At last we’ve managed to gather in enough fine new Folk tracks to make for another roundup, and what a variety we have this time. From an ultra-modern take on alternate folk to the traditional: we’re aiming to cover the full spectrum, although of course that’s impossible in under, ooh…a hundred songs? More? Such is the diversity of folk, and we rejoice in the differences. Which is probably a good point to mention that if you’re a musician or band releasing a folk-ish album or single or something, then don’t be put off by the Americana UK name – we fully recognise the overlap in American folk and Americana and are more than aware of the historical roots of British folk in shaping so much of American folk and Americana. We can’t promise we’ll feature everything, but we’ll certainly listen to it.
First up, then, the modern; with a song from someone who reminds us a little of Aldous Harding: Early Blossom is a song from Noum, which has modern beats and electric instrumentation and yet also sounds like a hundreds-of-years-old lament, sung on a hillside – probably in a gentle veil of rain. London-based singer Noum is actually songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Noémie Ducimetière, who grew up in Geneva city, the surrounding mountains and eastern France. She says of Early Blossom that “Sometimes in life something happens that gives you an opportunity to grow. Life throws you a new struggle, a new obstacle, and you have no choice but to face it and stand a bit taller than you are used to standing. This happened to me at a time when a tree outside my new apartment’s window had just blossomed; I was seeing it in bloom for the very first time. It was an uplifting sight in a tough period. Every time there was a gust of wind, some of its pink petals would break off into the air and drift to the ground together, in a sad little flock. If I had to fall, I wanted to fall as gracefully as those petals, as patiently; though I knew it was asking a lot, I decided to try, and at the very least, it helped me not act like a twat. Writing the song was like the spell that bound these efforts together; through finding the right words and the repetition that comes with writing and learning, it forced me to think about it so much that I do actually think I absorbed something valuable.”
Next up is the latest single from Kaz Murphy‘s album Making Noise – Songs of Rebellion & Redemption, offering a folk, almost bluegrass, take on the comfort that Old Protest Records provide. Not a totally easy comfort, more of a gentle support as Murphy reflects on how songs from the Civil Rights Movement and earlier are still relevant, and more than relevant, today. We’ve reflected before on how songs saying that racism is bad shouldn’t really be needed anymore – and yet…well…you know the rest. Kaz explains that “I was listening to old protest songs and had the idea. I carefully curated each title to create the narrative of my song. I was a kid during the Vietnam War, and protest songs were huge. Music has always been important to fight all the injustices that go on. I loved Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger, and “We Shall Overcome” was a household song during the civil rights era, regardless of race. Blatant prejudice is something that I don’t take lightly.
Murphy sings Masters of War / Mississippi Goddamn, putting Bob Dylan next to Nina Simone, and he says of that: “I like that it’s a black woman and white man. Dylan was a philosopher and leader of the white folk movement, and Nina Simone was belting out the truth about the South.”
Very much in the folk guitar tradition, we find Cali Santo, who wonders if there’s not a bit of a fault in some ways of raising children – specifically, to never show emotions or admit to a weakness. As Santo explains: “Iron Eyes is about men who were taught from an early age that emotions were something to be swallowed rather than felt. That being strong meant being silent, and that softness or crying was a sign of weakness. I didn’t want to write it as a judgement or an attack. If anything, it’s a quiet mourning for the emotional fluency that many men have been denied, and for the relationships that suffer as a result. The final line, ‘Let it out’, is a call to anyone who recognises part of themselves in the song. Strength isn’t in holding everything inside, but in allowing yourself to release it.”
And here we bring that promised traditional sounds – but with a very modern twist. Talisk have been enlivening the British folk scene for over a decade, accruing a number of BBC Folk awards along the way. With a blend of very traditional “Celtic Folk” with a beat per minute that offers a cruel temptation to the older Ceilidh goer, they are never described as anything less than “lively” or “infectious“. Their appearance at Folk By The Oak was one of the highlights of this writer’s summer. And they have a pretty extensive tour coming up later this year; all the dates can be found here.
Another folk meets the new is offered by Teddy Thompson, with his very folksinger take on Robyn’s Call Your Girlfriend, which is taken from the upcoming LUSH (yes, the soap people) music compilation Best Day Of All Time which follows in the path of previous releases in taking songs from a particular decade, in this case the first of this century, and have prominent musicians produce new takes on the pop of that decade. And, we can only concur with the publicity this time and state, “This is an example of when these covers really work. It sounds like it should’ve always been a folk song.”
Our last pick for this roundup sits very solidly in the “could be folk, could be blues, could be Americana” Venn diagram intersection. Canada’s Gordie Tentrees has No Regrets about releasing this song in advance of his new album Dandelion Blue, which is due in October. Co-written with his son Norman, No Regrets provides further glimpses into their life in northern Canada. Gordie says, “Norman told me it was time to write a song together and here it is, inspired by his time here on Earth and finding himself along the way.” As a former foster child, Gordie has dedicated much of his life to raising his adopted children and helping young people in Yukon’s Indigenous communities. No Regrets is the latest song Gordie has written on this subject, and clearly reveals how proud he is of Norman. Gordie adds, “As a non-indigenous Canadian, I am grateful to live in a place where the opportunity to help build capacity and support my community is possible.”
And finally, finally, the Classic Track pick. And we’re taking a pick from Kaz Murphy’s list for the devastating Mississippi Goddam from the uncompromising Nina Simone: “Hound dog’s on my trail / Little school children sitting in Jail / Black cat crossed my path / I think every day is going to be my last.”
