Quoting Sagan - James Edwyn and The Borrowed Band

LCM #SongOfTheDay: ‘Quoting Sagan’ - James Edwyn and The Borrowed Band

Glasgow sextet James Edwyn & the Borrowed Band began in 2013, their formation the result of a series of unlikely coincidences. The band's music is a mix of alt-country, indie/folk rock and roots orientated Americana. Our featured song today ‘Quoting Sagan’ is the third single from their highly acclaimed second album ‘High Fences’.

If you would like to see the band live they will be performing at the FATEA 30th birthday bash in Bournemouth on Saturday followed by a gig at The Slaughtered Lamb in London on Sunday.

Their first album ‘The Tower’ was released in 2014 through the band’s own label, ‘Dead Records Collective’. The album was well received, achieving significant airplay and positive reviews across a broad range of media.

’High Fences’, the band’s 2017 follow up to The Tower, sees a big leap forward for the band. With Grammy nominated and ARIA-winning engineer Adrian Breakspear (Sony Australia) on mixing duties, the 10-track L.P. captures a bigger, harder edged sound without the band losing their trademark focus on finely honed arrangement and melody. The band’s first two singles from the album, Passing San Ysidro and Pushing Statues have both enjoyed significant radio play across the BBC and other radio networks.

A wonderful live band, they have continued to move from strength to strength. Their second year on the festival circuit in 2017 saw them stepping up to a number of main stages and cementing their growing reputation as a formidable live act. Their two hometown shows of late 2017 were hugely successful, with a sold out single launch (Passing San Ysidro) in August and a sold out album launch as part of the Glasgow Americana festival. 2018 has started with a bang for the band, seeing the invited to showcase at Glasgow’s famous Celtic Connections festival and the UK Americana Music Association festival in London.

https://jamesedwynandtheborrowedband.bigcartel.com

Just Another Reason - Arielle

LCM #SongOfTheDay: ‘Just Another Reason’ - Arielle

We head to Nashville today to meet our next featured artist, singer-songwriter and guitarist Arielle. Originally from New Jersey and raised in California & Hawaii, Arielle is a big fan of music from the 60's and 70's and that really shines through in her own music. She has been compared to Joni Mitchell and Jeff Beck among many others. Our LCM ‘Song Of The Day’ the wonderful ‘Just Another Reason’, a co-write with Sydney Maxine and Kris Bergsnes, is taken from her latest EP ‘Mind Lion’.

Arielle is currently working on a brand new 10 song ‘Classic Folk Rock’ album called ‘Suspension/Dimension’ which she is crowdfunding. She has reached her initial target, but if you would like to take part the link is below for you. The campaign ends today.

Photo Credit: Kirsten Balani

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/suspension-dimension-a-new-album-by-arielle#/

https://www.imarielle.com

Who's Been Talkin' - Whitehorse

LCM #SongOfTheDay: Who’s Been Talkin’ - Whitehorse

We are very big fans of husband and wife duo Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, better known collectively as Toronto based multi-instrumentalists Whitehorse. Our featured track today is the excellent ‘Who’s Been Talkin’’ taken from their forthcoming six-track EP ‘The Northern South Vol. 2’, out on January 18th 2019 via Six Shooter Records.

Ethereal folk, space cowboy twang, psychedelic spaghetti western, Intergalactic blues grooves and pop noir. Since their debut in 2011, Whitehorse has evolved from magnetic folk duo to full-blown rock band. In truth, Whitehorse is never fully either one or the other, but an ever-evolving creative partnership that challenges both artists to explore new instrumental and lyrical terrain with each project. Together, Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland’s searing Americana noir sensibility is distinguished by guitar wizardry (and instantly recognizable tone) and magnetic harmonies.

Now, the JUNO Award winning duo Whitehorse return to the early days of electric blues with The Northern South Vol. 2, the second instalment of a project that melds the grooves and melodies of the original selections with the band’s steamy, swampy, squalling approach. ‘The Northern South Vol. 2’, coming January 2019 deals 1950s blues bops, hellfire gospels and sexed-up cuts from Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed and more. The first single, “Who’s Been Talkin’” channels the cross-continent blues super sessions with spiny Wurlitzer, serpentine White Falcon and, above all, a deep reverence for Howlin’ Wolf and his longtime guitar player Hubert Sumlin.

https://www.whitehorsemusic.ca/

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Needle - Treetop Flyers

LCM #SongOfTheDay: ‘Needle’ - Treetop Flyers

We stay with the excellent artists at the recent Music Makers Festival with the great award winning London based Folk-Rock & Americana band the Treetop Flyers. We loved their stripped set at the festival, so much so that we bought their self titled latest album which was released on the 24th August. Our featured song today is the wonderful ‘Needle’ which is taken from the new album. The band also won the Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent Competition 2011

If you would like to see the band live in London, they are playing next at The Scala supporting Israel Nash on the 22nd November. If you have been following us for a while, you will know how much we love Israel’s music. This is a highly recommended date for your diaries.

http://treetopflyers.co.uk/

Another Story - The Head And The Heart

Every so often we like to go back in the LCM archives and share some great music with you that you might have missed. A wonderful example are our LCM featured artists today Seattle, Washington based band The Head and the Heart. Our LCM #SongOfTheDay is the beautifully written 'Another Story' taken from their 2013 'Let's Be Still' album. 

The band were formed in the summer of 2009 by Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion). The band also includes Charity Rose Thielen (violin, guitar, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), and Tyler Williams (drums). The band is signed to Warner Brothers and have released three albums thus far. Since March 2016, Johnson has been on hiatus due to health-related issues.The band has toured in both North America and Europe

The band met and was formed through a series of open mic nights at Seattle's Conor Byrne pub in Ballard. Josiah Johnson had moved to Seattle from Southern California to pursue graduate school, and Jonathan Russell was a recent transfer from Richmond, Virginia. They met keyboardist Kenny Hensley, who had also moved to Seattle to pursue musical score-writing, and Charity Rose Thielen, who had recently returned from a year studying abroad in Paris at the Sciences Po. Drummer Tyler Williams had been in the band Prabir and The Substitutes in Richmond, but then moved to Seattle to be a part of the nascent Head and The Heart, after hearing one demo that Russell sent to him for the song "Down In The Valley". Chris Zasche was bartending at the Conor Byrne, working aftercare shifts at The Perkins School, and playing in Seattle bands The Maldives and Grand Hallway, and was the last to be added to original lineup. Johnson explained how the name of the band was chosen: "Your head is telling you to be stable and find a good job, you know in your heart that this [the band] is what you're supposed to do even if it's crazy."

http://www.theheadandtheheart.com

False Light - The Willows

With an excellent third album 'Through The Wild' set for release in November, our next LCM featured artists are the wonderful multi-awarding The Willows. They will be on a UK tour very shortly with their London date at The Half Moon in Putney on the 5th September.  The album was produced by by Mark Tucker and Ben Savage. Our LCM #SongOfTheDay is the fantastic new single from the new album 'False Light'. The video was produced and filmed by the very talented Rob Bridge at Redwood Photography. You might remember Rob also did Kitty's video for 'Man, Friendship' that we shared earlier this week.

“False Light was written after many misty walks around Wicken Fen, near to Ely. We love the folklore around these old tales surrounding the area, where atmospheric ghost lights, know as false lights, would lure people off the path, within the marshy reeds.”

I always think that The Willows are a UK Folk/Americana supergroup with a huge wealth on talent on stage. They are well worth seeing live, if you haven't already

• Jade Rhiannon – Vocals, Shruti Box
• Cliff Ward – Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle, Vocals
• Ben Savage – Guitar, Dobro, Vocals
• Katriona Gilmore – Violin, Mandolin, Vocals
• Evan Carson – Bodhran, Percussion

The Willows are a folk band from Cambridge, UK. Their first album 'Beneath Our Humble Soil' was nominated for Best Debut in the Spiral Earth Awards 2014, and has been championed by the likes of Bob Harris and Mike Harding. The much anticipated follow-up 'Amidst Fiery Skies', co-produced with Sean Lakeman was released to critical aclaim, with The Telegraph hailing it "a triumph" in a 5-star review and a place in their folk albums of 2014. Fronted by the breathtaking vocals of Jade Rhiannon, supported by rich vocal harmonies and dynamic acoustic musicianship the band take influence from folk traditions on both sides of the Atlantic.

The band were formed in 2010 by husband and wife, Cliff and Jade, sister, Prue, and chance meeting via Gumtree, Ben. Following numerous gigs in folk clubs all over the the UK supporting the likes of LAU, Seth Lakeman, & Peatbog Faeries and an eponymous EP, the band released debut album 'Beneath Our Humble Soil' in 2013. Produced by Stu Hanna (Megson, Faustus, Show of Hands), the album caught the attention of BBC Radio 2's Bob Harris who invited the band in for a live session midway through their UK tour. Maverick Magazine gave the record 4½  stars, and it was subsequently nominated for Best Debut in the Spiral Earth Awards. 

https://www.thewillowsband.com

Ophelia - The Lumineers

We head to Denver, Colorado today to meet our next LCM featured artists Wesley Schultz, Jeremiah Fraites and Neyla Pekarek, US Americana/Folk Rock band The Lumineers. The Lumineers are one of the unlikeliest success stories of the past few years. A scruffy independent Americana trio out of Denver, their irresistible anthem “Ho Hey” took the world by storm in 2012, followed by a second #1 single “Stubborn Love” and their third charting single “Submarines”, all carrying them on a journey from the Grammys to the presidential iPod, from the top of the charts to the Hunger Games. Our LCM #SongOfTheDay is one of our favourites from the band the wonderful 'Ophelia', the first single taken from their 2016 second album 'Cleopatra'. 'Ophelia' personifies fame as a dangerous temptress

In the spring of 2005, childhood friends Wesley and Jeremiah began to collaborate, writing together and playing gigs around New York. After battling the city's cutthroat music scene and impossibly high cost of living, the two decided to expand their horizons. They packed everything they owned, nothing more than a couple suitcases of clothes and a trailer full of musical instruments and headed for Denver, Colorado. It was less a pilgrimage than act of stubborn hopefulness.

The first thing they did in Denver was place a Craigslist ad for a cellist, and the first person to respond was Neyla Pekarek, a classically trained Denver native. As a trio, they began playing at the Meadowlark, a gritty basement club where the city's most talented songwriters gathered every Tuesday for an open mic and dollar PBRs. Neyla softened Wes and Jer's rough edges while expanding her skills to mandolin and piano. And so The Lumineers sound took shape; an amalgam of heart-swelling stomp-and-clap acoustic rock, classic pop, and front-porch folk.

In 2011, an eponymous, self-recorded EP led to a self-booked tour, and before long The Lumineers started attracting devout fans, first across the Western US, then back in their old East Coast stamping grounds. Young, old and in-between, they're drawn by songs like "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love," Americana-inflected barnburners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. They're drawn by songs like "Slow it Down" and "Dead Sea," slow, sultry ballads that suggest the raw revelations of Jeff Buckley and Ryan Adams. They're drawn by the live Lumineers experience—a coming-together in musical solidarity against isolation, adversity, and despair.

The roots revival of the last few years has primed listeners for a new generation of rustic, heart-on-the-sleeve music—the kind that nods to tradition while setting off into uncharted territory. The Lumineers walk that line with an unerring gift for timeless melodies and soul-stirring lyrics. Powered by passion, ripened by hard work, The Lumineers have found their sound when the world needs it most.

Photo credit: David McClister

http://www.thelumineers.com/

Can We Just Pretend - Fred's House

With a new third album set for release later this year. our LCM featured band are the multi-award winning Cambridge based Fred's House. We have been huge fans and supporters of the band since we first met at Folkstock in 2013 and we are priviledged that they have headlined two LCM London gigs for us. Our LCM #SongOfTheDay is their brand new single and the second one from the new album, the personal and reflective 'Can We Just Pretend'. It ones of our favourite songs from their new live set. The video picks up the story from their first single 'Never Gonna Love You'. It was written by Griff Jameson and Alan Clarke and produced by Neil ‘Bugs’ Rodgers at Half Ton Studios. The video written, directed and edited by the very talented Reeta Varpama

If you would like to see the band live and we would highly recommend that you do, they will be performing at a number of festivals around the UK during the summer. Please check their website for all details.

http://fredshousemusic.co.uk/

The Deal - The Mulligan Brothers

We head to America's deep south in Mobile, Alabama to meet our next LCM featured artists Americana and Folk Rock band 'The Mulligan Brothers'. The band's name means second chances, but they took the biggest chance of their career and produced this album on their own, creating songs that are truest to them, so far. Converting the upstairs of Ross Newell's home in the heart of Mobile, Alabama into a recording studio allowed them the freedom to get to the honesty of who they are. Our LCM #SongOfTheDay is the excellent 'The Deal' taken from their latest third album 'Songs For The Living And Otherwise' recently released on the 1st June. The new album is great and definitely worth exploring further. A huge thank you to Laurel Canyon Radio for the introduction.

The album brings joy and pleasure from dark songs about life, loneliness, death and spirituality. Lead singer/songwriter Ross Newell's warm, sincere voice brings out every emotion between pleasure and pain and makes you want to feel them over and over again.

"Recording and producing this album ourselves gave us the luxury of seeing the vision all the way through to the end without outside influences making us second guess ourselves," says Ross. "There is a new confidence in this album and we are thankful for the great people who support us and gave us the courage to try something new. It is freeing to let go and create an album that we will enjoy playing on the road every night."

The broader arrangements are driven by the band’s signature harmonies and dramatic transitions from drummer Greg DeLuca with Ben Leininger adding electric and upright bass and Melody Duncan on fiddle and piano. The band is evolving but the songs are still built around Ross's tight lyrics that stab you in the heart or define life in new ways. Songs of abuse and knowing a man like "the back of his hand" or coming home to a woman who makes him feel that "If you told me that heaven was just like tonight, then maybe I would start acting right."

https://www.themulliganbrothers.com/

Never Gonna Love You - Fred's House

Our next LCM featured artists the multi-award winning 'Fred's House' have been one of our favourite bands since the summer of 2013. With high quality songwriting, vocals, musicianship, super live shows and a wonderful sense of fun, the band have gone from strength to strength over the years. Fred's House have been very busy writing and recording their new third album set for release in November year and it's one we are all very much looking forward to playing. Our LCM #SongOfTheDay is the first single and also the title track from their new 5-track EP, the very catchy 'Never Gonna Love You'.

Fred’s House are an award winning band based in Cambridge. They make summery, 70’s West Coast inspired folk/rock but have their own distinctively fresh sound that is very much part of now. This group of musicians have the rare ability to sweep you away with their gorgeous three part harmonies, moving lyrics, infectious melodies and uplifting grooves.  Among their many influences are bands such as Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, The Swell Season and C.S.N.Y.

Since forming in the home studio at Fred Cox's house in 2010, the band have put over 500 gigs under their belt. Creating quite a stir on the live circuit, their reputation for their stunning and energetic shows across the UK is going before them. Gaining a following wherever they go, their fans or 'Housemates', claim their music is addictive and come to show after show. Fred's House scooped two awards at the NMG Awards 2013; 'Best Folk/Roots Band' and 'Audience Choice Award' as voted for by the public. Then again in 2017, they were awarded the prestigious 'Syd Barrett Pride of Cambridge Award' presented to them by Syd's sister Rosemary, for continuous hard work and achieveing at a high level for the past 5 years. They released their much anticipated debut album Bonnie and Clyde in April 2014 and the follow up album Faultlines in 2016 to critical acclaim, grabbing 4 and 5 star reviews across the board as well as emphatic press. 

Festival appearances include Cambridge Folk Festival, Bestival, Lakefest and main stage at Acoustic Festival of Britian among many others. In 2017 the band will also embark on a tour of the Jiangsu province in CHINA as part of the Nanjing International Jazz and World Music Festival. The band have been main support for the likes of Eddi Reader, The Wonderstuff, The Kast Off Kinks (with original Kinks drummer Mick Avory),  Lucy Rose, The Shires, Phil Beer (Show of Hands), Ward Thomas and many more. Fred's House can often be heard on BBC 6Music, Amazing Radio, BBC Radio Wales, and local BBC stations across the UK as well as having been invited to perform live for BBC Introducing and Radio 2 DJ Bob Harris' Under the Apple Tree sessions.

Fronting the band and writing the songs is Griff Jameson and Vikki Gavin, whose voices blend to create a beautiful but powerful sound. From two very different backgrounds; Griff a self taught singer-songwriter from the Welsh Valleys and Vikki a classically trained vocalist from Hemel Hempstead, they met in 2008 and started writing songs together. The pair then embarked on a summer season singing in the Algarve before moving to Cambridge in 2010 to form a band with their funky dancing bassist Gafyn Jameson (Griff's brother) also singing a third part harmony and talented songwriter and lead guitarist Lachlan Golder. Then later in 2013 Cambridge legend Paul Richards, aka 'The Happiest Drummer', completed the lineup. Fred's House are currently writing and recording their 3rd album with producer Neil James Rodgers (Captain, Lonely the Brave) who also produced their first two albums.

Never Gonna Love You

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Come On, England! - Merry Hell

Our next LCM Featured artists Wigan based 'Merry Hell' are proud purveyors of energized and infectious folk-rock. Founded in 2010 they have quickly risen to be folk festival favourites. The band has a long history in music and was forged in the smoldering embers of 90's folk/punk band 'The Tansads'. The beating heart of this eight piece band with an engaging social conscience feature four members of the Kettle family John, Bob, Andrew and Virginia plus Lee Goulding (Keys), Andy Jones (Drums), Nick Davies (Bass) and Neil McCartney (Fiddle). There is only one way to describe our LCM #SongOfTheDay and that is anthemic. The award winning 'Come On. England!' taken from their Bloodlines album, could quite easily be an alternative national anthem. It also won the prestigious FATEA single of the year in January.

Their wonderful new four track EP 'Bury Me Naked' was released on 26th February with a new acoustic album 'Anthems To The Wind' is planned for April 2018. So watch out for that. It will be followed by a full UK tour, festival dates and a trip to Costa Del Folk in Portugal.

Pushing Statues - James Edywn & The Borrowed Band

We head to Glasgow today to meet our next featured artists Scottish Americana & Folk-Rock band James Edwyn & The Borrowed Band featuring James Edwyn, Emma Joyce, Scott Keenan, Ronnie Gilmour, Ross McLaughlin and Neil McDonald. A special thank you to Ronnie who I met recently at the AMA UK conference in London, for the introduction and for sending the new video over to us. Our LCM #SongOfTheDay is their very good second single 'Pushing Statues' taken from their sophomore album 'High Fences' released in October last year. The new song and video has just been released today, so you are one of the first people to see it. Let us know what you think?

'High Fences' is released on the band’s own Dead Record Collective label, with this second offering is sure to win them even more attention after the critical acclaim of the album.

Mixed at Sony Studios in Australia by ARIA award-winning engineer Adrian Breakspear (Gang of Youths), 'Pushing Statues' is a perfect showcase of the bands unique combination of the finest melody-driven songwriting along with their trademark attention to production and arrangement. The inclusion of pedal steel and horns adds an extra dimension to the song, which has already impressed Spotify tastemakers who featured it on their popular 'Fresh Folk' playlist, giving the band excellent exposure to the almost half-million subscribers.

Accompanying the release of the single, the band are also unveiling the music video for the track, shot in the band’s hometown of Glasgow.

The band will also be celebrating the release of Pushing Statues at a special launch party in Broadcast on Saturday the 24th of February. This is a chance to catch the band, who have been turning heads with their live performances, in an intimate venue. After selling out their album launch show at the Glasgow Americana Festival in late 2017, the band have also caught the eye of Celtic Connections and the UK Americana Music Association, who both invited them to showcase at their festivals in January.

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Takes Time - The Sweet Remains

Our LCM featured band today are US based trio The Sweet Remains. They are an unusual band on today's music scene, headed by 3-gifted and charismatic singer-songwriters, each of whom contribute to the writing and 3-part harmonies that define the band's sound. Driven by strong lyrical and melodic writing, their songs easily appeal to fans of modern folk-rockers like Jason Mraz, Ray Lamontagne, and John Mayer. However, it is their lush harmonies, that distinguish them from the throngs of guitar-toting troubadours and hark back to super-groups of the 60's and 70's like CSN, the Eagles, Simon & Garfunkel. Our LCM #SongOfTheDay is a great live version of 'Takes Time' taken from their 2015 album 'Night Songs'

When Rich Price (Burlington, VT - www.richpricemusic.com), Greg Naughton (NYC), and Brian Chartrand (Phoenix, AZ - www.brianchartrand.com) met for a chance jam-session in a Rhode Island hotel room in 2008, the three instantly recognized a musical blend and kinship that would eventually overcome geography (and solo-careers) to form The Sweet Remains.

Rich and Greg first started collaborating writing songs for Rich's 2004 Geffen Records debut -- a CD that spawned Rich's single "I'm on my way", featured on the multi-platinum Shrek 2 soundtrack. Rich has released three solo albums and written music for many high-profile film and television projects. Hailed by Performing Songwriter Magazine as "a magnetic writer and performer", Greg Naughton has played his music all across this country in venues ranging from New Orleans grittiest, to the east room of the White House. His indie released CD 'Demogogue & the Sun Songs' was co-produced by Grammy-winning recording artist Phoebe Snow and several of Greg's songs have gone on to be covered by major label artists. Brian Chartrand's journeys as a multi-talented singer-songwriter and instrumentalist have taken him from South Hadley, MA where he grew up to Phoenix, AZ where he splits his time as a solo-artist and front-man of 'The Voce Project' and 'Ten Dollar Outfit.' Since 2003, Brian has released 10 CDs with his various projects.

After that first jam-session in 2008, Rich, Greg, and Brian began writing and recording together during breaks in each of their solo touring when they could all manage to meet at a small home-studio in Los Angeles. They played the tracks for producer Andy Zulla who immediately joined the project, and the band’s debut CD “Laurel & Sunset” was released several months later. The band has been winning the praise of audiences and critics across the U.S. ever since. (USA TODAY selected it as "pick-of-the-week"; BOSTON HERALD said "Its been a long time since 3-part harmonies this lush were yoked to songs this melodically gorgeous")

In the fall of 2010, The Sweet Remains conducted their first European tour hitting clubs in Denmark and Germany. In 2011, their song "What I'm Looking For" was featured in various placements including a Subaru car ad campaign and with Eddie Bauer.  In September 2011, "Dance With Me" was featured in Putumayo Music compilation "Acoustic Cafe" to be sold in cafe's and gift shops around the world.  In 2012, they released a DVD & CD "Live at The Canal Room."  Jan. 2013 they released their sophomore studio album "North & Prospect.". Their latest album 'Night Songs' was released in September 2015.