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
I really enjoyed Taking Flight, the 2023 album by San Francisco-based folk singer, Amelia Hogan, praising her distinctive vocal style and the album’s beautiful musical accompaniment when I reviewed it two years ago. It wasn’t just me who thought that either. The album picked up many favourable reviews and made the top ten of the Folk Alliance International chart in the month it was released. Now Hogan is back with a brand-new album, Burnished.
Like Taking Flight there’s one song that’s a self-composed original which is written in a traditional style, with the remaining thirteen tracks being a mixture of traditional numbers and Hogan’s own interpretations of songs by more contemporary songwriters.
Amelia Hogan: “The album highlights familiar, often overlooked folklore about real places, sharing the hidden magic found in connecting with the natural world and its spirits of place, or Genius Loci. It also reflects on the emotional impact of remembering an animist perspective (what happens when we act as if everything around us is conscious?), where we share our space with everything around us-both seen and unseen. Through this, I encourage us to approach our relationships mindfully – with people, nature, and the world we co-inhabit.”
Highlights include the self-composed opening track, ‘Rolling in the Gold’ – a lovely song with both Americana and Celtic influences and described as ‘a love-song to California’. The traditional material includes a poignant version of ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ a seventeenth century American spiritual with roots back in England; as well as a lively, uplifting version of ‘Dh’eirich Mi Moch Madainn Chetein’ – a traditional Gaelic song originally sung by textile workers in the Scottish highlands as they treated wool in the process of making tweed.
Other material on the album includes a heartfelt rendition of the Irish singer, Dominic Behan’s ‘Patriot Game’. Originally written in the 1950s reflecting on the Troubles in Ireland, Hogan gives it renewed potency as a warning of the dangers of blind patriotism and manipulation by unscrupulous political leaders.
With Hogan’s characteristically distinctive vocals, intuitive feel for emotive story-telling and gorgeous instrumentation, Burnished is a worthy follow-up to Taking Flight.
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.
Greenshanks is the alter-ego of Will Boyd-Wallis from Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands. He gained recognition performing at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections in 2023 where he was a finalist at the Danny Kyle Open Stage. Stormbird is his debut EP and after forty years of playing and writing music, this is the first time any of his songs have been officially released.
The five-track EP features a stellar cast of notable musicians from the Scottish contemporary folk scene. As well as Boyd-Wallis (vocals, guitar, guitalele), Stormbird boasts Hamish Napier (harmonium, organ, piano); James Lindsey (double bass, electric bass): James Mackintosh (percussion); Ross Ainslie (low whistle); Becky Doe (viola, violin); and Iain Forrest (slide guitar).
Will Boyd-Wallis:“This EP has been a long time coming. The first track Fistful of Sand has been growing in me ever since I was a boy when my mother told me that my great-great-grandfather was born on the Isle of Rum on the West Coast of Scotland. He was evicted and sailed to Nova Scotia, eventually settling in New Zealand. This story led me to move to the Highlands in my early twenties with a vow to put something back. I dedicate this EP to my mother Maha, great-granddaughter of John Mòr McLean.”
Putting that something back has, for Boyd-Wallis, resulted in him dedicating the past thirty years to working in caring for woodlands, moorlands, mountains and coasts in hard-to-reach places in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and he adds:
“All of the other songs have been inspired by the many people, places and creatures I have met on my daily life and work with the National Trust for Scotland. I am grateful to all of them – animal, plant and mineral – for all the joy and comfort they have given me.”
From the aforementioned ‘Fistful of Sand’, which immortalises the pain and suffering of the Rum islanders as a result of the clearance of 1826; to ‘Sandstone’, described as a modern-day Selkie song; to the title track which outlines a life-enhancing encounter with a storm petrel chick on the island of Hirta in St Kilda, the Stormbird EP reveals Boyd-Wallis to be a fine storyteller and songwriter. The songs are sung with passion and conviction but also genuine tenderness. Along with some seriously good musicianship and some lovely cover art and beautifully-written liner notes, it makes for a highly impressive recording debut.
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.
A project commissioned and produced by The Who’s Pete Townshend, that’s built around the music of veteran British folk singer-songwriter, Reg Meuross, and is all about celebrating the life and times of who many consider to be America’s greatest ever folk-singer, Woody Guthrie, Fire & Dust certainly ticks plenty of boxes in the legends stakes.
Featuring twelve original songs penned by Meuross alongside four of Guthrie’s own songs, Townshend approached Meuross convinced that he was the right choice tell Guthrie’s story and, in Townshend’s own words: “draw a direct line from Woody, through Bob Dylan, to Reg Meuross.”
That notion of a baton being passed from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, is reflected in the album’s final track, ‘Gypsy Singer’.
Reg Meuross:“It was because of Dylan’s visits to Woodie, his mimicking of his songs and singing, his hobo style, and his courage that I – and probably many more contemporary music fans – became interested in Woody. I already knew some of his folk songs, in fact my very first gig I played two of them. But Dylan drew my attention to the side of Woody for which he has since become famous: the compassionate, flawed and fiery fighter for freedom and equality, the protest balladeer, the Gypsy Singer.”
Joining Meuross (vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo) a host of top-notch guest musicians (including Phil Beer, Marion Fleetwood, Gerraint Watkins and Simon Edwards) each work their magic. Townshend, himself, also contributes keyboards and bass guitar on two of the tracks
Pete Townshend: “Reg’s terrific songs tell Woody’s life story with respect and affection, but also truth.”
Highlights include the anthemic title track, the ‘Fire’ aspect representing the family tragedies that marred Guthrie’s personal life and the ‘Dust’ aspect representing the dust storms that forced millions, including Guthrie, to flee their homes in 1930s America. A change of tempo comes with the beautiful poignant ‘Woody Come Home’, written from the perspective of Guthrie’s wife. Among the Guthrie covers is, of course, Meuross’s rousing interpretation of that perennial protest anthem, ‘This Land is Our Land’. As the US of today descends into increasing authoritarianism, it’s a timely inclusion.
Throughout his career, Reg Meuross has been writing and performing songs brimming with passion, empathy and defiance. Probably no contemporary folk artist in Britain was better placed to make an album celebrating the life and music of Woody Guthrie – the protest singer’s protest singer. Fire & Dust is an outstanding project featuring an incredible set of songs.
“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.
Prior to 2020, the sum total of Martin Flett’s songwriting was a solitary song. That’s not to say he’s ever been idle. He’d been a local government officer, gym owner, housing manager, TV quiz show champion and a successful powerlifter, with numerous championship titles under his belt as well as being the main commentator for the World and European Powerlifting Championships. However, as many of us discovered, the Covid lockdown period provided an ideal opportunity for nurturing latent talents and exploring new-found interests. Flett renewed his acquaintance with the guitar and soon turned his hand to crafting his own songs.
Martin Flett: “Sitting indoors day after day, apart from venturing out to exercise my dogs, I picked up a long neglected guitar and started getting to know it again. After a few weeks, song ideas started forming in my head. I likened it to muses planting seeds, and it was my job to grow them.”
He has since written over a hundred songs, eleven of which feature on this debut album, When The Introverts Come Out, recorded at the age of 68.
Flett: “I never intended or wanted to be a performer but I soon realised that if I didn’t ‘take my songs to market’ then no one else was going to and they would wither on the vine. My dream is still that one or more of the songs are taken forward by an established artist, but in the meantime it would be great to bring the songs to a wider audience and use the proceeds from CD sales and downloads to fund a follow up album. The next set of songs is ready and waiting…”
Based in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland where he was born and brought up and returned to more recently, Flett recorded the album at Wee Studio in Ness, at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis. A talented bunch of local musicians joined him in the studio, adding piano, accordion, fiddle, mandolin, electric guitar and percussion where it was required.
Combining folk, country and classic-era singer-songwriter influences, the result is this highly-impressive debut. Showcasing poignant, often highly-personal, lyrics and instantly-appealing melodies, When The Introverts Come Out is a thoughtful album with bags of charm and well worth exploring.
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