Browsing Tag

Orchestral Folk

Somewhere In Between – Mr & Mrs: An Orchestral Indie Folk Tale of Amour for the Ages

Posted on 2 September 2024

Somewhere In Between, the soul-embracing union of Deena Robertson and Austin Bisnow is so much more than a new alt-indie folk act on the scene; the duo is a profound testament to love’s resilience.

Their debut single Mr & Mrs, taken from their double A-Side which also includes the single Wildflower, unfurls as an artfully orchestral folk narrative, resonating with emotional depths through dual-layered harmonies. The intimate glimpse into a romance that has battled odds as daunting as cancer and triumphed with a story sung through their very being reaches the epitome of heart-rending.

The single channels the delicate nuances of Thom Yorke’s artful signatures, the diaphanous echoes of Tom Odell, and the undeniable chemistry reminiscent of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It’s an ornately ethereal vignette of romanticism so vivid, it might just redefine your understanding of love, illustrating that true affection demands patience, compassion, and understanding.

Their journey began when Austin first heard Deena singing in Sanskrit during a hot yoga class in LA, leading to an inseparable bond forged at a retreat in Utah. Challenges soon followed, notably Deena’s cancer battle, compelling them to immortalise their vows in song with the aid of Grammy Award-winning artist Ry-X. Today, their Quebec barn-turned-studio is not just a place of creation but a sanctuary where their lives and art intertwine.

For those jaded by Hollywood’s glossy depictions of love, Mr & Mrs offers a real, raw, and profoundly authentic alternative. Hit play, and let the seraphic sentimentality carry you to where love reigns supreme, unscripted and unequivocally honest.

Mr & Mrs is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Igloo Hearts exhibited a new installation of art-folk in their ornately rendered vignette, Watering Can

Posted on 27 February 2024

Igloo Hearts’ latest offering, ‘Watering Can‘, is a masterful blend of folk sensibilities with a touch of baroque elegance. This single, emerging from the heart of Wrexham, positions the married duo as a folk force to be reckoned with while echoing the artistry of legends like Tori Amos, Kate Bush, and Mitski.

Katie Macgregor’s soprano vocals are the centrefold of the art-folk piece. Her haunting and ethereal timbres, cascade over the keys, enveloping the listener in a cocoon of timeless yet contemporary flair. The emotion conveyed through her performance is palpable, resonating with a depth that speaks to the soul.

Watering Can is an arresting showcase of their captivating sound, marked by classical piano, mesmerising chord progressions, and flawless harmonies, influenced by Jesca Hoop, Radiohead, and Kate Bush. The duo’s refined musicianship has earned them recognition as runners-up in the Purbeck Folk Rising Competition and Radio Wigwam’s Awards along with numerous BBC Introducing radio plays. Their live performances, held at esteemed venues like the Liverpool Philharmonic and Llangollen International Eisteddfod have received critical praise from across the board.

As they continue to gain acclaim, including an upcoming feature on the Channel 4 series ‘The Piano’, any self-respecting folk fan will want Igloo Hearts on their radar.

Watering Can was officially released on February 16. Stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lounna orchestrated the sound of spring into her indie-folk Americana release, Peak Season

Posted on 16 February 2024
Lounna

Lounna orchestrated the sound of spring into her latest indie-folk reverie, Peak Season; a single that resonates with the soul’s longing for renewal and connection.

The Pittsburgh-based multi-instrumentalist, drawing inspiration from the likes of Bear’s Den and First Aid Kit, infused her latest single, taken from her Garden for Winter LP, with a unique blend of indie, folk, Americana and naturalism, and signalled her departure from her more whimsical approach to songwriting from her debut. By delving into more profound themes of mental health, resilience, and hope. The single is a harmonious amalgamation of lyrical depth and orchestral richness, with crystalline vocal harmonies commanding the ensemble with an effortless grace.

The track opens with a melodic embrace that gently uplifts the listener, symbolising the shedding of winter’s weariness. Lounna’s voice, soothing yet potent, weaves through the instrumentation with a narrative that echoes candour and resounds through universal relatability.

The orchestral backdrop, carefully crafted with Slate’s collaborator Daniel Blake, adds a panoramic dimension to the song, allowing each instrument to converse and complement the vocals, rather than overpower them. Peak Season allows you to stand at the shores of your own introspection while washing over you as a cathartic release from the clutches of life’s darker moments. It’s a sublime feat of originality and expression, that has left us with bated breath to see what’s to come from Lounna.

Stream Peak Season from February 16th on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nick Cody rearranged a loveless world through the folk strings in his cover of Nick Cave’s Nobody’s Baby Now

Posted on 14 February 2024
https://on.soundcloud.com/99fhH

If you thought Nick Cave’s rendition of Nobody’s Baby Now from his 1994 album, Let Love In, hit hard, brace yourself for the evocative impact when delving into the bitter-sweet folk reimagining by Nick Cody featuring Towse, Harry Orme, Corwin Zekley.

Atop the Bob Dylan-esque instrumentals, the harmonised to-the-nines vocal arrangement pulls at the heartstrings with devastating precision. Though the lyrics have always been tragic in their forlorn romanticism when depicting a woman living a loveless life, Cody innovatively found a way, through the beguile within orchestral folk crescendos, to impart even more empathy for the female protagonist.

It takes an exceptionally talented artist to find more room for resonance within an already hauntingly captivating single. Clearly, Nick Cody can consider himself amongst the few sonic visionaries with the ability to breathe new painfully provocative life into already stunning scores – even though his humbleness, evidenced in this reworking, would never allow such an ego to show in his work.

Nobody’s Baby Now will debut on Valentine’s Day; stream the single on SoundCloud and wait for the LP, which is scheduled to drop on April 26.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

River Knight extended empathy for politically derived malady in their orchestral folk-rock score, Green and Gold

Posted on 7 December 2023

River Knight’s latest single, Green and Gold, is a socialist orchestral folk-rock masterpiece; with a reprise of “the system is broken and there’s no way back” as a lyrical opening, there’s no deliberation before immersing you into the infectiously empowering assault on late-stage capitalism.

The modern iteration of everyman’s blues keeps an upbeat tempo as the everyday atrocities unravel over the zeal in the instrumental arrangement to create an emotionally well-rounded score that unifies the disenfranchised while vindicating the anger that is breeding within the social tapestry.

With an ear for a compelling melody, an empathy for politically derived malady, and the technical prowess to construct a soul-sating earworm you’ll be humming for days, the UK duo who banded together in 2017 after Darren Knight’s wife passed away have become as essential as the Manic Street Preachers were in the 90s.

Green and Gold was officially released on November 24; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grainne Eve paid a poignant homage to Sam Henry with her cover of ‘Maid of Culmore’

Posted on 31 October 2023

Taken from Grainne Eve’s debut album, The Songs of Sam Henry, the standout orchestral folk single, Maid of Culmore, is so much more than a narrative tale; the inexplicably anachronistic arrangement conjures panoramic imagery to ensure you’re not solely looking at a portrait of the lyrical protagonist, you are in the landscape within her, completely abstracted from the 21st century.

The debut LP is just a scratch on the surface of the Portstewart, Northern Ireland-hailing folk singer-songwriter’s lifelong mission to understand and pay homage to the legacy of the folklorist and ballad crafter Sam Henry, who was integral to the preservation of Northern Irish folk tradition. Grainne Eve is currently in the final stages of writing her PhD, which focuses on Henry’s vast folk collection after completing a BA and MA in Music at Newcastle University.

‘The Songs of Sam Henry’ made its official debut on July 8th, 2022, at the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine. The album launch event was graciously introduced by the renowned TV presenter Joe Mahon. It was also presented live on Raidio Failte as part of the Belfast TradFest 2022 and received airplay on BBC Radio Ulster. Notably, ‘The Songs of Sam Henry’ earned a nomination for the NI Music Prize in 2022. Here’s to hoping we hear plenty more from Eve in the not-too-distant future.

Stream Maid of Culmore on Spotify and find out more about the exemplary artist and aural academic by visiting her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brian Berggoetz tenderly chases an ethereal spectre in his orchestral folk score, Just a Dream

Posted on 26 September 2023

Just a Dream is the latest orchestrally ornate single meticulously crafted by the Tucson, Arizona artist, Brian Berggoetz. While the acoustic guitar strings keep the orchestration humble, intimate and folky, the cinematic interplay between the cello and violin strings brings a profound sense of elegant refinement to the lyricism, which tenderly chases an ethereal spectre.

With his backing band, Brian Berggoetz has become a prominent fixture in the Tucson live circuit and beyond; his live shows, whether he’s opening for Reverend Horton Heat, Charlie Sexton and Chris Murphy or topping the bill, have a reputation for rendering audiences enraptured.

Original songwriting is just one of his talents in a vast repertoire; he also has an affinity for reimagining classical songs in his distinctive style, which balances euphonic decadence with the intense affability of folk rock to make classical overtones effortlessly accessible to a wide audience. If Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack for Into the Wild infused more orchestral strings, I’m not entirely convinced it would emanate the same delicate visceral mesmerism of Just a Dream.

Just a Dream is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Bluegrass Bards, The Way Back Yard, are Back in Action in Their Eponymous EP

Posted on 14 August 2023

To kick off their eponymous EP, the Minneapolis band The Way Back Yard put their own baroque spin on the folk classic Wayfaring Stranger. The vignette of a world-weary soul traversing dirt roads in a bid for self-discovery may have been around since long before the Civil War, but it still lyrically rings just as true today in an era that is blighted by a collective loss of meaning.

The folky Americana retelling of the melancholic tale will embed itself deep within your soul; with every cello and violin sting pull, you will feel more of the gravity projected by the three-part harmonies that The Way Back Yard has become revered for.

They’ve come a long way since playing in backyards in the Twin Cities; their Crosby, Stills and Nash-inspired melodies have received extensive radio and podcast plays, and they’ve become part of the furniture in the Minneapolis bluegrass scene. On the basis of the gravitas in their cover of Wayfaring Stranger, it is about time for them to become a global folk phenomenon.

The self-titled EP from The Way Back Yard is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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The UK orchestral folk duo River Knight is on melodious form in their sanctuary spilling single, Unsprung

Posted on 25 December 2022

The folk duo River Knight has been fairly quiet since their 2021 album, Grow. They are back on melodious form in their latest orchestral folk single, Unsprung, which borrows fractions of the melody to Take on Me, but with such a stunning orchestral string ensemble and hints of the Verve and 90s Britpop in the verses, who is complaining?

The earworm brings the ragged and rough timbres through the acoustic guitar strings and percussion while the smooth can be found in the gloss of the orchestral crescendos, which are as close to heaven as the impious are likely to get.

Each new progression is a brand-new opportunity to fall in love with the duo who banded together in 2017 as a form of therapy for Darren Knight after the tragic passing of his wife. Stone River was there for unwavering support and to offer the Ying to Knight’s songwriting Yang. The duo are well known on the London, Portsmouth and Southampton live circuit, but it’s only a matter of time before they take their international-level approach to indie folk rock to the status it beckons.

Unsprung officially released on December 16th. Catch it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Peaks & Valleys speak for the melancholic souls in their orchestral indie-folk single, Surrender

Posted on 13 December 2022
https://soundcloud.com/peaksvalleysband/sets/how-far-we-fell/s-gE9cEGTNYtf

Peaks & Valleys have debuted their masterful, aptly morose EP, How Far We Fell, featuring the bitter-sweet exposition of grief, Surrender. The Edinburgh-based three-piece start with sombre acoustic guitars before the quiescently ennui-laden vocals hush desolation into the polished orchestral production, which brings in orchestral strings and minor piano keys to pay homage to the roots of Scottish Folk and laden you with compassion for the disillusioned protagonist portrayed.

In a time when it feels like everyone with a shred of empathy and awareness is succumbing to the subjugating grips of futility, Surrender will undoubtedly have a profound effect. The grief shared through the lyricism that leaves plenty of room to inject your reason for melancholy against the climactic orchestral crescendos is inexplicably beautiful in its resounding darkness.

Surrender will be available to stream from December 13th via SoundCloud.

Follow Peaks & Valleys on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast