Assembled as a showcase for the songwriting of North Carolina-based Cameron Thomas, songs that “share the humble joys, struggles and mysteries of Southern life”, the North Carolina-based four-piece Sufferin’ Fools recently released their second EP.
Sufferin’ Fools are singer/songwriter and guitarist, Cameron Thomas (who played and toured with The Delta Drift and The Corduroy Road); lead guitarist/pedal steel man, Andrew Wagley (a former member of Po Boyz); bass-player, Christopher (a former sound engineer); and drummer, Pete Schreiner (ex- Songs: Ohia/Magnolia Electric Co.)
Following an excellent debut (the four-track EP Bound To Get Burned, released in 2024) a five-track follow-up Forest for the Trees, came out in September this year.
Announcing the release of Forest for the Trees, Thomas said: “Even the best memories fade. Art, and music specifically, is a way to capture moments, preserve emotions good and bad, and memorialise life’s victories and failures – because they tell a story of who we are.”
Indeed, Forest for the Trees doesn’t shy away from the times when life hits you hard and the hard-learned lessons that stem from that. Most of the songs were written in the months preceding Hurricane Helene which caused catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the Southeastern United States, then promptly recorded in the aftermath of the storm.
“Musicians’ feelings can’t help but come out through soundwaves,” reflected Schreiner. “We were lucky to have a place to channel our emotions.”
“One of the greatest pleasures of this project for me,” added Thomas, “is being accompanied by an authentic and experienced group of musicians who perform as if the stories are their own to tell. I think they make my voice as a songwriter stronger, more real and far more effective.”
Rootsy and gutsy but deliciously laid-back, with gorgeous pedal steel and heartfelt vocals addressing everyman themes, whether you’re in the rugged mountain regions of North Carolina or here on the south-coast of England, what you’ll find in Forest for the Trees is warm, honest rock and roll Americana, for the heart and for the soul.
Singer-songwriter, John Jenkins, was once part of Liverpool’s ‘80s post-punk scene as a member of The Persuaders and Come in Tokio but as the decades rolled on it was as a solo performer and on the Americana scene where he began to really make his mark.
I reviewed his third album, the extremely promising Growing Old (Songs From My Front Porch) back in 2020, noting “Jenkins’ lyrics have a nice turn of phrase to them and he can clearly turn out some really, strong memorable melodies, too.”
A further album, If You Can’t Forgive You Can’t Love followed in 2021. However, it was his next album Tuebrook, that appeared to be something of a gamechanger and cemented his reputation as a critically-acclaimed figure on the UK’s Americana scene. Following a well-received EP, Weary, in 2024, Jenkins is back with a new full-length album.
John Jenkins: “My previous album, Tuebrook, was deeply personal, with most tracks drawing inspiration from significant moments in my own life. For this new album, I aimed to return to storytelling, crafting narratives that were less autobiographical yet still rich in character and emotion. Even while consciously creating fictional personas, I found that elements from my own experiences and the lives of those around me naturally wove their way into the fabric of the songs. The result is a blend of truth and fiction, where distinguishing one from the other is often challenging.”
Drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding album and Nanci Griffiths’ Last of the True Believers, Restless Hearts explores the theme of restlessness with songs about those who, in one way or another, are searching for more in their lives.
Restless Hearts demonstrates just what a gifted storyteller John Jenkins is. Its twelve tracks hit the sweet spot in capturing that enigmatic blend of sadness, longing and hope, set to some instantly appealing melodies and with a crack squad of A-list musicians, bringing depth, emotion and sheer class to this gorgeous collection songs. Highly recommended.
I first encountered Luke Jackson reasonably early on his career, when I wrote back in 2016 that he “gives a rootsy, acoustic blues feel to the contemporary singer-songwriter genre and is an immediate hit with the Cecil Sharp audience.”
His career has gone from strength to strength since then, with a hefty back-catalogue of critically-acclaimed albums, support slots for the likes of Jools Holland, and performing at the Royal Albert Hall. Released towards the end of last year, BLOOM is the latest album from the Kent-based singer-songwriter, his first full-length album in five years and one that’s been several years in the making.
Luke Jackson: “This album is a reflection of the last five years of my life. I’ve poured an awful lot into these songs, drawing from the highs and lows throughout my twenties, being a touring musician, and from the incredible people I’ve met along the way. BLOOM is about growth, change and continuing to find beauty in the journey, even through the challenging times.”
Accompanying Jackson (vocals, guitars, piano), the album features regular trio collaborators, Elliott Norris (drums, percussion) and Sam Mummery (bass) with Andy Sharps contributing bass to several tracks; as well as guest appearances from Amy Wadge and Edwina Hayes, who each contribute their distinctive vocals to a track apiece.
The result has certainly been worth the wait with a clutch of autobiographical songs where Jackson bares his soul on relationships, friendships and the challenges facing a late twenty-something as he contemplates growing up and settling down.
As is typical of a singer-songwriter who refused to be pigeon-holed by anything that might limit his ability to tell his own story, there’s bags of variety on this album and a refreshing refusal to be pinned down to a single musical genre. From the lush Americana, singer-songwriter vibe of ‘Woman’, to the old-time gospel-flavour of ‘Trouble Now’, to the fragile acoustic elegance of ‘Rubber & Magic’ (performed with Amy Wadge), to the exhilarating rockabilly of ‘Curse The Day’, Luke Jackson takes us on a magical journey with BLOOM. Superb songwriting, compelling vocals and deft musicianship, this album represents another leap forward in an already impressive career.
“We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine
Following her extremely well-received self-titled, debut solo EP in 2021 and its much-anticipated follow-up Seven Stories parts one and two in 2024, River Stories is the latest release from London-based singer-songwriter, Little Lore. A burgeoning presence on the UK Americana scene, Little Lore has received many plaudits, both for her astute, observational songwriting and for her warm, heartfelt vocals.
From rivers, to boats, to canals, to swimming, all six songs on River Stories are inspired in some way by the theme of water. The concept for the EP came about following an invitation for Little Lore to become songwriter in residency on Johnson’s Island, an artists’ community set on a tiny island on the Grand Union Canal and the River Brent in West London.
Little Lore:“In November 2023, I was invited to become songwriter in residency on Johnson’s Island – a tiny land mass in the mouth of the Grand Union Canal and the River Brent in Brentford, and home to fifteen or so artists’ studio. My idea was born when I called my friend, the artist Angela Chan, who has a studio on the island. I asked her whether she thought that the artists who work there would be willing to let me come and visit them or interview them to see if that would stimulate some songs. She is an incredible human being and instantly suggested that she lend me the studio for a few days later that year and that I become Songwriter in Residence on the island. I had four days in the studio and I imagined I would write about the artists and the huge changes that Brentford in West London is undergoing. But a week before the residency I got a call letting me know that the island had been flooded and that the residency was in jeopardy. I sat down and wrote ‘The River’ – reflecting on the incredible power the river has to calm us with her beauty but also destroy.”
“Against all the odds, the studios dried out and the residency went ahead, as planned. I arrived full of enthusiasm with my computer, my guitar and some basic recording equipment. I was excited to meet all the artists and although I had written one song about the river already, I was sure that the project was about the artists and the community in Brentford. I dropped my gear into the studio and went to see who else was working on the island – only to find that I was the only person there! None of the other artists were in their studios that morning – I mean it was pretty early. The project was not going at all as I had planned. I sat in the studio looking at the river and my mind started to wander to my relationship with water. I sketched a time line of my entire life noting any river or water related incidents or interactions from my birth to present. And I noticed some themes … such as, I have lived close to bodies of working water my entire life, I was born in Oxford near the Thames, moved to Cambridge, by the River Cam, and back to Oxford as a small child. When I was 7, we moved to Portchester just outside Portsmouth and later Fareham – both situated on an ever changing tidal creek. Now I live in West London close to the Thames again and I can’t imagine living anywhere that wasn’t within a few minutes’ walk of a river or estuary of some kind.”
Renowned New York-based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Oli Deakin,(who records under the name of Lowpines) is Little Lore’s principal musical collaborator and is, once again, the EP’s producer and provides much of the instrumentation. Vocals were recorded with Paul Stanborough at Chapel View Studio in Kent.
Little Lore:“Working with my long-time collaborator Oli on the arrangements for this collection of songs was an absolute delight. He suggested that we ask Francesca and Sasha to provide real violin and cello and I think they add so much. Morgan jumped in for drums again as usual.”
“The artwork was created by Afiya Paice. I love how engaged she was about the back story behind this EP and how it related to my life and all the places I have lived. She used photographs of me to create the front cover and pictures we found on google of the houses I lived in the past. Such a personal and beautiful way to create art that adds to the story of the record.”
1. The River:“This song was inspired by two enormous storms that battered the UK in November 2023 causing great damage and floods. When I got the call letting me know that it was looking like only a 50/50 chance for my songwriter in residency to go ahead, I sat on the sofa with my guitar and I thought – damn that river has two sides. And the song came from there, with that phrase and the little guitar riff coming first, unusually for me as I am almost always a lyrics-first kinda gal. The song reflects on the incredible beauty of the river and the destruction it can reap when the right combination of high tides, gravitational pull from the moon and the storms collide. I love how Oli interpreted the song – and the addition of violins and cello really evoke the feelings of the water.”
2. Johnson’s Island:“I always intended this project to be about the artists on Johnson’s Island but when I had finished the residency, I hadn’t written anything about them. They would never say it, but I got the sense that they hoped I would write a song about the island and the people that create there. It was about a fortnight after the residency that this song came to me, with all the technicolour details of the artists I had encountered. I have performed it live for them a few times and I am so excited that it is finally going to be released so they can share it with their family and friends and say ’that’s me’! It’s the true story of just some of the incredible creative people that welcomed me onto the island. I am beyond grateful for the warmth they showed me and I hope this song is a fitting tribute.”
3. Waterlog:“I talked to a few of folk who lived on canal boats while I was working on this project and a story kept on coming up which was about the mass destruction that can be reaped by a water-logged log. After one such conversation, I found myself thinking ‘poor log – it was a tree once’. I wondered how it might be to write a song from the perspective of the misunderstood log. When I had finished the song, I sent the demos of all the songs to Angela as she had been so instrumental in making the project happen. This was the song that really caught her ear. She wrote me a long email with beautiful feedback about all the songs but this song she particularly related to. She described it as a feminist anthem and made me realise that the song was more personal than I had originally intended. The water-logged log is not seen for all it was: as a young vibrant sapling, for the strength it once had or the stories it could tell. As a post-menopausal woman, I know how the log feels. It is a relatively simple song harmonically but the melody and lyrics of the bridge soar with a plea for understanding.”
4. I Can Breathe Underwater:“The inspiration behind this song came from a family tale that when I was two years old, I fell over in a swimming pool. I wasn’t in the water for long, I was scooped up quickly with no lasting physical impact. I was so young, that I have no recollection of the incident, it was shared with me when I was older by my parents. But although I didn’t remember it something in my psyche held on to this experience because as a child I refused to learn to swim. I can’t emphasise enough what a good girl I was as a kid, I did as I was told most of the time and was pretty compliant but when it came to swimming, I was adamant. There was absolutely no way I was getting into water. I certainly wasn’t going to put my face in and blow bubbles like the other children at swimming lessons. It didn’t matter what anyone said or did – I was immovable. In my teens I got over it enough that I learned to swim, but I still don’t put my face in the water. Some incidents last but they give you strength and a way to prove that you can overcome difficult times. This song is a testimony to overcoming pain, suffering and not allowing it to destroy you but rather to give you a glossy mermaids tail and resilience in all aspects of your life. Sometimes I feel as though nothing can hurt me because I can (metaphorically) breathe underwater.”
5. Run with the Tide:“I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan, the operations manager at John’s Boatyard in Brentford, while I was working on Johnson’s Island. He took me on a tour of the boatyard which still has some ancient equipment and an active boat-building and repair business. He told me how he changed his life driven by financial considerations. Buying a boat and becoming a continuous cruiser was a way to get out of the renting game and save some money so he could get on the property ladder. After a few months of living on his boat and changing location every two weeks he was hooked and he says he can’t imagine going back to living on land now. He talked about how the tide is so important to anyone living on a boat or working with boats. There are few things you can only do when there is slack water. And this idea of being run by the tide and its schedule stimulated the song. Using a 6/8 time signature really gives it a watery rhythm.”
6. Haul Me in the River*:“This song was written by Little Lore producer, Oli Deakin AKA Lowpines. I mentioned in passing to him that I should consider covering one of his songs in this collection and he immediately suggested that I listen to this song. I fell in love with it instantly and could imagine it with an a cappella treatment. I immediately recorded a simple demo version at my home studio and anxiously sent it to Oli for his thoughts – happily he loved the idea – I always feel responsible to treat other people’s songs with respect and this is the first time I have released something I haven’t written or co-written myself. The arrangement Oli created is stunning and I am really proud of how the collaboration worked out.”
Release information – River Stories:
Written and performed by: Little Lore AKA Tricia Duffy (except * written by Oli Deakin)
Produced by: Oli Deakin
Vocal Engineer: Paul Stanborough at Chapel Studio
Violin: Francesca Dardani
Cello: Sasha Ono
Drums: Morgan Karabel
All other instruments: Oli Deakin
Artwork: Afiya Paice
About Little Lore:
Little Lore is a London based, Indie-Americana singer-storyteller whose songs are both charmingly accessible and beguilingly challenging. You’ll want to listen twice. When you combine British wit and wordplay with cherished Americana roots, musical magic starts to happen. Based in Chiswick, West London, and originally hailing from Portsmouth, Tricia Duffy started her singing career as a teenager, which included a stint on cruise ships in the United States. She began writing and performing her own material with Americana duo Duffy & Bird and they released a well-received album 5 Lines in 2017 and a follow-up EP Spirit Level in 2019.
Tricia’s solo project Little Lore was created in 2020 during the pandemic. Her debut solo EP, Little Lore, was released in 2021 to glowing reviews. The singles, ‘Shallow’, ‘Brown Liquor John’ and ‘Birds’ were released in 2022 to similar acclaim, followed by another equally well-received single ‘Normal’ in January 2023. Two follow-up EPs Seven Stories Part One and Seven Stories Part Two were then released in late 2023 and early 2024 to enthusiastic reviews and extensive radio airplay. Little Lore has become a force to be reckoned with on the UK Americana scene, picking up a slew of enthusiastic reviews and extensive radio airplay – including BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Ulster, Nashville Worldwide Country Radio and the International Americana Music Show. In her songs, Little Lore brings together an affection for the heart and heritage of Americana music, with an intelligence and maturity of storytelling that can sweep you away into new and unexpected emotional worlds.
An enthusiastic advocate for songwriters, she is the London Chapter Coordinator for NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International), and a member of Ivors Academy and the Americana Music Association UK. She is especially passionate about creating opportunities for female, transgender and non-binary songwriters.
“We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine
Released on 7 March, ‘The River’ is the second single from the forthcoming EP by London-based Americana singer-songwriter, Little Lore. A burgeoning presence on the UK Americana scene, Little Lore has received many plaudits, both for her astute, observational songwriting and for her warm, heartfelt vocals.
‘The River’ is one of six songs that will appear on the brand-new Little Lore EP, River Stories, which comes out in April. From rivers, to boats, to canals, to swimming, all six songs on the EP are inspired in some way by the theme of water. The concept for the EP came about following an invitation for Little Lore to become songwriter in residency on Johnson’s Island, an artists’ community set on a tiny island on the Grand Union Canal and the River Brent in West London.
A gentle, reflective song with gorgeous instrumentation, sumptuous vocals and beautiful harmonies ‘The River’ reminds us that rivers can be beautiful, tranquil places but can also be very powerful forces that can wreak great devastation.
Little Lore:“This song was inspired by two enormous storms that battered the UK in November 2023 causing great damage and floods. I had been invited to become songwriter in residence on Johnson’s island- an artists’ studio located in the mouth of the Grand Union Canal and the River Brent. A week before the residency the whole island was flooded including the artist’s room I was due to use. When I got the call letting me know that it was looking 50/50 for the residency to go ahead, I sat on the sofa with my guitar and I thought – damn that river has two sides. And the song came from there, with that phrase and the little guitar riff coming first, unusually for me as I am almost always a lyrics-first kinda gal.”
“The song reflects on the incredible beauty of the river and the destruction it can reap when the right combination of high tides, gravitational pull from the moon and storms collide. I love how Oli interpreted the song – and the addition of violins and cello really evoke the feelings of the water.”
Renowned New York-based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Oli Deakin, (who records under the name of Lowpines) is Little Lore’s principal musical collaborator and again produced the single and the forthcoming EP and provides much of the instrumentation.
Written and performed by: Little Lore AKA Tricia Duffy Produced by: Oli Deakin Violin: Francesca Dardani Cello: Sasha Ono Drums: Morgan Karabel All other instruments: Oli Deakin Artwork: Afiya Paice
About Little Lore:
Little Lore is a London based, Indie-Americana singer-storyteller whose songs are both charmingly accessible and beguilingly challenging. You’ll want to listen twice. When you combine British wit and wordplay with cherished Americana roots, musical magic starts to happen. Based in Chiswick, West London, and originally hailing from Portsmouth, Tricia Duffy started her singing career as a teenager, which included a stint on cruise ships in the United States. She began writing and performing her own material with Americana duo Duffy & Bird and they released a well-received album 5 Lines in 2017 and a follow-up EP Spirit Level in 2019.
Tricia’s solo project Little Lore was created in 2020 during the pandemic. Her debut solo EP, Little Lore, was released in 2021 to glowing reviews. The singles, ‘Shallow’, ‘Brown Liquor John’ and ‘Birds’ were released in 2022 to similar acclaim, followed by another equally well-received single ‘Normal’ in January 2023. Two follow-up EPs Seven Stories Part One and Seven Stories Part Two were then released in late 2023 and early 2024 to enthusiastic reviews and extensive radio airplay. Little Lore has become a force to be reckoned with on the UK Americana scene, picking up a slew of enthusiastic reviews and extensive radio airplay – including BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Ulster, Nashville Worldwide Country Radio and the International Americana Music Show. In her songs, Little Lore brings together an affection for the heart and heritage of Americana music, with an intelligence and maturity of storytelling that can sweep you away into new and unexpected emotional worlds.
An enthusiastic advocate for songwriters, she is the London Chapter Coordinator for NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International), and a member of Ivors Academy and the Americana Music Association UK. She is especially passionate about creating opportunities for female, transgender and non-binary songwriters.
“We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine
‘I Can Breathe Underwater’ is the new single from Little Lore, the highly sought-after singer-songwriter on the UK Americana scene. Released on 7 February, it is one of six songs that will appear on a brand-new Little Lore EP called River Stories, which comes out in April.
From rivers, to boats, to canals, to swimming, all six songs on the EP are inspired in some way by the theme of water. This followed an invitation for Little Lore to become songwriter in residency on Johnson’s Island, an artists’ community set on a tiny island on the Grand Union Canal and the River Brent in West London.
With its gorgeous vocals, thoughtful lyrics, irresistible choruses and sumptuous production, ‘I Can Breathe Underwater’ is a tale of resilience that will bring a touch of joy to the seasonal gloom and act as the perfect antidote to those winter blues.
Little Lore:“The inspiration behind this song came from a family tale that when I was two years-old, I fell over in a swimming pool. I wasn’t in the water for long, I was scooped up quickly with no lasting physical impact. I was so young, that I have no recollection of the incident, it was shared with me when I was older by my parents. But although I didn’t remember it something in my psyche held on to this experience because as a child I refused to learn to swim. I can’t emphasise enough what a good girl I was as a kid, I did as I was told most of the time and was pretty compliant but when it came to swimming, I was adamant. There was absolutely no way I was getting into water. I certainly wasn’t going to put my face in and blow bubbles like the other children at swimming lessons. It didn’t matter what anyone said or did – I was immovable.”
“In my teens I got over it enough that I learned to swim, but I still don’t put my face in the water. Some incidents last but they give you strength and a way to prove that you can overcome difficult times. This song is a testimony to overcoming pain, suffering and not allowing it to destroy you but rather to give you a glossy mermaids tail and resilience in all aspects of your life. Sometimes I feel as though nothing can hurt me because I can (metaphorically) breathe underwater.“
The single is again produced by renowned New York-based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Oli Deakin, who records under the name of Lowpines.
‘I Can Breathe Underwater’ is released digitally on 7 February 2025 via:
Written and performed by: Little Lore AKA Tricia Duffy
Produced by: Oli Deakin
Violin: Francesca Dardani
Cello: Sasha Ono
Drums: Morgan Karabel
All other instruments: Oli Deakin
Artwork: Afiya Paice
About Little Lore:
Little Lore is a London based, Indie-Americana singer-storyteller whose songs are both charmingly accessible and beguilingly challenging. You’ll want to listen twice. When you combine British wit and wordplay with cherished Americana roots, musical magic starts to happen. Based in Chiswick, West London, and originally hailing from Portsmouth, Tricia Duffy started her singing career as a teenager, which included a stint on cruise ships in the United States. She began writing and performing her own material with Americana duo Duffy & Bird and they released a well-received album 5 Lines in 2017 and a follow-up EP Spirit Level in 2019.
Tricia’s solo project Little Lore was created in 2020 during the pandemic. Her debut solo EP, Little Lore, was released in 2021 to glowing reviews. The singles, ‘Shallow’, ‘Brown Liquor John’ and ‘Birds’ were released in 2022 to similar acclaim, followed by another equally well-received single ‘Normal’ in January 2023. Two follow-up EPs Seven Stories Part One and Seven Stories Part Two were then released in late 2023 and early 2024 to enthusiastic reviews and extensive radio airplay. Little Lore has become a force to be reckoned with on the UK Americana scene, picking up a slew of enthusiastic reviews and extensive radio airplay – including BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Ulster, Nashville Worldwide Country Radio and the International Americana Music Show. In her songs, Little Lore brings together an affection for the heart and heritage of Americana music, with an intelligence and maturity of storytelling that can sweep you away into new and unexpected emotional worlds.
An enthusiastic advocate for songwriters, she is the London Chapter Coordinator for NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International), and a member of Ivors Academy and the Americana Music Association UK. She is especially passionate about creating opportunities for female, transgender and non-binary songwriters.
“Her songwriting hasn’t gone astray, with catchy lines coming thick and fast, alongside the wistful observational writing. The musicality sways in with reverberating, almost shoegaze guitar embellishments and constantly strumming acoustic guitar to ground each song with the brushed drums and light piano accompaniment. – Maverick magazine on Little Lore’s 2023 EP, Seven Stories Part One
With three acclaimed EPs of lush Americana, superb songwriting and heart-felt vocals under her belt, Little Lore has become a force to be reckoned with on the UK Americana scene, picking up a slew of enthusiastic reviews and extensive radio airplay – including BBC Radio Scotland, Nashville Worldwide Country Radio and the International Americana Music Show. Now Little Lore is back with a brand-new single, ‘This Building Is Condemned’, featuring that trademark blend of sharp, observational songwriting, top-notch musicianship and gorgeous vocals.
Little Lore:“This song was inspired at a cross section between a play by Tennessee Williams called This Property is Condemned, and the idea of a condemned building as a metaphor for how it feels to be a post-menopausal women. Yes really! When I was a teenager I did a lot of acting and I often used a monologue from the play for auditions and exams. A 1966 American film inspired by this one act play stared Natalie Wood in the part of Alva and it was her character, oppressed, misunderstood and frustrated that formed the starting point for my writing. I was finding the word ‘property’ wasn’t very singable, so I evolved to building and that inspired me to lean into my own story using the building figuratively. “
“Musically I wanted to capture some of that 1930s Americana feel I got from the film and so I worked with long-time Little Lore collaborator Oli Deakin to create a rich sonic-sound scape using the brilliant talents of Francesca and Sasha for the violin and cello, Morgan on drums with all other instruments played by Oli. I couldn’t be prouder of this song, both lyrically and harmonically, and I am delighted with how it has turned out.”
The single is again produced by renowned New York-based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Oli Deakin (who records under the name of Lowpines). Released digitally on October 11th 2024 it is available via: https://littlelore.bandcamp.com
Release information ‘This Building is Condemned’:
Written and performed by Little Lore / Tricia Duffy
Produced by Oli Deakin
Violin by Francesca Dardani
Cello by Sasha Ono
Drums by Morgan Karabel
All other instruments Oli Deakin
Artwork Afia Paice
About Little Lore:
Little Lore is a London based, Indie-Americana singer-storyteller whose songs are both charmingly accessible and beguilingly challenging. You’ll want to listen twice. When you combine British wit and wordplay with cherished Americana roots, musical magic starts to happen. Based in Chiswick, West London, and originally hailing from Portsmouth, Tricia Duffy started her singing career as a teenager, which included a stint on cruise ships in the United States. She began writing and performing her own material with Americana duo Duffy & Bird and they released a well-received album ‘5 Lines’ in 2017 and a follow-up EP ‘Spirit Level’ in 2019.
Tricia’s solo project Little Lore was created in 2020 during the pandemic. Her debut solo EP, Little Lore, was released in 2021 to glowing reviews. The singles, ‘Shallow’, ‘Brown Liquor John’ and ‘Birds’ were released in 2022 to similar acclaim, followed by another equally well-received single ‘Normal’ in January 2023. Two follow-up EPs Seven Stories Part One and Seven Stories Part Two were then released in late 2023 and early 2024 to enthusiastic reviews and extensive radio airplay.
An enthusiastic advocate for songwriters, she is the London Chapter Coordinator for NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) and is especially passionate about creating opportunities for female, transgender and non-binary songwriters. In her songs, Little Lore brings together an affection for the heart and heritage of Americana music, with an intelligence and maturity of storytelling that can sweep you away into new and unexpected emotional worlds.
I first came across David and Clare Rozzell as two-thirds of the bluegrass/folk trio, Wood Wire & Words. The trio saw David (guitar/vocals) and Clare (double bass/vocals) joined by Clare’s father, Pat Francis (dobro/mandolin), with the trio chalking up a plethora of gigs and festival appearances across the UK and Europe and releasing several albums – one of which I reviewed here.
The constraints of lockdown restrictions, however, meant that the established trio reformulated themselves into a duo and for two years , every Friday evening, the pair would stage their online Folkgrass Lockdown Sessions direct from their home on England’s South Coast.
Recently, the pair released their very first single as a duo, ‘Museum of the Missing’, which came out towards the end of February.
Conceived as the theme song for a sci-fi/horror podcast of the same name, ‘Museum Of The Missing’ is said to be a powerful, dark tale, of a world where all memories and evidence of a global incident in which 3.5 million people vanished, have seemingly been erased from existence.
For David Rozzell, however, the song was also inspired by events much closer to home. On a personal level, the song is about memory loss, something he has experienced himself as a result of a brain injury.
The duo explain: “The museum being that part of the brain where a condition, like Alzheimer’s or a brain injury, such as David has, hides the memories they had before it stole them away.”
With the duo’s trademark blend of David’s deep, rich vocal delivery, poignant lyrics and gentle melodies, ‘Museum of the Missing’ heralds an important new step in David and Clare Rozzell’s continuing musical journey.
Like many regional theatres in the UK, the events programme for the White Rock In Hastings has been the typical mix of touring tribute shows, musicals and panto with the odd stand-out musical gem thrown. Recently, the theatre saw a change in operator with Trafalgar Theatres (who run many similar venues across the UK), giving way to the Guildhall Trust. The latter are a charity that operate the Portsmouth Guildhall and they came in promising “exciting times ahead” and a “broader programme of entertainment” for the White Rock. Certainly, having Robert Plant on stage sets high bar and is hopefully a foretaste of what’s to come once the new team get their feet well and truly under the table.
In the decades since Led Zeppelin’s demise, Plant has had a consistently fascinating career and some fascinating and highly inventive musical collaborations. I remember braving the mud to witness him with Strange Sensation at Green Man festival in 2007 and, more recently, his superb set with Alison Krauss at Hyde Park when they supported the Eagles two years ago.
His latest band is Saving Grace, composed of Plant, alongside Suzi Dian (vocals), Oli Jefferson (percussion), Tony Kelsey (mandolin, baritone, acoustic guitar), and Matt Worley (banjo, acoustic, baritone guitars, cuatro) have been around for five years now with several UK tours behind them. Somewhat rockier than previous projects they are a perfect amalgam of Plant’s long-standing interests in the realms of hard-rock, traditional folk, bluegrass and blues, offering up a compelling mix of rocked-up interpretations of traditional songs and folkified versions of Led Zep classics.
Again, we see him returning to the male/female duet set-up, that worked so spectacularly when Sandy Denny was recruited to provide co-lead vocals for ‘Battle Of Evermore’ on Led Zeppelin IV back in the day and more recently through the work with Alison Krauss. It’s a format that Plant is clearly comfortable with and this latest pairing is equally well-chosen. Whether she’s harmonising or taking the lead, Suzi Dian’s rich but delicate voice is just the perfect fit alongside Plant’s still instantly-recognisable vocal (albeit with a more restrained delivery these days…) The band behind them deliver powerful and at times almost almost hypnotic rhythms, with Tony Kelsey and Matt Worley working their way through a plethora of stringed instruments, both electric and acoustic, alongside Oli Jefferson’s pounding percussion. The effect is simply mesmerising with every song drawing you in completely.
Of all the ‘70s rock gods, Robert Plant is perhaps the one who has most has steadfastly refused to be pigeon-holed in the superannuated, stadium heritage rock act persona. It’s meant he’s continued to surprise and delight with new musical ventures. And it’s meant I could stroll along up the road to see him and his band perform an intimate gig in my local theatre.
Seven Stories (parts one and two): released 23rd February 2024
“Storytelling is at the heart of Duffy’s songwriting but she finds a unique angle or topic on each track that brings a fresh perspective to a common and relatable issue.” – Maverick magazine on the 2021 debut EP from Little Lore
Following her fantastically well-received debut EP as a solo artist back in 2021, Seven Stories is the latest project from Tricia Duffy and her singer-songwriter alter ego, Little Lore. The first four songs, Seven Stories part one, were released digitally back in September 2023 with the final three songs Seven Stories part two being released in February of this year. A CD version, featuring all seven songs from both parts one and two, is also set for release on 23rd February 2024.
Little Lore:“I had seven songs and I decided to release it in two parts: Seven Stories part one and Seven Stories part two. I’m now thrilled to be releasing the final three songs from the project as well as the CD bringing all seven songs in the collection together. There’s a real variety of styles. Death is one of my go to subjects to write about so there are a couple of quite bleak, sad songs. I’ve got some wry wit in there as well. There’s obviously a climate change one as well – I always like to include one of those. It’s a figurative song written from the perspective of the planet.”
Featuring Little Lore’s compelling storytelling, irresistible melodies and heartfelt vocals, Seven Stories is again produced by renowned New York-based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Oli Deakin (who records under the name of Lowpines). As with the debut Little Lore EP and subsequent singles, Oli Deakin provides the lush instrumentation on each of the tracks, with Morgan Karabel, once again, featuring on drums.
Little Lore adds: “I recorded the vocals in a studio in Kent with an amazing producer and engineer called Paul Stanborough. Lowpines (Oli Deakin) has done the production and all of the instrumentation again and Morgan Karabel is playing drums once more. It is important to me to have women in the team so having a female drummer is really cool.”
On working with Little Lore, Oli Deakin comments:“Working with Tricia on her records as Little Lore has been a really fun journey. As a producer it’s always exciting to work with people who have great ideas, and even more so when they’re also open to building on those ideas and trusting where that might lead. Tricia has been very generous with that trust, which I think has given us both a lot of confidence to be adventurous with our approach, both in the writing and the recording. It’s super rewarding to go out on a limb with an idea and have it land in a place we both get excited about!”
For the full interview with Little Lore visit here
Six of the seven tracks were again written by Tricia Duffy while the final track, ‘It Would be Easier to Miss You if You’d Died’ was a writing collaboration between Tricia and musician and songwriter, Thiago Trosso. A part of the US Ska/Punk/Reggae scene and playing as a session musician in his home country, Thiago Trosso moved to the UK in 2015 with the goal of building a career as a songwriter and solo artist. He finished a Songwriting MA in London, and is now doing a PhD in therapeutic songwriting, opening the path for co-writing with numerous artists around the world.
Seven Stories (parts one and two) will be released on CD on 23rd February 2024 and the final three songs from the project will also be available on all the main digital platforms on the same date.
Running on Empty:“Written from the perspective of the planet, it’s sort of a love letter to the human race. The lyrics start “I hold you gently, while you destroy me. Running on Empty. I love you anyway. To get into the frame of mind I needed to write the song, I physically wrote a letter to humanity to help me get the sense of what I wanted to say, that the planet will survive the climate crisis just fine after we humans have wiped ourselves out, but she (Mother Earth) acknowledges that she benefits from some of our interventions. Despite the big topic, it’s a relatively simple song with a haunting Americana vibe.”
Stolen Glances: “I wrote this song in response to a prompt from the Song-a-week challenge run by James Tristan Redding in Nashville. The prompt was “Stolen Glances” and I was travelling home from Cornwall on the train. I remember opening my computer and typing “on a train facing backwards, I steal glances”. It has had quite a lot of re-writes since that first draft – I think the original version is still knocking around on YouTube somewhere – it’s quite a different song lyrically now. I tried to capture the sense of movement and observation that can be inspired on long journeys, the narrator is searching for answers, but there is almost a sense of not quite knowing what questions she is asking. I think we have all felt that way at some point in our lives.”
The Bench: “This devastating song was inspired by the benches that line the seafront in St. Ives in Cornwall and the true story of a friend of mine who tragically lost her husband a few years ago. The song tells the tale of a man and a women who meet and fall in love despite their age difference. He leaves her once because of the social discourse around their circumstances, but later returns and they marry only to have him leave her again. In the bridge it is revealed he hasn’t left her voluntarily, but died. In many societies benches are incredibly important to people, who use them to memorialise their loved ones with plaques that articulate their feelings about a particular place. “He loved this place” – for example. By centring the story around the bench, we have a sense of a specific location with which to build the narrative. And I believe this makes it more relatable as a result.”
Sebastian Says: “This is a song about imposter syndrome and the inner critic. I have named the voice in my head Sebastian so this is my tribute to him and a good way to tell him to button it! Obviously it had to be a man who tells me I am too fat, doormat, too old, too cold etc. It is a full on driving rock Americana song which probably needs to be played at full volume!”
The Jackal: “I originally wrote this for a TV Americana Crime brief, but I liked it so much I decided to release it myself. There are lots of myths surrounding the Jackal, which are known in some communities as ‘death dogs’ or as tricksters. The Egyptian God of the afterlife, Anubis, had the head of a jackal, so seeing a jackal was considered a warning that someone was in danger. A bit like a fox in European folklore, in African folklore the Jackal is recognised for its ability to adapt with cunning and stealth, a wily creature that dodges traps by feigning death. It has a black saddle because it offered to carry the sun on its back, burning his fur, and inspiring the words in my chorus.”
Little Pieces:“I wrote this in response to a brief which was simply to write a song that was titled “little pieces” with a I IV V chord structure. I started mind mapping the words little pieces and somehow landed on the idea of food. I asked myself who eats food in little pieces? The infirm, babies, people at ‘80s dinner parties with pineapple and cheese on sticks? The lack of control people in care feel over all their choices I think can be summed up with the concept of food. Imagining what it must be like to have so little influence over your daily life that you can’t even decide what you eat must be disturbing. I had a lot of doubts about releasing this song as I know it is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea! But I took inspiration and confidence from the likes of Nick Cave and Tom Waits and decided to just go for it – with a lot of support from Oli who always believed. The arrangement is entirely unsettling and I am sure it is not an easy listen but sometimes stories just need to be told.”
It Would be Easier to Miss You if You’d Died*:“This was a co-write with my friend and fellow songwriter, Thiago Trosso. I always like to come to writing sessions prepared with some ‘writable’ ideas. I don’t always need them, but I think it is the spirit of co-writing to bring your best stuff to the room. That day I read out a list of ideas to Thiago and when I told him the concept I had of being ghosted and it being easier to miss that person if they’d died – he smiled and said, “Let’s write that one!”. We knew it had to be a careful balance of wry wit and humour with sadness and I hope that we have struck that balance. It was inspired by a real experience of being ghosted which seems to be more common these days. Or maybe we just notice it more because we are all so connected. I think Oli thought I was crazy when I first sent him the song. It doesn’t fit a typical structure, starting with a half chorus to land the premise from the start. But he really leaned into the wry nature of the song and I think the instrumentation really enhances the feel. This is the first time I have ever cut a co-write, but I am positive it won’t be the last.”
Seven Stories: release information:
All Tracks written by Tricia Duffy except *written by Tricia Duffy and Thiago Trosso
Vocals – Tricia Duffy
Produced by – Oli Deakin
The Bench Drums – Oli Deakin
All other tracks Drums – Morgan Karabel
All other instruments – Oli Deakin
Vocal Recording – Paul Stanborough at Chapel Studio, Kent
Artwork – Afiya Paice
About Little Lore:
Little Lore is a London based, Indie-Americana singer-storyteller whose songs are both charmingly accessible and beguilingly challenging. You’ll want to listen twice. When you combine British wit and wordplay with cherished Americana roots, musical magic starts to happen. Based in Chiswick, West London, and originally hailing from Portsmouth, Tricia Duffy started her singing career as a teenager, which included a stint on cruise ships in the United States. She began writing and performing her own material with Americana duo Duffy & Bird and they released a well-received album ‘5 Lines’ in 2017 and a follow-up EP ‘Spirit Level’ in 2019.
Tricia’s solo project Little Lore was created in 2020 during the pandemic. Her debut solo EP, Little Lore, was released in 2021 to glowing reviews. The singles, ‘Shallow’, ‘Brown Liquor John’ and ‘Birds’ were released in 2022 to similar acclaim, followed by another equally well-received single ‘Normal’ in January 2023. An enthusiastic advocate for songwriters, she is the London Chapter Coordinator for NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) and is especially passionate about creating opportunities for female, transgender and non-binary songwriters.
In her songs, Little Lore brings together an affection for the heart and heritage of Americana music, with an intelligence and maturity of storytelling that can sweep you away into new and unexpected emotional worlds.
Seven Stories (parts one and two): released 23rd February 2024
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