folk news
See: Slow Dance Records signs Aga Ujma, releasing new visuals for ‘In The Ocean’
Polish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aga Ujma has signed to Slow Dance Records, the first single for which was released today. Ujma uses seemingly disparate influences and instruments – her incredibly singular sound traces a lineage between fellow explorers Bjork, Múm, Eivør, CocoRosie and Current 93, blending traditional folk with minimal avant-garde production and Eastern instrumentation …
News: Skullcrusher announces new EP ‘Storm in Summer’ and releases title track and video
If you were one of those who, like me, was totally mesmerised and enraptured by Helen Ballentine’s (aka Skullcrusher) gorgeous eponymous debut EP of last summer, then you will have been yearning for more ever since. Well, good news then, that the singer-songwriter has announced her next EP, entitled “Storm in Summer” and released its …
News: Nic Dalton reissues brilliant and vibrant solo album Romolo for the first time in limited edition vinyl
There was a while when the capital of Australia – Canberra of course – punched way above its weight in terms of music – legendary bands like The Church, The Lighthouse Keepers, The Falling Joys, Youth Group and the Plunderers all made their way out of the remote sterile planned city to greater things in …
News: Lanterns on the Lake announce live dates, plus rescheduled release
“One for the introverts and dreamers, the ones that still find beauty and magic in things” Now, technically speaking, we at Backseat Mafia have already previewed this back in October, ahead of a physical release on December 11th, but, this being 2020, nothing is ever that straightforward, so, this has now been rescheduled to 18th December …
Track: James Yorkston- Upcoming album ‘The Wide,Wide River’ + preview track ‘Struggle’
Warm, natural, humorous, gentle, empathic ….all words that justifiably get bandied about in the scrabble to describe James Yorkston’s music. What is often overlooked is his calm navigation of different pathways around the songwriting landscape, quietly opening the gate onto something new. He’s worked with Kieran Hebden, Simon Raymonde, Rustin Man and Alexis Taylor over …
See: KOKOKO! release Boiler Room Session, plus world tour dates
KOKOKO! revealed the extent of their brilliance to the world with the release of their debut album Fongola, which came out earlier in the month via the ever brilliant Transgressive Records, and to accompany the release of video taken from their Boiler Room Session, they’ve also announced details of a World Tour Working since 2016 …
Track: Tinariwen – Taqkal Tarha, plus new album and European tour news
Tinariwen have revealed details of their forthcoming ninth album, Amadjar, out on Wedge / PIAS on Friday 6th September. They’ve drafted in a whole host of guests for the record including Bad Seed Warren Ellis, Cass McCombs, Stephen O’Malley (Sun O))))) and on the track they’ve released, Micah Nelson – Son of the legendary Willie …
Preview: Long Division 2019 (29th May – 2nd June)
It might not be number one on everyone’s visit list, but there’s more to Wakefield than the Wildcats and the Hepworth Gallery, as independent festival Long Division once is once again back spread around the city’s venues and with an enviable cast of players. They’re well sourced with musical acts, but the event is really a …
News: Celtic Connections Launch 2019 Festival Programme
Celtic Connections Festival delivers another exciting line-up of over 300 events featuring musicians from across the globe. After last year’s impressive 25th festival celebrations, when Celtic Connections welcomed over 2,300 artists from over 30 countries and recorded an exceptional 130,000 attendances, the largest winter music festival of its kind continues to grow and diversify. The …
Track: Ferris and Sylvester release Waterloo Sunset (live) + Tour Dates
Ahead of their myriad festival appearances this summer, London duo Ferris and Sylvester have officially released their live cover of Waterloo Sunset following its reception on BBC Radio 2 : It’s an effective duet, drifting in with a gentle opening, contrasting with more robust driving rhythm as it picks up pace throughout, almost an opposite …