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Artist: Joy Williams
Release Date: 3rd May, 2019
Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Americana, Country
Record Label: Sensibility Recordings
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.joywilliams.com
The excellent second studio album from Joy, who was part of the Grammy award winning The Civil Wars.
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Artist: Katy Hurt
Release Date: 22nd March, 2019
Genre: Country, Country Rock, Country Pop
Record Label: Katy Hurt
Tracks: TBA
Website:
Artist: The King’s Parade
Release Date: 5th April, 2019
Genre: Soul, Rock, Pop
Record Label: The King's Parade
Tracks: 4
Website: https://www.thekingsparade.com
A brand new EP from one of London’s finest live bands.
Artist: Keston Cobblers Club
Release Date: 12th April, 2019
Genre: Folk, Pop
Record Label: Absolute
Tracks: TBA
Website:
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Artist: Danni Nicholls
Release Date: 12th April, 2019
Genre: Americana, Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Danni Nicholls Music
Tracks: 11
Website:
"A dark polished gem" - 8/10 AmericanaUK.
With the wind in her sails from receiving two consecutive Americana Music Association UK award nominations (2017 UK Album of the Year for Mockingbird Lane and 2018 UK Artist of the Year), singer/songwriter Danni Nicholls has embarked upon her next artistic journey - her third studio album 'The Melted Morning' with a new producer at the helm. Once again, Nashville, Tennessee, has played host to her musical undertaking, as the city has long held a special place in Danni's heart.
'The Melted Morning' was produced by Jordan Brooke Hamlin (The Indigo Girls, Lucy Wainwright-Roche) at the idyllic woodland studio MOXE, Nashville TN.
Closely personal yet widely relatable, the themes of this album span an array of life's takeaways; from the pain and darkness of rejection, the fear of losing yourself and the power of human connection to offering up hope and new perspectives in the face of adversities.
Love and guts, moxie and magic that's the stuff dreams are made of, and Danni Nicholls' dreams are coming true.
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Artist: Mile Twelve
Release Date: 29th March, 2019
Genre: Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Roots
Record Label: Delores the Taurus Records
Tracks: 10
Website: https://www.miletwelvebluegrass.com
Although their sound is rooted in traditional bluegrass, Mile Twelve surveys a broader landscape on their newest album, ‘City on a Hill’. All five band members bring their own influences and observations into the music, resulting in a project that feels contemporary, thoughtfully crafted, and relevant. Produced by Bryan Sutton and engineered by Ben Surratt, ‘City on a Hill’ follows significant recognition from the bluegrass community, including three IBMA Momentum Awards. With members based in Boston and Nashville, the lineup includes David Benedict (mandolin), Catherine “BB” Bowness (banjo), Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle), Evan Murphy (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), and Nate Sabat (bass, lead vocals).
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Artist: The Cactus Blossoms
Release Date: 1st March, 2019
Genre: Americana, Folk, Rock and Roll
Record Label: Walkie Talkie Records
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.thecactusblossoms.com
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Artist: Sarah Darling
Release Date: 7th June, 2019
Genre: Country, Americana, Singer-songwriter
Record Label: Be Darling Records
Tracks: 13
Website: https://www.sarahdarling.com
A host of exceptional writers and producers came on board to collaborate with Sarah on ‘Wonderland’, from both the US and UK. Working with these songwriters has been a dream for Sarah, who took the challenge of writing with guests in her stride, “I’ve been in England for most of the year co-writing and working with producers. On this project, it’s really about new friends and new ideas. I literally would walk into a co-writing session, and had never met the person before. It’s so incredibly exciting to be finishing up the album, and to say I’ve recorded this in a different country. It’s a true reflection of me, and the current ride I’m on. Not to mention, I have new friends and memories for life. Music is about the connection. I’m so proud to share this trans-Atlantic collaboration. It’s the greatest adventure of my life to date!”
Calling the UK her “second home”, the Nashville based singer set out to embrace everything the UK had to offer, “I hope everyone gets to experience all the magic I had while recording it. I never imagined in a million years I’d be recording an album in the countryside of Wales. I wouldn’t change it for anything!” Whilst the early foundations for the record came together in Nashville with Mark Bright (Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban), Sarah soon relocated to London where she spent much of 2018 working with acclaimed writer/producers Ash Howes (Kylie, Gabriella Aplin), Pete Hammerton , producers MyRiot (London Grammar), and songwriters including Shelly Poole and Jessica Sharman (Ward Thomas).
Artist: Jenny Lewis
Release Date: 22nd March, 2019
Genre: Rock, Pop, Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Warner Brothers
Tracks: 11
Website:
Jenny Lewis has confirmed her highly anticipated return with her fourth solo album, 'On The Line' the follow up to 2014’s critically acclaimed 'The Voyager' out on Warner Bros. Records.
The 11 all new original songs were written by Lewis and recorded at Capitol Records’ Studio B, and feature a backing band of legendary talent including Beck, Benmont, Tench, Don Was, Jim Keltner, Ringo Starr and Ryan Adams.
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Artist: Thea Gilmore
Release Date: 17th May. 2019
Genre: Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Shameless Record
Tracks: 12
Website:
Thea Gilmore releases "Small World Turning" on May 17 - her first new collection of songs since 2017's "The Counterweight" which was her 3rd successive top 40 album. She also embarks on a UK tour with her band and support from Matt Owens (Noah And The Whale).
An artist of enduring international acclaim (Bruce Springsteen regularly names her as a favourite) and a justly revered lyricist, Gilmore's musical settings have taken many ingenious detours in recent years. "Small World Turning" nails it's colours to a very different wall from the get-go. Acoustic guitars are back to the fore, and a quintessentially rootsy array of instruments frame them - fiddles, whistles, mandolins, tenor banjos are all in abundance. "Small World Turning" is an album with an unashamed folk flavor and features contributions from Cara Dillon, Seth Lakeman, Sam Lakeman, Katriona Gilmore, Jamie Roberts and BBC Radio 2's Young Folk Award winner 2013 Ciaran Algar.
A gifted and exceptional artist at the peak of her powers, Thea Gilmore has delivered a vibrant and deeply resonant album, rooted in folk music but completely transcending any genre related limitations.
"Unarguably one of the finest singer-songwriters of her generation" Sunday Times Culture "The best wordsmith of her generation" The Independent
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Artist: The Little Unsaid
Release Date: 24th May, 2019
Genre: Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Reveal Records
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.thelittleunsaid.com
The Little Unsaid release their new album "Atomise" on May 24th 2019 via Reveal Records. Twelve wonderful new songs by one of my favourite Uk singer-songwriters, The songs reflect upon an atmosphere of division and unrest that currently weigh our society down but John Elliott's lyrics seek to explore those little pools of light in the darkness; moments of real connection, meaning and magic amidst all the chaos.
‘Atomise’ was written through the late summer of 2018, Elliott shutting himself away from the outside world in a remote rural Pembrokeshire cottage. Demos were recorded solo in the same cottage on an old upright piano, and these were later taken to the band's North London studio where Tim Heymerdinger played drums, and John added further instrumentation with recording engineer Sonny Johns (Fatoumata Diawara, Portico Quartet) at the helm. Many of John's skeletal demos were maintained in the final recording sessions as their distinct solitary mood, complete with creaking piano keys and nearby birdsong had captured something very special.
The Little Unsaid violist Alison D'Souza assembled a string quartet in Stoke Newington's 16th century church to lay down the string parts on "Atomise" and the final mix was created in Oxford by composer and orchestrator Graeme Stewart, who's credits include film music with Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead). Praise for The Little Unsaid: 'Entrancing deeply atmospheric songwriting of a real rich quality, all held together by an intensity of approach, by a focus on the emotional weight music can carry' Clash Magazine 'The first thing you notice about these songs is their emotional honesty. Elliott writes about mental illness from the point of view of someone who has lived through it and come out the other side, someone who is acutely aware of how close he still is to his demons. But his songs are full of hope, full of the potential for a better future despite the continued proximity of depression.'
The Little Unsaid began life in a tiny West Yorkshire town when a teenaged John Elliott rescued an old PC and microphone from the trash and began making records with them. Since then with long-time collaborators Tim Heymerdinger (drums), Alison D'Souza (strings and FX) and Mariya Brachkova (Moog bass and backing vocals) the band has toured the UK and Europe extensively, played major UK festivals including Glastonbury, garnered a dedicated following and released several independent albums, before signing with Reveal Records in 2018.
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Artist: Darlingside
Release Date: 22nd February, 2019
Genre: Folk
Record Label: More Doug Records
Tracks: 6
Website: http://www.darlingside.com
It’s always very exciting when one of our favourite US quartets release new music. ‘Look Up And Fly Away’ the brand new EP from Darlingside has come as both a surprise and at the same time a special treat.
The EP is comprised of six songs selected from a handful of outtakes from the band’s highly acclaimed 2018 album Extralife. The EP showcases once again Darlingside’s seamless harmonies, unique skill as multi-instrumentalists and intricate songwriting. It shares some similar themes to ‘Extralife’ including exploring nostalgia and the different stages of life and ultimately the concept of death.
The EP starts with the reflective ‘Rodeo’. Super songwriting, elegant harmonies, a soft horn arrangement and lightly picked acoustic guitars. Lyrics like “The clerk is a man behind glass, behind his eyes is the past” conjure dreamlike images of nostalgia. The theme of nostalgia continues in ‘Bright as the Day’ as they recount his past younger days. Bright accordion, mournful fiddle and acoustic guitars combine with their trademark harmonies.
Next up is the title track, the self-empowerment hymn ‘Look Up And Fly Away’. It reminded me of a cross between the Beatles and CSNY. With themes including ‘sunny skies’ and ‘fighting for myself’, and ‘finding your place in life’. It has a very positive tone and lifts the overall mood of the EP.
The pace slows down again with the orchestrated and layered ‘Heart Again’, which drifts between solo vocals and heavenly harmonies. I love the richness of the chorus. Things change up again with the wonderful ‘Paradise Bay’, one of the stand outs on the EP. It opens nearly as an acappella song with an underlying drone. The crisp retro harmonies sounding like classic CSNY. The short final track ‘Untitled’ is a simple instrumental that closes out what is an extremely strong collection of music.
Artist: Leveret
Release Date: 1st March, 2109
Genre: Folk, Traditional Folk
Record Label: Rootbeet Records
Tracks: 11
Website:
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Artist: Lissie
Release Date: 5th April, 2019
Genre: Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Cooking Vinyl
Tracks: 11
Website:
Artist: Marry Waterson & Emily Baker
Release Date: 29th March, 2019
Genre: Folk
Record Label: One Little Indian
Tracks: 12
Website:
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Artist: Ruth Notman & Sam Kelly
Release Date: 15th March, 2019
Genre: Folk
Record Label: Pure Records
Tracks: 10
Website: www.notmanandkelly.com
‘Changeable Heart’ is set to be one of most exciting UK folk releases this year. It stars two of the finest young singers to emerge from UK folk scene in the last few years, Sam Kelly and Ruth Notman. The added sparkle on the album is provided by Damien O’Kane who produced the album. It has the feel of one of Kate Rusby’s recent albums as Kate has a similar vocal style. These are songs of love from every perspective, spurned, fragile, brave and saucy.
The multiple award winning Sam is very well know for his work with Sam Kelly and The Lost Boys and The Changing Room as well as producing many excellent folk albums. Ruth was a finalist in the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards (in her duo Bryony Bainbridge) and it is so great to see her back releasing music. Sam had long admired Ruth’s musical talents and decided to contact her out of the blue. Ruth was completing her medical studies at the time. They met up and the stage was set for this wonderful new duo album.
Recorded at Kate Rusby’s lengendary Pure Records studio the album features six new takes on traditional songs and covers of Ewan MacColl and Paul Brady classics. Ruth penned the poignant ‘As You Find Your Way Home’, while Sam and Ruth co-wrote the new albums stand-out and soaring title track ‘Changeable Heart’.
Ruth play piano & accordion while Sam plays guitar on the album. They are joined by Damien O’Kane (guitar and banjo), Josh Clarke (percussion, synths, electric bass), Anthony Davis (keyboards and strings) and Ross Ainslie (whistles).
The album begins with the beautifully seductive and gentle ‘The Bold Fisherman’ before launching into their wonderful and my personal favourite ‘can’t live with them, can’t live without them’ title track’ ‘Changeable Heart’. The mood changes to light comedy for their spirited take on the infectious traditional folk ‘The Cunning Cobbler’, a cuckolding tale of the butcher, the butcher’s wife, the scheming cobbler…… and a policeman.
Ruth’s gentle and sensitive piano playing introduces the Scottish pastoral folk song ‘Caw The Yowes’ [“Drive the ewes to the hill”] collected by Robert Burns in 1794. I love the blend of Sam and Ruth’s vocal. This continues in the delicate love story ‘Sweet Lass Of Richmond Hill’.
The classy traditional Irish air ‘My Lagan Love’ builds into a rich and haunting soundscape with Damien and Josh adding electric guitar and percussion into the mix. This track would be great for a TV or film soundtrack. Ruth’s poignant ‘As You Find Your Way Home’ is edged with her lamenting beautiful accordion. This blends perfectly into ‘Young Brian Of The Sussex World’, with Ross adding whistles and lifting the song towards a happy ending.
Next is a stripped brooding cover of Ewan MacColl’s ‘School Days Over’, a song marking the end of childhood and the start of a miner’s life. The album closes with a cover of Paul Brady’s 1985 political anthem ‘The Island’. The song parallel’s the Lebanese Civil War with the troubles in Paul’s native Ireland.
The album is wonderful, classy collection of folk music. It welcomes back the very talented Ruth back into the UK folk scene, partnering her with one of the fastest rising young male stars.
Ruth and Sam are on a UK tour in early April with their London date at Rich Mix on April 8th. On the strength of this fantastic album, it’s a date you don’t want to miss.
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Artist: The Honey Dewdrops
Release Date: 1st Match, 2019
Genre: Country, Folk, Americana
Record Label: The Honey Drewdrops
Tracks: 9
Website: http://www.thehoneydewdrops.com
Artist: Flight Of The Conchords
Release Date: 8th March, 2019
Genre: Folk, Pop, Comedy
Record Label: Sub Pop
Tracks: 22
Website:
In October of 2018, ten years after the launch of their hit HBO series, musical comedians Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement returned to HBO for the all-new comedy special. Live in London was taped before a live audience at the Eventim Apollo and featured the Conchords performing songs from the sold-out UK and Ireland edition of "Flight of the Conchords Sing Flight of the Conchords Tour." New Zealanders McKenzie and Clement debuted on HBO in 2005 in an edition of the comedy series "One-Night Stand," returning to the network in 2007 for the debut season of their acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series "Flight of the Conchords," which followed fictionalized versions of their lives in New York City. The duo also signed a worldwide deal with Sub Pop Records for their recorded music, going on to release the Grammy-winning EP, The Distant Future in 2007, followed by two full-length albums - their self-titled debut in 2008, and I Told You I Was Freaky in 2009.
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Artist: J.S. Ondara
Release date: 15th February, 2019
Genre: Folk, Folk Rock, Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Verve Forecast
Tracks: 11
Website: https://www.jsondara.com
The great debut album from Kenyan born but now US based folk singer-songwriter JS Ondara
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Artist: John Paul White
Release Date: 12th April, 2019
Genre: Americana, Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Record Label: Single Lock Records
Tracks: 10
Website:
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