folk interviews
Meet: Folk legend Judy Collins interview
There’s a whole new generation of hip young female folk singers at the moment and all of them owe a debt to Judy Collins. Her 1967 breakthrough album Wildflowers introduced Judy’s pure folk tones as she recorded a smash hit cover of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now, and brought the songs of the then unknown …
Meet: Kami Thompson from The Rails
Folk rockers The Rails are husband wife team James Walbourne and Kami Thompson who are back on the road promoting their critically acclaimed debut album Fair Warning. If Kami’s surname seems familiar it’s because she is the daughter of folk rock pioneers Richard and Linda Thompson who produced six classic albums before splitting up. Hopefully …
Meet: Fairport Convention’s Dave Pegg
Folk music is as hip now as it has ever been so it’s timely that Fairport Convention are back on the road because they completely revolutionised this most traditional of genres. Fairport may have been going 48 years, but once again they are on their traditional Spring tour of smaller venues and according to long …
Meet: Fink: music business is a big gamble
In the world where music is a product of consumption, often cheap, short on nutrition values, and is easy to dispose of when one gets bored of it, finding artists with timeless compositions, gently and with care sewn together, making you leave all your work and thoughts aside and dive deep into the intricate world …
Meet: Jessica Davies from Smoke Fairies
After a critically acclaimed debut album Smoke Fairies seemed on the fast track to success but a more a muted response to their second record Blood Speaks sparked a crisis of confidence. It promoted Jessica Davies to turn to band mate Katherine Blamire, and pose the difficult question – was it time for them to …
Meet: Emily Ireland a.k.a. See Emily Play on Sheffield, new songs, performing and more
I nearly wore out my copy of Kate Bush – The Whole Story when I first started work. For some reason, I found playing The Man with a child in his eyes was just about the most soothing thing it was possible to listen to when I got home from those first steps into being …
Meet: A Hawk and a Hacksaw, and You have already gone to the Other World
There’s something unique, and beautiful about A Hawk and a Hacksaw. In these days of X-Factor and formulaic unit-obsessed drivel, the Albuquerque, New Mexico duo have furrowed if not a lonely path, then a reasonably empty one. After playing drums in the much missed Natural Milk Hotel, Jeremy Barnes passed through several bands, before travelling …
Meet: Nat Johnson
It’s not often I taken notice of a drummer. In general, drummers hang about with drummers, talking about cymbals and other stuff mere musicians don’t understand (probably like unintentionally slowing down, and wrist injuries. and that) but this particular drummer, let’s call him Carl, for the purposes this article, and the fact that that’s his …
Meet: The Payroll Union Interview
I think it was when I first heard Nic Jones’ Penguin Eggs album that I realised how good Folk music could be. Before that point I’d always imagined it being a desolate wasteland of Morris Dancers, knitted jumpers, roll-ups and unkempt facial hair. As someone who spent his formative years trying to look like I …