Blending folk, jazz, classical, rock, disco and world music influences with English Music Hall and cabaret, they are Kurt Weill, Arcade Fire, Lotte Lenya and Tom Waits, all rolled into one. Between them, the 11 musicians play more than 20 instruments and six of them sing. The horn section includes a helicon, reeds and a bass clarinet. There's a frying pan amidst the percussion, and a cello in the strings. Add to that melodeon, fiddle and vocals and you have a heady brew that defies categorization. Their new album Matachin (Ma`ta*shin) takes big, bold steps on from the extraordinary, groundbreaking debut album, Burlesque, which was widely heralded as one of the most important folk recordings ever made and resulted in an appearance on BBC TV’s ‘Later With Jools Holland’. But best-selling recordings aside it is in their energetic, theatrical live shows that they truly shine, whipping audiences into a euphoric frenzy that has already been responsible for the destruction of two festival dance floors. Winners of numerous Awards, including an unparalleled 3 from the BBC for ‘Best Live Act’, Bellowhead recently raised the roof headlining the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and then went on to entertain more than 40,000 people at Proms in the Park. Bellowhead are currently band in residence at the Southbank Centre in London.

“A party for old and young alike – rip-roaring, musically exuberant, gleefully anarchic, culturally criss-crossing brilliance.” - The Mirror

The Independent 5 *****
Songlines 5 *****
Mojo 5 *****
Observer Music Monthly 5 *****
Financial Times 5 *****
The Mirror 4 ****
Tha Guardian 4 ****
The Sun 4 ****
Q 4 ****
Uncut 4 ****
The Times 4 ****

CAST:
Jon Boden Vocals / Fiddle / Tambourine
John Spiers Melodeon / Concertina / Vocals
Benji Kirkpatrick Guitar / Bouzouki / Mandolin / Banjo /Vocals
Rachael McShane Cello / Fiddle / Vocals
Paul Sartin Fiddle / Oboe / Vocals
Sam Sweeney Fiddle / Bagpipes
Pete Flood Percussion
Justin Thurgur Trombone
Brendan Kelly Saxophones / Bass Clarinet
Andy Mellon Trumpet
Gideon Juckes Helicon

For Folk by the Oak, he will be joined by very special guests:

BJ Cole - Pedal steel guitar legend and prolific session musician, working with Elton John, Marc Bolan, Scott Walker, Beck, Bjork and many more.

Andy Seward - Double bass player and winner of a 2007 Sony Award, best known for his work with Kate Rusby and John Tams amongst many others.

Keith Angel - On drums/percussion - the engine room of the four piece, who has become well known for his work with the innovative Anglo Indian outfit The Angel Brothers.

Together this is an unstoppable combination of talent, which has taken Martin's music to a new level and is a thrilling band to experience.

2007 saw Martin Simpson releasing a new recording for the Topic Label, Prodigal Son. A mix of original and traditional songs and tunes, the album features Alistair Anderson, Andy Cutting, Barry Phillips and Danny Thompson, as well as some stellar guest vocalists.

There is no doubt that after more than 35 years as a professional musician Martin is, right now, better than ever. His interpretations of traditional songs are masterpieces of storytelling, and his shows are intense, eclectic, spellbinding and deeply moving.

There is no-one who has more successfully combined the diverse elements of British, Afro-American and old-timey music than Simpson. His 15 years living in the US were well spent. In addition his own song-writing has produced some real gems, from the truck-stop epic, ‘Love Never Dies’ to the profoundly moving ‘Never Any Good’.

His career includes collaborations on stage and record with June Tabor, Kelly Joe Phelps, Jackson Browne, Danú, Martin Carthy, Cara Dillon, David Lindley, Roy Bailey, Martin Taylor, David Hidalgo, Steve Miller, Dick Gaughan and many more. Whether playing American old-time music, blues, a Dylan song or his own material, Martin Simpson is unpredictable, individual and a guitarist of immense subtlety.

2010 Martin had an unprecedented 6 nominations for his CD True Stories, and a win for Best Traditional Track, ‘Sir Patrick Spens’.

“Although it’s his guitar virtuosity that’s frequently lauded, it’s as an interpreter of song that Martin Simpson really scores. Simpson delivers narratives with colour and conviction. Fittingly be-gonged several times at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Martin Simpson is taking his place, not just as a hero for guitar-besotted acolytes but as one of the national treasures of English traditional music." - BBC Radio 2 Folk & Acoustic Reviews

"His performances elicit powerful emotions and subtle, understated beauty' - Guitar Player

"Distinctive coiled-spring beauty and power. A revelation...Exquisitely at one with the All-English repertoire..A master " - Mojo

www.martinsimpson.com

Praise for Hyperboreans
“Marking the full graduation of Jackie Oates as a front line talent” - fRoots Oct ‘09
“Expectations for Hyperboreans were high. On all fronts Oates delivers, with beautiful singing, innovative arrangements and an intriguing selection of songs” ***** Songlines, Oct ‘09
“This album leaves us in no doubt that Jackie Oates has arrived and is one of leading young folk artists.” - Electric Ghost, Aug ‘09
“Oates has a clear voice that is at once traditional and modern, as embodied by the spine-tingling closing track.” *** Q, Oct ‘09
“Hyperboreans proves that Jackie Oates is a shining star within the musical community” - Bright Young Folk, Aug ‘09
“Jackie Oates is deservedly becoming yet another young celebrity in the new folk scene” *** The Guardian
“A subtle leap of faith for the outstanding young singer” **** The Telegraph
“English folk-pop...as pretty as some spring mornings.” *** The Independent

The release of the album ‘The Violet Hour’ in early 2008 marked the start of what has been a remarkable two years for Jackie Oates.

Her decision to leave the Mercury-nominated Rachel Unthank & The Winterset to pursue a solo career looked like a brave decision at the time but has proved to be inspired. Jackie was soon after nominated for best newcomer in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. A swathe of glowing national reviews came with the release of ‘The Violet Hour’ soon after with the album going on to be one of Mojo’s top ten folk albums of the year in 2008. The new year saw Jackie walking away with a remarkable two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards including the Horizon Award for best newcomer, the award which had alluded her the year before. Jackie Oates, solo artist, had arrived.

Newly signed to One Little Indian Records, on September 7th 2009 Jackie released the highly anticipated follow-up to ‘The Violet Hour’ in the UK.

‘Hyperboreans’ is the coming-of-age album for Jackie Oates. Produced by her brother Jim Moray and featuring a title track written for her by Alasdair Roberts, it sizzles with a new confidence and maturity. Her uniquely beautiful vocal comes to the fore throughout the album adding a new freshness to traditional songs including ‘The Pleasant Month Of May’ and ‘Young Leonard’. There is a show-stopping and deeply moving rendition of Past Caring based on a poem by Australian Henry Lawson as well as a joyfully breezy cover of Birthday by The Sugarcubes. The album concludes with an unforgettable performance of May The Kindness by little-known Devon songwriter Dave Wood.

The first single from the album, a cover of the tantalisingly weird song ‘Birthday’ by The Sugarcubes, has garnered a splash of mainstream radio play since it’s release including repeated plays on John Kennedy’s X-Posure on XFM, daytime play on Cerys Matthews 6Music show and late night Radio 2 play on Steve Lamacq’s show.

With ‘Hyperboreans’, Jackie Oates has established herself as one of the leading young artists in Britain today.

The release of Hyperboreans in the UK was followed by a national tour of England in October/November 2009 with support from Arts Council England.

The end of 2009 has seen the album receive a nomination for the fRoots Critics’ Poll Album of the Year and reach number 5 on the Mojo Folk Album of the Year Chart. The album has also been released across Europe, Australia, Japan and South Africa in November 2009.

Nominations for the 2010 Folk Awards were announced on December 2nd 2009. Jackie Oates has received three nominations for Folk Singer of The Year, Album of the Year and Best Traditional Track for ‘Isle Of France’. The Award winners will be announced on 1st February 2010 at a ceremony in London.

"Unconditionally Mighty" (MOJO) Essex instrumentalists Mawkin and BBC Radio 2 horizon nominee Jim Causley have formed to create one hell of a boyband! Both components of the Mawkin:Causley collaboration have their own well-founded claims to success. BBC Radio 2 have acknowledged both Mawkin’s guitarist David Delarre and Jim Causley as variously a Young Folk Award finalist and a Horizon Award nominee, whilst reviewers have consistently celebrated Mawkin’s and Causley’s considerable achievements. Essex boys Mawkin have played over fifty festivals in the past four years, perfecting their live performances whilst amassing an incredibly dedicated following. The combination of punchy melodeon, driving violin, earthy guitar and solid bass is showcased beautifully within the band’s 2006 debut album ‘The Fair Essex’, which MOJO’s Colin Irwin has described as ‘unconditionally mighty’. Meanwhile Jim Causley’s richly bittersweet tones have been widely recognised as sensitive, hypnotic and fiercely traditional. Stirrings Magazine’s Raymond Greenoake has claimed that Causley is ‘a man to watch’, which is true both in metaphorical and literal terms as a result of Causley’s rousing stage presence. Luckily, Causley’s intelligently charming debut, ‘Fruits Of The Earth’, parallels his spellbinding live performances, which will leave Mawkin:Causley fans eagerly anticipating a collaborative album. Now with the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nomination for “Best Group” behind them and an album pencilled in for April 2009 it should be an exciting year for the collaboration.

Scots Singer of the Year 2008/9 Emily Smith has firmly established herself as a leading light in the Scottish folk scene.

Since winning the 2002 ‘BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award’ she has released three critically acclaimed albums, toured extensively with her band on the international folk circuit and is recognised not only as one of Scotland’s finest interpreters of traditional song but also as a talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Emily spent six years living in Glasgow during which time she gained an Honours degree in Scottish Music from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Now living back in her home area of Dumfries & Galloway in South West Scotland Smith has found her niche drawing on the rich local history and ever changing landscape as the source and inspiration for her music. She has an affection (and growing reputation!) for collecting dusty old poetry and song books in search of new material. The results are re-worked ballads which seamlessly interweave with Smith’s own descriptive songs, often confusing the listener as to which material is old and which is new.

Her songwriting has not gone without recognition – She became the first ever winner from Scotland in the USA Songwriting Competition in 2005 after winning the folk section with her song ‘Edward of Morton’. Another of her songs ‘Always a Smile,’ about the life of her Polish grandmother, was short listed in the final ten.

Alongside her solo career Smith has written, recorded and toured with artists from the folk scene and beyond including Eddi Reader, Richard Thompson, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Karine Polwart, John McCusker, David Scott and Phil Cunningham.

She has recorded live sessions for BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris, Aled Jones and Mike Harding alongside receiving regular play on BBC Radio Scotland. Recent television work includes performing on BBC 1 Scotland’s Hogmanay show and she will be featured in the new series of Transatlantic Sessions.

Frequently performing in the same line up as her musical heroes, Smith’s star is definitely in the ascendant.

“High-octane, mesmerizing music.”
Pete Lawrence, former Artistic Director, The Big Chill

“Spiro are at the forefront of the new wave of inspirational English acoustic music – unique arrangements that transport you into gorgeous landscapes. Essentially English, beautifully brilliant with timeless melodies.”
Karen Tweed

“Spiro’s music defies categorization … brilliantly played and arranged, lyrical yet groovy, traditional yet contemporary, raucous yet tender.” Max Richter, composer

“Unsettling, exhilarating and highly impressive … Fascinating and, I suspect, unique.” – fRoots

“We’re like a string quartet, but the most driving and exciting string quartet that you could imagine.” Jane Harbour, the violinist of Spiro, is trying to put a neat handle on the essence of this instrumental four-piece. It’s not an easy task. Despite the group’s folk-friendly tools (violin, acoustic guitar, mandolin and accordion), they’re something of a slippery beast when it comes to being contained by mere words. Guitarist Jon Hunt has a go. “We’ve got more to do with minimalist classical and dance music than we have with folk. Even though we use folk tunes, they’re raw materials that the rest of the sound is built around.”

One thing is certain – Spiro are their own people, commendably operating in their own sphere and at their own pace. This contemporary acoustic ensemble first came together through Bristol’s folk sessions scene in 1993, trading under the name of The Famous Five. Now, a full 16 years later, they’ve only just got around to releasing their third album. Their first for Real World Records, Lightbox is an extraordinarily stirring record. Recorded over four days at Real World Studios in Box and largely produced by Simon Emmerson (the chief architect behind the Afro Celt Sound System and The Imagined Village projects), it showcases a highly imaginative and highly disciplined group with a sound that’s unified but never uniform. All four members, all four instruments, pull in the same direction, creating music that’s intricate yet so full of momentum. These are hurrying, scurrying soundscapes that sweep majestically with cinematic presence, echoing – at various points – the work of Steve Reich, Michael Nyman and the Penguin Café Orchestra. But, kindred spirits aside, this is the music of Spiro – undeniably English, undeniably theirs.

Despite a slew of work for theatre, film and television, Spiro remain something of an enigma, a well-kept secret that’s only now starting to spread. Even in their hometown of Bristol, they’re decidedly inconspicuous, thanks to their gentle, organic and snail-slow blooming. “There was never a grand plan,” explains Jon. “It’s just evolved. Some kind of magic thing happened between us that wasn’t necessarily expected. It was quite serendipitous. We’re all quite different as musicians and we each brought in particular passions and visions. It’s all been about the interaction of those visions.”

Their individual backgrounds are wide-reaching. Jane studied classical violin in Japan under the legendary Shinichi Suzuki and grew up “listening to a lot of vaguely modern classical stuff like Bartok and Stravinsky and Britten so I’ve got a lot of time for dissonance and strange harmonies and counter rhythms”. She’s also a sucker for dance music, “repetitive tunes that are really free and ecstatic”. Accordionist Jason Sparkes began his own classical training during his pre-school years before taking up folk at the start of his teens, inspired by his morris-dancing father. Alex Vann was the drummer in a punk band before taking up the electric guitar and then graduating to his weapon of choice – the mandolin. Jon Hunt has also done his time in punk bands, someone who took an unusual route from pop to folk to punk to post-punk/new wave but emerged with “this preserved love and fascination for traditional English music”.

This fascination means that Jon is the one who brings the strongest folk element to Spiro – “he’s Mr Tunes!” beams Jane. “I do love northern English tunes,” he concedes. “They’re my obsession, so strange and dark and wonderful.” Indeed, the tunes utilised on Lightbox are irresistible, in particular their fast- fingered take on The White Hart and the gorgeous, meandering traditional melody that threads its way through their song Pop. But it’s what the group does with these tunes that sets them apart, using them as a launch pad to propel themselves to realms way beyond the folk music constituency. “I would be happy writing music that didnʼt have any tunes at all,” admits Jane, “just riffs and grooves. But Jon’s always pulling towards putting a tune in. That’s what makes us so strong. There are people in the band who want to put in a perfect pop arrangement and others who just like to play weird stuff for a very long time!”

That the group still boast their original line-up speaks volumes for this sense of collectivism and solidarity. These are virtues that are writ large in their music, a commendable all-for-one sensibility. Listen to just a few bars of any track from the new record and that tight ensemble sound is both overwhelming and invigorating. “All of us are thoroughly energetic people,” Jane explains. “We all operate at the tips of our energy and nerves. That really helps the chemistry. And we all play each other’s parts so there are no ‘ownership’ issues. There are no egos – it’s never “OK, I’m just playing my part.” Jon nods. “There’s no showmanship. There are no solos. There’s no ornamentation to attract attention to one particular instrument. In fact, there’s that feeling that each member of the band isn’t just playing that instrument. That they’re playing the whole thing.”

This is what Spiro refer to as “the mesh”, the locked-in ensemble sound that’s a relentless, wonderfully overpowering assault on the eardrums. Although there are plenty of moments of quieter contemplation on Lightbox, this unstoppable ensemble sound is in heavy evidence throughout the new record. It provides the fury on Captain Say Catastrophe, the momentum of Darkling Plains, the euphoria of Shaft. Think of it as an acoustic wall of sound.

“We’re all playing more than one part at the same time,” explains Jane. “If you listen to what any individual instrument is doing, it’s really quite complex. I like the fact that the audience can hear a riff but might not be able to work out who’s playing it. I think that’s what gives it the widescreen feel. There are backed-up lines happening all over the place.” “It becomes a bit orchestral,” adds Jon. “It sounds like there are more than four instruments playing, even though there never are. We’ve never done a single overdub on any of our recordings. It’s just always exactly as it would be live.”

The arrangements are deeply complex and planned within an inch of their lives, with everything being meticulously picked apart, discarded, retrieved, reworked and often patched together in new sequences. It’s a near-scientific approach. Tunes and riffs will be played at a band practice before Jane goes away to scrutinise and evaluate, pulling out the most interesting parts to be revisited next time around. “I’ll come back and say “Yeah, that bit. And put those bits together.” It’s a continual process of listening back, of sometimes putting things together that weren’t together in the first place. That’s then the starting point for the next practice.” A painstaking way of working? “It’s obsessive! Everything is totally arranged, right down to the last note, the last semi-quaver. We can’t divert from that. Yes, I am a mathematical geek.”

It’s therefore something of a contradiction that this forensic approach to composition and performance unlocks an extraordinary emotional response to their music, both on record and live. “There can be something strangely moving about something very mathematical,” explains Jon. Jane agrees, citing the euphoria she often experiences through dance music. “I find repetition very moving. The more precise you are with it, the more you can engineer emotions. People seem to cry at our gigs!”

“We’re just trying to get people hooked at an emotional level. I’ve always loved playing live, making things happen in a room, transforming all that nerdy work into an airborne experience. You can do this so much more by playing live instruments rather than pressing a button on a computer.” Jon smiles in agreement. “It’s a lot more interesting to watch people playing instruments than someone playing this slab of electronics…”

“…and it’s a lot more interesting watching people struggling to play it!” laughs Jane. “I think that’s part of the excitement. There’s that element of danger. Are we going to make it or not...?”

Combining the talents of northerners STU HANNA and DEBBIE HANNA-PALMER, the duo Megson are fast becoming ‘hot property’ (The Guardian Jan 09) on the British folk and roots scene. Their three albums, ON THE SIDE, SMOKE OF HOME and TAKE YOURSELF A WIFE have chronicled that blossoming creative talent.

Originally from Teesside, the husband and wife duo met singing in the local Cleveland Youth Choir. At that time, they both had very different music career paths ahead of them. Middlesbrough born and bred Debbie has been singing since she could speak. She trained to be a classical singer, taking a degree in Music at Leeds University followed by a post-graduate success at Trinity College, London, gaining a distinction as a classical soprano. She plays violin, piano, whistles and concertina. Billingham, Teesside, born and bred Stu was playing in a pop-punk band run by an American manager who had big ideas for the band. They soon found that neither of these worlds was ultimately for them and, shortly afterwards, joined creative forces in Megson.

Since the duo’s genesis in 2004 the couple have played up and down the country at numerous folk clubs and festivals, initially supporting bands such as Show of Hands and Seth Lakeman but more recently selling out their own extensive tour dates in November 2008 and January 2009. Their growing talent was recently recognised with a nomination for Best Duo in the 2009 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. The Guardian also gave their latest album TAKE YOURSELF A WIFE a 4-star lead review in the Jazz, Folk and World section of its Friday Arts supplement and followed this with a major feature on Megson (both written by leading music critic Robin Denselow). SONGLINES magazine gave the new album a 4-star review and the INDEPENDENT has listed Megson in their 5 GIGS TO SEE section on no less than 3 occasions.

In addition to his role in Megson, Stu’s talents as a producer on the folk scene are very much in demand and he has produced albums for Benji Kirkpatrick, Faustus and Mawkin:Causley. This year will also see him produce the latest Show of Hands Album to be released in Autumn 2009. With another busy year ahead of them Megson continue to deliver on the promise inherent in fellow folkie Seth Lakeman’s endorsement: "For my money” says Seth ”Megson are amongst the most exciting trailblazers of British Contemporary Folk."