Tag Archives: new music

‘Don’t Speak’ third single from Little Lore album inspired by Tennessee Williams

americana, Music news, , , , , , ,

Released: 26th March 2026

“We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine

“Duffy’s first-class writing shines through” – RnR magazine

‘Don’t Speak’ is the third single from the warmly-anticipated new album by London-based singer-songwriter, Little Lore aka Tricia Duffy. Inspired by the work of Tennessee Williams, the full album, Being Serafina, will be released in June this year and is named after the central character in Williams’ celebrated play from the 1950s, The Rose Tattoo. ‘Evil Eye’ is released on 26th March, to coincide with the 115th anniversary of Williams’ birth.

Little Lore: “Being Serafina began as an academic experiment. I wanted to explore whether Method acting techniques could be used as a songwriting device. I signed up for Method acting classes and selected a monologue from a play I loved, The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. I have been obsessed by Williams’ writing since I was a teenager. I loved and admired his ability to capture such rich female characters. My first song arrived, written from the perspective of the main protagonist in The Rose Tattoo, and so began an intimate love affair of my own with this beautiful, vulnerable, funny and flawed character, Serafina. I had a crazy notion that maybe I could go deeper into character and write an entire album from her perspective. Being Serafina is the result. The album draws on a wide range of genre influences from the folk Americana people know me for along with prog rock, punk and blues peppered into the creative process.”

A burgeoning presence on the UK Americana and singer-songwriter scene, Little Lore has received many plaudits, both for her astute, observational songwriting and for her warm, heartfelt vocals. Add into the mix the lush instrumentation and sumptuous production from her principal musical collaborator, Oli Deakin, and the result is nothing short of magical.

Discussing the new single, ‘Don’t Speak’, Little Lore explains:

“It is dawn and we find Serafina at her sewing machine, waiting. The table is still laid, but the food untouched. Her husband hasn’t come home. Outside she hears the low tones of the women in her community and the priest discussing how to tell her the news. Rosario is dead. Written as a real time unfolding of events, shock and denial are the primary emotions of this song. The devastating moment she learns that her husband has died but tries to hold back the knowing.”

“Written in a deliberately high key – to offer the sensation of that high pitched quality we sometimes get in our voices when we are trying to deny something. The sparse music is uncomfortably dissonant with an off-key drone in the mix to give that sensation of the blood rushing in our ears as she experiences the shock. This was a harrowing song to write. Using the method acting techniques which includes the use emotional substitutions, I allowed myself to access the most significant and devastating losses of my life. I cried throughout the entire writing process. It was an emotional song to record.”

Renowned New York-based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Oli Deakin, (who records under the name of Lowpines) produced the single and the forthcoming album and, as with previous Little lore releases,  provides much of the instrumentation.

‘Don’t Speak’ is released digitally on 26th March 2026 via: https://littlelore.bandcamp.com or via: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/littlelore/dont-speak

Release information ‘Don’t Speak’:

Written and performed by: Little Lore AKA Tricia Duffy

Produced by: Oli Deakin

Drums: Morgan Karabel

All other instruments: Oli Deakin

Artwork: Richard Cranefield

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. 

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. Two further EPs Seven Stories Part One and Seven Stories Part Two were released in late 2023 and early 2024, followed by the EP River Stories in April 2025. 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 UK 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.

Website: https://littlelore.uk

X: https://twitter.com/littleloremusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleloremusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleloremusic

Related posts:

‘Evil Eye’ second single from forthcoming Little Lore album inspired by Tennessee Williams

‘Fair Weather’ – first single from Little Lore’s new album inspired by Tennessee Williams

River Stories – the new six-track EP from acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter Little Lore

Seven Stories (parts one and two): the new project from acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter, Little Lore

The gripping tale of Little Lore: interview with Americana singer-storyteller, Tricia Duffy

Little Lore: the magical new project from UK Americana singer-storyteller Tricia Duffy

This week’s featured artist: Holly Clarke – new album ‘Wild Feral Fierce’

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

A singer and guitarist who’s been making waves on the folk scene in recent years, Cumbria-born Holly Clarke has performed alongside the likes of Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, Daoiri Farrell and Queer Folk. Appearing at festivals and venues such as, Sidmouth Folk Festival, Bromyard Folk Festival, Tiree Music Festival and The Glasshouse International Centre For Music, between 2019 and 2020 she was Artist in Residence at the latter, specialising in Traditional Folk Song and Ballads.

As well as performing solo, Holly has a duo with George Sansome (Granny’s Attic), The powerhouse band RE:VULVA (Amy Thatcher, Janice Burns, Cathy Geldard) and she also gigs with the trio, Holly and the Reivers, reviewed here back in 2024.

Wild Feral Fierce is Clarke’s debut solo album. Across ten tracks which mix interpretations of traditional ballads with original material, it’s an album that’s deeply rooted in folklore, myth and metaphor.

Holly Clarke: “The tracks on this record summon visions of the macabre, the supernatural and iconic figures from folklore and myth. This album is an unearthing of themes that aren’t just found lying dormant in the furrows of the land, they are alive and more relevant than ever.”

Traditional songs include beautifully atmospheric interpretations of well-known classics like ‘The Spectral Stag’ and ‘John Barleycorn’. However, like the late, great Bob Johnson of Steeleye Span, who had a similar fascination with such other-worldly themes, Clarke doesn’t just look to the British Isles for inspiration but also delves deep into the folk myths from Scandinavia where they’ve long excelled at this stuff over many centuries. ‘The Maiden Hind’, a classic Danish shapeshifting ballad, and ‘Sir Aage and Lady Elselil’, which has its roots in old Norse texts are two such tracks on this album.

Alongside her passion for adapting traditional ballads, Clarke is also a talented songwriter. The self-composed title track of the album, is a song where shape-changing is a metaphor for the joy that comes from self-acceptance and positive transformation.

Joining Clarke on the album is a core band featuring Anna Hughes (of Salthouse & Watersmeet) and fiddle and viola; Amy Thatcher (of Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening & The Shee) on accordion and synth; and John Pope (of Archipelago & MeLostMe) on double bass. The album also features a guest appearance from Kathryn Tickell on Northumbrian pipes.

Haunting and ethereal, with compelling storytelling and captivating vocals, Wild Feral Fierce is a wonderful slice of trad. arr. inspired folklore.

Released: 6 March 2026 https://hollyclarkemusic.com/

Related post:

Album review: Holly & The Reivers – Three Galleys

‘Evil Eye’ second single from forthcoming Little Lore album inspired by Tennessee Williams

americana, Music news, , , , , , ,

Released: 25th February 2026

“We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine

“Duffy’s first-class writing shines through” – RnR magazine

‘Evil Eye’ is the second single from the forthcoming new album by London-based singer-songwriter, Little Lore aka Tricia Duffy. Inspired by the work of Tennessee Williams, the full album, Being Serafina, will be released in June this year and is named after the central character in Williams’ celebrated play from the 1950s, The Rose Tattoo. ‘Evil Eye’ is released on 25th February, the anniversary of Williams’ 1983 death.

Little Lore: “Being Serafina began as an academic experiment. I wanted to explore whether Method acting techniques could be used as a songwriting device. I signed up for Method acting classes and selected a monologue from a play I loved, The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. I have been obsessed by Williams’ writing since I was a teenager. I loved and admired his ability to capture such rich female characters. My first song arrived, written from the perspective of the main protagonist in The Rose Tattoo, and so began an intimate love affair of my own with this beautiful, vulnerable, funny and flawed character, Serafina. I had a crazy notion that maybe I could go deeper into character and write an entire album from her perspective. Being Serafina is the result. The album draws on a wide range of genre influences from the folk Americana people know me for along with prog rock, punk and blues peppered into the creative process.”

A burgeoning presence on the UK Americana and singer-songwriter scene, Little Lore has received many plaudits, both for her astute, observational songwriting and for her warm, heartfelt vocals. Add into the mix the lush instrumentation and sumptuous production from her principal musical collaborator, Oli Deakin, and the result is nothing short of magical.

Discussing the new single, ‘Evil Eye’, Little Lore explains:

“Serafina is superstitious and prone to judgement. She believes that her neighbour is a

‘Strega’ or witch, with an evil eye that can put a curse on her and her daughter. The Strega is often watching throughout the play, offering useful commentary on what is unfolding. In the scene that inspired this song her menace of a goat has got into Serafina’s yard to eat her tomatoes. Serafina instructs her daughter to avoid looking at the Strega and to wash her face in salt water and throw it quickly away to prevent the Mallocchio: the curse of the evil eye. Her daughter, Rosa points out that the neighbour, far from being a witch, has a cataract and crooked hands caused by rheumatism. Musically Oli and I tried to garner a jaunty yet eerie feel, taking inspiration from the likes of Tom Waits. This superstition could be considered silly, but this moment is an indication of things to come. All is not well in Serafina’s world.”

Renowned New York-based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Oli Deakin, (who records under the name of Lowpines) produced the single and the forthcoming album and, as with previous Little lore releases,  provides much of the instrumentation.

‘Evil Eye’ is released digitally on 25th February 2026 via: https://littlelore.bandcamp.com or https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/littlelore/evil-eye?ref=release

Release information ‘Evil Eye’:

Written and performed by: Little Lore AKA Tricia Duffy

Produced by: Oli Deakin

Drums: Morgan Karabel

All other instruments: Oli Deakin

Artwork: Richard Cranefield

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. 

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. Two further EPs Seven Stories Part One and Seven Stories Part Two were released in late 2023 and early 2024, followed by the EP River Stories in April 2025. 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.

The Being Serafina project is inspired by the character of Serafina from The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. Presented by special arrangement with The University of the South, Tennessee, USA.

Website: https://littlelore.uk

X: https://twitter.com/littleloremusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleloremusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleloremusic

Related posts:

‘Fair Weather’ – first single from Little Lore’s new album inspired by Tennessee Williams

River Stories – the new six-track EP from acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter Little Lore

Seven Stories (parts one and two): the new project from acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter, Little Lore

The gripping tale of Little Lore: interview with Americana singer-storyteller, Tricia Duffy

Little Lore: the magical new project from UK Americana singer-storyteller Tricia Duffy

‘Fair Weather’ – first single from Little Lore’s new album inspired by Tennessee Williams

americana, Music news, , , , , , ,

Released: 3rd February 2026

“We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine

“Duffy’s first-class writing shines through” – RnR magazine

Released on 3rd February, ‘Fair Weather’ is the first single of a brand-new musical project from London-based singer-songwriter, Little Lore aka Tricia Duffy. Inspired by the work of Tennessee Williams, the full album, Being Serafina, will be released in June this year andis named after the central character in Williams’ celebrated play from the 1950s, The Rose Tattoo.

Little Lore: “Being Serafina began as an academic experiment. I wanted to explore whether Method acting techniques could be used as a songwriting device. My initial idea was that I could use the Method to write a collection of songs from multiple different character perspectives, perhaps drawn from fiction or characters of my own invention. But projects have a habit of unfolding in unexpected ways. I signed up for Method acting classes and to start the process purely, from an acting point of view, I selected a monologue from a play I loved. The Rose Tattoo, by Tennessee Williams. I have been obsessed by Williams’ writing since I was a teenager. I loved and admired his ability to capture such rich female characters.”

“My first song arrived, written from the perspective of the main protagonist in The Rose Tattoo, and so began an intimate love affair of my own with this beautiful, vulnerable, funny and flawed character, Serafina. I had a crazy notion that maybe I could go deeper into character and write an entire album from her perspective. Being Serafina is the result. The album draws on a wide range of genre influences from the folk Americana people know me for along with prog rock, punk and blues peppered into the creative process.”

A burgeoning presence on the UK Americana and singer-songwriter scene, Little Lore has received many plaudits, both for her astute, observational songwriting and for her warm, heartfelt vocals. Add into the mix the lush instrumentation and sumptuous production from her principal musical collaborator, Oli Deakin, and the result is nothing short of magical.

Discussing the first single, ‘Fair Weather’, Little Lore adds:

“Serafina is a central part of a close Sicilian community; she is the local seamstress. Williams describes the opening scene of the play with children playing, excitedly talking about the flags flying at the coast guard that indicate the weather will be fine. He describes the mothers calling the children home tenderly and musically. Serafina has set the table for a romantic dinner; she plans to tell her husband that she is pregnant with their second child. Her 12-year-old daughter is catching firebugs, and the scene is quite perfect.”

“The song includes backing vocals from Bella Collins and Ella Tobin in the harmonies to enhance this sense of community. And introduces the use of a clarinet, a musical device used to characterise Rosario – Serafina’s husband. Attentive listeners may notice that the clarinet always pans to the right. A deliberate decision drawn from traditional pantomime, where the ‘baddies’ always enter from the right (or stage left). A simple song that seems positive but with minor arrangement that offers a sense of foreboding and hints at what will unfold.”

Renowned New York-based producer and multi-instrumentalist, Oli Deakin, (who records under the name of Lowpines) produced the single and the forthcoming album and, as with previous Little lore releases,  provides much of the instrumentation.

‘Fair Weather’ will be released digitally on 3rd February 2026 via: https://littlelore.bandcamp.com or https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/littlelore/fair-weather

Release information ‘Fair Weather’:

Written and performed by: Little Lore AKA Tricia Duffy

Produced by: Oli Deakin

Backing vocals: Bella Collins and Ella Tobin

Drums: Morgan Karabel

All other instruments: Oli Deakin

Artwork: Richard Cranefield

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. 

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. Two further EPs Seven Stories Part One and Seven Stories Part Two were released in late 2023 and early 2024, followed by the EP River Stories in April 2025. 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.

The Being Serafina project is inspired by the character of Serafina from The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. Presented by special arrangement with The University of the South, Tennessee, USA.

Website: https://littlelore.uk

X: https://twitter.com/littleloremusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleloremusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littleloremusic

Related posts:

River Stories – the new six-track EP from acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter Little Lore

Seven Stories (parts one and two): the new project from acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter, Little Lore

The gripping tale of Little Lore: interview with Americana singer-storyteller, Tricia Duffy

Little Lore: the magical new project from UK Americana singer-storyteller Tricia Duffy

Folk Rock / Indie: album review – The Revellers ‘Reactors’

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

Following a gap of nine years since their previous release, popular Shetland indie folk rock band, The Revellers, are back with their third album, Reactors. The Revellers are Michael Anderson (lead guitar), Magnus Bradley (lead vocals, guitars), Daniel Gear (fiddle), John William Halcrow (drums, vocals), Erik Peterson (mandolin, vocals). Lewie Peterson (banjo, mandolin, tenor guitar, vocals) and Adam Priest (electric and double bass).

Often described as ‘heavy folk music’, The Revellers are seven musicians brought up on a typical millennial musical diet of alt rock, punk and metal that’s combined with a love and reverence for traditional music that’s an intrinsic part of any Shetland upbringing. The result is an explosive mix of soaring melodies, searing guitar riffs and energetic fiddle, mandolin and banjo.

From reflections on the challenges and contradictions of modern life (‘The Reflector’) to standing up for what’s right (‘Stand Up and Fight’) there are themes that wouldn’t be out of place on any typical indie rock album, but this being a band with traditional influences at its heart there’s also material like a reworking of Rhoda Butler’s poem ‘Clearances’ in the Shetland dialect and the song ‘Republic of Vinland’ which celebrates Shetland’s Norse heritage.

An album fizzing with energy and verve, it’s one that will appeal to ardent rock fans as much as dedicated folkies. Highly recommended.

Released: 26/11/25 https://www.facebook.com/therevellersshetland/

Classic rock: album review – Peter Goalby ‘Don’t Think This Is Over’

Album reviews, Rock music, , , , , , , ,

I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for early ‘80s Uriah Heep. Even though I would become totally besotted with the Hammond-pounding Hensley/Byron era, my entry point into the music of Uriah Heep was not through demons, wizards or magicians but rather through the Abominog album in 1982. And it was the Peter Goalby-fronted version of the band which I first saw live as a teenager.

Accordingly, I was delighted when two albums of archive solo material finally saw the light of day several decades after Goalby retired from the music business. These being Easy With the Heartaches (reviewed here) in 2021 and I Will Come Running in 2022.

Just as we might have thought the archives were now well and truly empty, a third solo album has also just been released. Goalby originally recorded the album not long after leaving Uriah Heep. However, it was only when a poorly labelled DAT was spotted at a storage facility over 30 years later, that the lost album was rediscovered.

Peter Goalby: “In 1987 I was offered a recording and publishing contract with RAK Records just after I’d left Uriah Heep.  I thought these songs would be very commercial in the 1980s and Smokie recorded Fallin’ Apart. I later found out the master tapes had been lost and I silently carried the disappointment that music I’d put my heart and soul into was gone forever.  Never say never!”

The nine-track album was personally overseen (from tape transfer, mastering and artwork) by Goalby. What will be of particular fascination for Heep fans is that this lost album was only finally completed in 2025 when Goalby’s former Uriah Heep bandmates, Mick Box (guitar) and John Sinclair (keyboards), added the final overdubs to the tracks. 

While it’s immediately obvious that this is an album that could only have been made in the 80s and contains many sonic motifs of the era, production-wise Don’t Think This Is Over is a very polished affair. It comes over as a fully-rounded album in every sense, not simply a collection of archive material. Songs like ‘I’ll Be The One’, ‘It’s Just My Heart Breakin’’ and the title track are all instantly catchy yet satisfyingly muscular AOR containing some great guitar licks and showcasing Goalby in very fine voice. Meanwhile, ‘Another Paper Moon’ and ‘Fallin’ Apart’ underscore his knack for turning out some great lighter-in-the-air (not phones – it’s still the ‘80s remember!) anthemic rock ballads.

Don’t Think This Is Over is essential listening for any fans of Peter Goalby / ‘80s Uriah Heep and is a very worthy companion both to his recently-released solo albums and to Abominog, Head First and Equator.

Released: 5th December 2025

Related posts:

Album reviews: four solo releases from the extended Uriah Heep family

July Morning – a fifty-year-old British rock song and an annual celebration of summer in Bulgaria

Uriah Heep, Bexhill 2025

Uriah Heep, Bexhill 2019

Uriah Heep at Giants of Rock 2018

Uriah Heep, London 2014

This week’s featured artist: original Rock and Roll / Americana from Sufferin’ Fools

Album reviews, americana, Rock music, , , , , ,

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.

Released: 26 September 2025 https://sufferinfools.live/home

This week’s featured artists: The Metagama Ensemble – new album ‘Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey’

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

The exotically-titled Metagama Ensemble take their name from the SS Metagama, a ship whose voyage across the Atlantic in the 1920s, marked the beginning of a mass emigration scheme from the Hebrides to Canada.

The Metagama Ensemble explain the aim of Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey as follows:

“Movingly commemorating and celebrating the lives of the young emigrants, from the heartache of homesickness and separation, the emotional poignancy of tragedy and loss, to the lively fun of cèilidh tunes on the dance floors of North America, this album gives voice to the experiences of those who left and those who were left behind, telling the story of an important but little-known period in Hebridean history, the devastating impact of which is still felt in the islands today.”

Originally conceived as a live show, Atlantic Odyssey began life as a Creative Scotland-supported tour of the Highlands and Islands in 2023. Since then, the Metagama Ensemble project has grown exponentially. Interest in the project and the stories around the mass emigration, has been widespread, with capacity audiences throughout the tour, followed by a sell-out show at Celtic Connections in 2024.

Countless requests for a recording of the concert prompted the Ensemble to release an album. It was recorded in Black Bay Studio on Great Bernera and in The Wee Studio on the Isle of Lewis, while also including several live tracks from Celtic Connections and Eden Court Theatre.

Across thirty-six tracks, a mixture of traditional Gaelic songs, brand-new songs performed by the ensemble in English, original instrumental pieces and spoken-word segments, the album features writer and poet, Donald S Murray; pianist/singer-songwriter, Liza Mulholland; Gaelic actor and 7:84 Theatre Company co-founding performer, Dolina MacLennan; Gaelic singer and piper, Calum Alex Macmillan; fiddler, Charlie Mackerron; singer-songwriter, Willie Campbell; and cellist Christine Hanson.

Poignantly commemorating the lives of the Hebridean migrants and of those left behind, Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey is a gripping collection of beautifully-performed music and compelling storytelling.

Released: 19th July 2025

https://metagamaensemble.bandcamp.com/album/metagama-an-atlantic-odyssey

Folk: album review – Ninebarrow ‘The Hour of the Blackbird’

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

After twelve years performing together and five extremely well-received studio albums, the folk duo Ninebarrow revisit some favourite songs with reworkings of material from their back catalogue. All of the key components you would expect from a Ninebarrow release are present and correct here: the lovely vocal harmonies of Jon Whitley and Jay LaBouchardiere, the intuitive connection to the natural world around us and the innovative adaptation of traditional material combined with compelling original songwriting.

However, the extra magical ingredient that is sprinkled throughout this collection are the stunning choral accompaniments, with Whitley’s and LaBouchardiere’s own harmony vocals joined by over forty others, courtesy of two locally-based choirs: Hart Voices from Hampshire and Chantry Singers from Surrey.

The genesis of the project can be traced back to the Covid lockdown, when the moratorium on live performances gave rise to a plethora of online concerts, Zoom choirs and sundry charity fundraising singles, the latter ranging in quality from the genuinely breath-taking to the frankly bizarre. But while we can safely assume that few people now sit at home listening to Captain Tom’s rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, Ninebarrow’s own charity single for MIND, ‘The Hour of the Blackbird’, certainly does stand  up artistically. What’s more, it convinced the duo that there was further mileage yet in such an approach.

Jay LaBouchardiere: “The response to that blew us away with people making donations from all over the world and we thought if one song can sound this good recorded through phones and laptops imagine what a studio collaboration could sound like.”

The result is simply stunning, with the thirteen tracks on The Hour of the Blackbird showcasing some truly spellbinding choral arrangements which take Ninebarrow’s elegant, understated, trademark magic to new heights. From the ethereal qualities of ‘Names In The Sky’ to the heart-warming optimism of the title track to the jaunty defiance of live favourite ‘The Weeds’, to the fresh take on folk perennial ‘John Barleycorn’, there’s plenty to marvel at here. A wonderfully uplifting album.

Released: 3 October 2025 https://www.ninebarrow.co.uk/

Related posts:

Album review: Ninebarrow – The Colour of Night

Album review – Ninebarrow ‘A Pocket Full of Acorns’

This week’s featured artist: singer-songwriter Jim Borrows – debut album ‘Carry Me Back to My Old Front Door’

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

Jim Borrows will not be a name many people will have heard of but back in July, after a lifetime of playing piano primarily for his own amusement, he fulfilled a long-held ambition of releasing his debut album. Of course, many musicians have trodden a similar path and while many aspects of the modern-day music industry may be broken, technology has made it easier than ever for emerging artists to record and release new music these days.

What immediately marks Borrows’ venture out from many others, however, is the friends he’s been able to call upon to bring his dream to fruition. Firstly, it’s produced by experienced multi-instrumentalist and highly talented producer, James Wood, who also contributes guitars, keyboards, percussion and backing vocals to the album.

James wood, Jim Borrows and Dave Pegg

Moreover, and of particular interest to any fans of folk rock legends Fairport Convention, it features the band’s veteran bass-player, Dave Pegg, who contributes bass, mandolin and electric guitar. And just to underline the Fairport connections even further, the album also features an additional guest appearance from the band’s fiddle supremo, Ric Sanders, who contributes electric violin on one track, a cover of Dylan’s ‘Seven Days’.

As Sanders recollects in this summer’s Cropredy festival programme, Borrows’ and Fairport’s paths first crossed when the band were doing some of their European riverboat cruises and they performed various themed karaoke nights together. “Jim was without doubt the star performer,” noted Sanders. “Not only a great singer but also a fine pianist.”

Anyone who has seen Fairport on stage with guest artists will know that Peggy and co. can turn their hand to a whole panoply of musical styles, far beyond the folk rock canon with which they are most closely associated. Carry Me Back To My Old Front Door is no exception.

Featuring seven of Borrows’ own compositions and alongside six Bob Dylan covers and a couple of further covers of Neil Young and Sandy Denny songs, it’s an entertaining album. Borrows own compositions are highly personal chronicles of a range of his experiences and thoughts on themes including time, life and love; and they reflect his multiple influences, including The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Sleeve notes and lyrics for the self-penned compositions are contained in the detailed twelve-page CD liner notes.

With Borrows’ piano and vocals front and centre, ably assisted by the hugely talented Pegg and Wood, Carry Me Back To My Old Front Door creates a jazzy, bluesy singer-song-writer vibe with some compelling rock elements. It’s well worth checking out.

As Fairport Convention’s own Chris Leslie sums it up: “A lovely album with some fab song writing from Jim.”

Released: 18 July 2025 – Available to stream and download from all major platforms. For CDs, contact jimborrows@yahoo.co.uk

Related posts:

Interview with Fairport Convention’s Dave Pegg

Interview with Fairport Convention’s Ric Sanders

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2025