople. Indeed, Lakeman visited Massachusetts to gain insights from the Wampanoag descendants who still live in the area.

A highly controversial chapter in both British and American history, Lakeman handles it with both sensitivity and creativity and the result is a fascinating and highly listenable album.

Released by BMG 7/2/20

seth-lakeman-a-pilgrims-tale

https://www.sethlakeman.co.uk/

Previous reviews:

Seth Lakeman at De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill 2019

Seth Lakeman at Folk by the Oak 2014

 

News: ‘What If’ – new single from folk singer-songwriter Zoe Wren inspired by prison music charity Sing Inside

Folk music, Music news, , , , , , ,

‘What If‘ the new single from folk artist Zoe Wren seeks to raise both money and public awareness on behalf of prison music outreach charity Sing Inside.

“Taking singing workshops into local prisons with charity Sing Inside was one of the most rewarding parts of my life while living in Cambridge,” says Wren. “My song What If was inspired partly by the joy and hope music can bring to people’s lives and partly by the frustrations of working in a prison system lacking focus on rehabilitation. It is more vital now than ever to support this important community work, so all money from this release will go straight to help Sing Inside and the amazing work this charity does.”

“My heart goes out to the family and friends of Jack and Saskia, and to everyone affected by the events at Fishmongers’ Hall on London Bridge. I think we owe it to them to continue to support the cause they so strongly believed in, and focus not on hate but on love, hope and humanity.”

On its website Sing Inside outlines its mission and values as follows:

  • Sing Inside promotes and supports the use of music and performing arts as a means of community-building for all who work or live within the prison setting.
  • We aim to provide music-based educational initiatives by conducting choral workshops in UK prisons and holding facilities using volunteers drawn from UK universities and local choirs.
  • Our workshops train and develop the musicianship and educational leadership skills of volunteers drawn from universities and local communities, who support workshop delivery.
  • We believe that music can break down common stereotypes and social barriers, and encourage creativity, confidence, and a greater sense of self-worth.

‘What If’ is available via Wren’s Bandcamp page.  The track is priced at £2, but she asks that if you are able to donate any more, it will be hugely appreciated.

Zoe

More information:

Zoe Wren website

Sing Inside Website

Previous review:

EP review: Zoe Wren – Gold & Smoke

 

News: ‘The Final Trawl’ – 19th annual CD of the students of the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music

Album reviews, Folk music, Music news, , , ,

Situated in Plockton on the West Coast of Scotland, the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music first opened its doors to students in 2000. Uniquely, each year the Centre has produced a CD of material chosen and arranged by the students themselves. Featuring twenty-one musicians this year, The Final Trawl double disc CD features both traditional material and the students’ own compositions.

Writing in the album’s sleeve-notes Dougie Pincock, Director of the Centre, remarks:

“The student’s choice of Archie Fisher’s great but gloomy song as the title track is singularly appropriate given that the state of the Scottish fishing industry is one of the more contentious issues of the day. But while, as in the past, I’m happy to commend our young people for their political awareness, I’m always glad to be able to say that they counterbalance the doom and gloom with their creative energy and the joy they take, and give, in the creation and performance of their music.”

The Centre came about when, following devolution in 1999, the Scottish Executive established its Excellence Fund for education, and invited the 32 Scottish local authorities to submit bids for appropriate projects. Recognising the wealth of traditional music activity generated by the Fèis movement and others, the Highland Council submitted a bid for a residential Centre of Excellence specialising in traditional music. The bid was successful and the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music was established at Plockton High School in May 2000 with funding of £500,000 from the Scottish Executive’s Excellence Fund. The Centre is now directly funded by the Highland Council.

The CD is available for purchase via the Centre’s website

https://www.musicplockton.org/

FinalTrawl_PR1

Folk: EP review – The Tweed Project ‘The Tweed Project’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , , , ,

This review was originally published by Bright Young Folk here

The Tweed Project was originally formed in 2015, aiming to both celebrate and fuse English and Scottish traditional music. After a few years on the back-burner The Tweed Project is now back, performing a short tour last autumn and releasing this EP. With a new line-up, Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar are joined by vocalist Josie Duncan, guitarist Pablo Lafuente, piper and whistle player Ali Levack and percussionist Evan Carson.

Josie Duncan sings beautifully, whether it’s in English on songs like Dick Gaughan’s ‘Both Sides the Tweed’ whose message of friendship flourishing on both sides of the famous river straddling the English and Scottish borders is something of a musical manifesto for the band; or in Gaelic as on the wonderfully frenetic ‘B’fhearr leam fhin’. There is some splendid playing on the release, too, as one would expect from an EP packed full of past Young Folk Award winners. The combination of pipes, fiddle, guitar and percussion makes for some wonderfully atmospheric moods created throughout the EP’s six tracks.

For admirers of Greg Russell’s superb singing voice he makes just one lead vocal contribution, singing on the final track ‘Turn That Page Again’. A song about hope and optimism for the future, it concludes the EP in style.

With a refreshed and revitalised line-up and a release just brimming with virtuoso musicality, love and passion it is wonderful to experience the creativity of the Tweed Project flowing once more.

Released: Haystack Records 18th October 2019

https://thetweedprojectband.com/

The-TWeed-Project-EP

Related reviews:

Album review – Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar ‘Utopia and Wasteland’
Luke Jackson and Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar at Cecil Sharp House 2016
Greg Russell and Rex Preston at The Green Note 2015
Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar at The Green Note 2014

Singer-songwriter: album review – Lorraine Jordan ‘Send My Soul’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , , ,

Send My Soul is the fifth studio album from singer song-writer Lorraine Jordan. Memorably described as ‘Celtic soul’ her music builds on her family’s Irish roots while also embracing more contemporary influences.

It’s a combination that works fantastically well and from the moment you put it on the album oozes soulful sophistication and captivating musicality. Indeed, such is the powerfully understated beauty of the title track that I had to double-check that this was a brand new song and not a modern interpretation of a long lost gospel soul classic.

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Not only is Jordan is a talented songwriter with a passionate soulful voice she’s succeeded in assembling a suitably talented line-up of musicians for the album. Jordan’s own guitar and bouzouki playing is complimented by a sensitive yet wondrous accompaniment of mandolin, piano, strings, whistle and percussion that help give these songs such a unique Celtic-inspired flavour.

If Celtic soul is truly a thing then ‘Send My Soul’ is surely a classic of the genre. Jordan has delivered an exquisitely appealing album here.

Released: October 2019 by Hazellville Music

https://www.lorrainejordan.net/

Lorraine_PR1

Interview with singer-songwriter Dan Korn of folk/acoustic duo Dan Korn & Joe Sharp

Folk music, Interviews, , , , , ,

Released back in July Polaris is the new album from singer-songwriter Dan Korn and classically-trained musician Joe Sharp. The two first worked together in 2010, collaborating on a number of releases. Polaris is their first release as a duo, although there have been hundreds of shows across the UK and Europe in recent years and a tour of the US. I caught up with Dan Korn recently to discuss the album, their work as a duo and next steps.

For those who haven’t heard the album how would you describe Polaris and what particular highlights would you point listeners to?

Polaris is an album of ten new songs recorded live at Roedean Moira House Studios in Eastbourne. We see it as an intimate exploration of love and identity in the modern world.

We were keen to capture the raw energy of our live performances by recording the album live. We are the only two musicians on the album, though we play a number of acoustic instruments.

I have different favourite moments from time to time, but at the moment I am particularly fond of the track Idaho, which was conceived in a chilly tent in a campsite off an Idaho Highway. I toured in the US in the summer of 2016 and shivering in that tent was definitely a low point of the tour. It’s a hopeful song though, imagining a time in the future when my ex-girlfriend and I will be friends again and we’ll be able to sit on a park bench together and laugh at the past.

Another highlight for me is Joe’s song, The Promise, the final track on the album. It’s the only song I don’t play guitar on, which makes it both liberating and nerve-wracking to play live. It’s a beautiful song and a great way to finish the record.

This is your first release as a duo but you’ve worked together on a number of projects. How did you first begin working together?

We started working together back in 2010. I was going into the studio to record my debut EP, Dustbowl. We felt a couple of tracks would benefit from the addition of some brass. Joe was a friend of a friend and a trumpet player by trade, so we asked him to play trumpet and flugelhorn on the record. He did so with aplomb. We soon became firm friends and musical collaborators, though Joe has mostly played bass and supplied backing vocals since then.

And you’ve been performing live together as a duo for several years with hundreds of gigs behind you. Was it a conscious creative decision to wait for a while before releasing an album or was it just the way things turned out?

Our setup has evolved considerably over the years. In different configurations, we have recorded two EPs and one LP before this one. Between 2016 and 2018, I toured a lot my own and accumulated quite a few new songs. Joe had a couple of songs he wanted to record too. We were playing better together than ever, so it felt like the right time to enter the studio. For it to be a duo project felt like the most honest and authentic way to go about things at that time.

What have been some of your most memorable gigs?

In 2015, the full band went on a UK tour to promote the release of our Of The Sea LP. We were in Inverness, in a tiny venue with a miniature stage we were somehow all supposed to fit on with a drum-kit. It was a pretty rowdy audience. At one point during the set, we couldn’t help but notice a man’s glass eye fall out and roll across the floor in front of the stage. We watched him proceed to pick it up, blow on it and pop it back in!

The final concert of a tour often turns out to be a favourite. By this time, you’re in great nick because you’ve been playing so much. You’re tired of course, but there’s a feeling of throwing caution to the wind. You don’t have to get up and play again tomorrow, you can just enjoy it. In the days that follow, the post-tour blues will descend as you try to reintegrate yourself into humdrum life. The absence of the adrenaline you have grown accustomed to experiencing performing on stage can be quite difficult to deal with.

In recent years, we have loved playing house concerts, particularly in Germany, where there is a pretty well established scene. It can be a very intimate experience, where you can literally hear the audience breathing. You can’t get away with much. You have to be able to chat in between songs. It’s a really good way to develop your performance skills. I’d recommend it as a good avenue to explore for any singer-songwriter, learning his or her craft.

Name some of the artists that have particularly influenced you.

At the moment, I’m really enjoying Cate Le Bon and Bill Callahan. I went to a Villagers gig in Rotterdam recently, which I found very inspiring.

Given the extremely positive reviews for Polaris when it was released in the summer what are your future plans now, both as a duo and as individual artists?

We’ve been working on another full band album for the last couple of years. It’s being recorded by our guitarist Bob Turley at his Cosy Studios in Kent, where we recorded Of The Sea. We each live in different places and have a lot going on, so it’s a good thing we’re not in any great rush to release it. We’re getting together over Christmas to review things and to work out what our next steps should be. It will be quite different from anything we’ve released before. Watch this space!

Polaris cover

Polaris was released on 19th July 2019 and is available via the duo’s website 

http://www.dankornjoesharp.com/

Photo credits: Carsten Bunnemann

Interview: Darren talks Fag Ash and Beer with guitarist/singer-songwriter Jake Aaron

Folk music, Interviews, Music news, , , , , , ,

Guitarist and singer-songwriter Jake Aaron released his debut EP in 2016 to plaudits from folk and indie reviewers. His debut album Fag Ash and Beer was released in September 2019, again to favourable reviews. I caught up up with him recently to discuss the album, some of the musicians he’s worked with, his choice of cover artwork and his teenage love for Iron Maiden.

You have managed to pull together a great line-up of musicians for your debut album? How did they get involved?

I was very lucky! My first songs in 2015 were just on acoustic guitar, but I had an idea last year for a jazzy piece “Give Me Your Horse” which needed a great Hammond player and trumpeter. I made some inquires in the jazz world and the names that came back were Steve Lodder for Hammond and Steve Waterman for trumpet. I contacted them and they both seemed to like the piece – maybe it was the time signature – and luckily they both agreed. I found the bassist Davide Mantovani and drummer Marc Parnell through Steve L. When I was recording the album this year, I felt some tracks needed building up so I asked the musicians if they’d come back in. They’re brilliant players. A couple of the tracks on the album are live takes, “Elvis Has Left The Building” and “New Mexico”, and you can hear how good they are.

Have you been taken aback by the positive response to the album or did you always know you had something special on your hands as soon as you began putting it together?

I’m not sure the album has mainstream appeal, but it does seem to have found a niche in certain music circles which is nice. It’s had some play on BBC Jazz Nights as well as Genevieve Tudor’s Folk Show. My biggest uncertainty was how the album would all hang together as it’s quite a mix of ideas. I just hoped it would somehow. I’ve had a small audience since my EP who seem to like what I’m doing, and it was good they stuck with me, too.

And given the response how come you waited so long to make your first album?

It’s quite a task writing a whole album, and partly it just took a long time to finish the pieces once I’d started. I wrote some of the pieces quickly, whilst others were like watching paint dry, waiting for missing bits of music or words. A couple of the tracks were quite fiddly.

In terms of the album title it absolutely does what it says on the tin – but do talk us through that album cover!

I was working on a very different cover but didn’t feel it was working and was pretty fed up with the whole thing. An old friend then texted me a picture of us playing guitar in his folks’ kitchen when we were about sixteen, smoking and drinking and I thought that’ll do. It tied in with the track “Fag Ash and Beer” and the acoustic aspect of the music. On reflection it possibly wasn’t my greatest idea of all time, and I don’t think it helped promote the music at all. I’m not sure it’s up there with Physical Graffiti. Then again it had personal resonance for me.

fagashandbeer-jake-aaron

Heavy metal clearly had a big impact on you when you were a teenager. That was what got me hooked on music, too, and I still love it alongside the more acoustic stuff. Are you still a fan?

I don’t put Run to the Hills on any more, but I still remember why I liked it. Maybe it’s a guitar thing and if I didn’t play guitar I possibly wouldn’t have got as much out of it as I did. Some of the guitarists are technical wizards. Eddie Van Halen was just mind boggling. Heavy metal aside I’ve always liked different styles of music, and I like a lot more styles than I dislike. A solitary bagpipe, African drums, a hillbilly picking a banjo … they can all do it for me as long as it’s got a groove.

Name some of the artists that have particularly influenced you as a singer-songwriter.

There are lots of artists I love, but I am not sure which ones influenced me the most. Some of them are pretty inimitable. I also think it’s easier and more enjoyable trying to to play in your own way. I probably got bits and pieces from all over though, from every song and riff I learnt to play. You can’t play the intro to Hey Joe a thousand times and not be influenced a bit.

You have Guy Pratt contributing on one track on the album. How did that come about, and did he share any Pink Floyd tales with you?

No tales of Floyd, though I do know some of Guy’s great tales from my “My Bass and Other Animals”. I’ve known Guy for a long time through one of my best friends. I had an interesting cover for “Give Me Your Horse” of Pancho Villa and his gang holding instruments instead of rifles. The bass player looked particularly cool, like he was some legendary bassist, so Guy came to mind. I emailed him the piece, he liked it and quite remarkably he agreed. A massive honour.

What’s your favourite track on the album and tell us how it came about?

I’ve got a few but I think the instrumental “Elvis Has Left The Building” has a good vibe. It was originally an acoustic song but the band sounded so good I left it as is, like we were Elvis’s warm up band. After we recorded it, I was downstairs in the studio making a coffee and Kenny Jones, the engineer, and the others were playing it back upstairs. We had a busy schedule and when I heard it I thought “Why are they listening to that funk track on the radio? We should be getting on with my stuff!” I liked “New Mexico”, too. I was downstairs again when it was played back and Marc’s beat came pounding through the ceiling – it sounded like approaching Apaches. I was quite pleased lyrically with “Jonah Part 1”, too. It took a while to get it into a shape where it sounded colloquial without being too flip, and I could tell the story in a way I found engaging.

Give Me Your Horse Cover

The single cover art for 'Give Me Your Horse'

And, finally, given the positive reaction to this have you got plans for a follow-up?

I think I’d keep plodding on regardless of the reaction, but it’s good that some people like the music too. I’ll possibly release singles or an EP next if another album is too daunting. I’m quite interested in music for film. A couple of reviewers thought the music was quite cinematic and would fit a Tarantino movie. Clearly if Quentin wants to use a piece that would not be a problem!

Fag Ash and Beer was independently released on 6th September 2019

https://www.jakeaaron.com/