One of my most unexpected favourite gigs last year was the inaugural Summer Hill Folk Festival in Sydney. Set in the Summer Hill Church, the event featured a wide breadth of folk acts in an acoustically perfect setting – it was such a magic day.
The day will also feature Irish Dancing, a couple of workshops and a tribute to Simon & Garfunkel from the Summer Hill Community Choir.
Artisan markets, food and drink stalls and kids activities will be happening in and around the Summer Hill Church from 11am and best of all the whole thing is free. The event is also alcohol and smoke free.
The Summer Hill Folk Festival takes place on Saturday 4th March from 11am. For more information check out the official Facebook event here.
The full program for the day is below:
11:30am – Whoa Mule! (Old-timey/Appalachian)
12:00pm – Queen Porter Stomp (Gypsy Jazz)
12:30pm – Bonniesongs (New folk/songwriter)
1:00pm – Fresh Off The Boat (Traditional Irish)
1:30pm – Timothy James Bowen (Singer Songwriter)
2:00pm – Richard Ashby Duo (Gypsy Guitars)
2:30pm – Giffen (Indi Country Folk)
2:30pm – Irish Dance Workshop
3:30pm – Summer Hill Community Choir sing Simon and Garfunkel
4:15pm – Vocal workshop with Giffen Choral
5:00pm – The Squeezebox Trio (Gypsy)
6:00pm – Brian Campeau (Solo Folk/Singer Songwriter)
6:30pm – Irish Ceili Dance
7:00pm – Chaika (World)
8:00pm – Burrows (New Folk)
– We reached out to the Timber and Steel community to get them to pick their top albums of the year. The results are wonderful with well over 100 artists contributing. Details here
Get Folked 2016 New Years Eve Eve feat. Peter ‘Blackie’ Black, Dan Kemp(UK), Jim Mongrel, Whiskey Jeff Larson, James Seymour, Sooze, Jim Lynch Friday 30th December – Lazybones Lounge, Sydney, NSW
Eddie Boyd Friday 23rd December – Leadbelly, Sydney, NSW
James Thomson & The Strange Pilgrims w/ Magpie Diaries Friday 23rd December – Stag and Hunter Hotel, Newcastle, NSW
Justin Bernasconi Saturday 24th December – City Sounds, Brisbane, QLD
Tuesday 27th December to Sunday 1st January – Woodford Folk Festival, QLD
PJ Michael & The Banditas Thursday 29th December – The Wheatsheaf, Adelaide, SA
Steve Poltz Friday 23rd December – The Govenor Hindmarsh, Adelaide, SA
Saturday 24th December – Flying Saucer Club, Elsternwick, VIC
The Whitetop Mountaineers Tuesday 27th December to Sunday 1st January – Woodford Folk Festival, QLD
Woodford Folk Festival Tuesday 27th December to Sunday 1st January – Woodford, QLD
To round out our week of “best of” lists our illustrious Editor in Chief Gareth Hugh Evans once again whittles down the ton of releases that crossed his ears this year to pick his 25 favourite tracks of 2016.
We’re going to get out of the way and let Gareth throw some music your way – enjoy!
1. Foy Vance – “She Burns”
Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance has always been on my radar but when he released his album The Wild Swan earlier this year I was floored. The standout track, I think most people would agree, is the wonderful “She Burns”, with its pizzicato guitar, slow build percussion and choral backing vocals. Foy Vance is a singer-songwriter at the top of his game.
2. One Up, Two Down – “Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie”
It seems almost unfair that I would choose a traditional song as my favourite from a band that are not only accomplished songwriters in their own right but also amazing musicians whose instrumental tracks are incredibly special. But I challenge you to listen to Dan Watkins singing “Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie” and not melt into a puddle. His voice and guitar, combined with George Jackson and Andrew Small’s long bowed fiddle and bass, turn this cowboy ballad into something more. Simply beautiful.
3. Burrows – “Falling Apart”
When I saw Burrows play at this year’s Summer Hill Folk Festival I was floored. Every song they played was a piece of harmonic brilliance, enhanced by the acoustics of the Summer Hill Church. When they came around to “Falling Apart” I murmured “that’s the song” – and I still maintain that this track is near perfect. I love Sam King’s understated vocals and the harmonies in the chorus are just divine.
4. Eagle & The Wolf – “Mama, Son and the Holy Ghost”
The pairing of Kris Morris’ dirty blues and roots with Sarah Humphreys’ big folk voice, “Mama, Son and the Holy Ghost” was the perfect introduction to Eagle & The Wolf. Individually Kris Morris and Sarah Humphreys are firm favourites of Timber and Steel but Eagle & The Wolf is greater than the sum of its parts and “Mama, Son and the Holy Ghost” is the epitome of their collaboration. This is rootsy blues done right – all crunchy guitars, clipped percussion and keyboard and big, bluesy voices.
5. Bon Iver – “22 (OVER S∞∞N)”
With its glitchy opening, distorted Mahalia Jackson samples, saxaphone solos and weird lyrics it would appear on the surface that Justin Vernon has well and truly moved on from the acoustic folk of For Emma, Forever Ago and embraced the more electronic elements of the self-titled Bon Iver. But at its core “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” is still classic Bon Iver with Vernon’s double-tracked, falsetto voice coming through loud and clear. Strip back all the beeps and bops and “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” could sit alongside any of the classic Bon Iver folk tracks.
6. Melody Pool – “Love, She Loves Me”
Since first seeing Melody Pool perform at the Gulgong Folk Festival back in 2013 I’ve been predicting big things for her. To say that her new album Deep Dark Savage Heart was highly anticipated in the Timber and Steel bullpen is an understatement and when it dropped earlier this year it was on solid repeat for ages. “Love, She Loves Me” is definitely a standout track on the album (although “Black Dog” is a close second), perfectly demonstrating Pool’s skill as a songwriter and singer. What a voice!
7. Rowena Wise – “Then We Met” Rowena Wise owns the quirky indie-folk genre this year this this wonderfully catchy track from her 2016 self titled album. I love the twisted, bluesy finger-picked riff throughout this track and that chorus is a definite ear worm. I’ve been watching Rowena Wise cloesly since she launched a serious solo career and it’s songs like “Then We Met” that will see her successfully straddle the folk and indie worlds in the coming years
8. Matthew and the Atlas – “Elijah”
I love Matt Hegarty’s voice. “Elijah” is probably the most stripped back, acoustic track on Matthew and the Atlas’ latest album Temple and is easily my favourite as well. I love the finger-picked guitar over the swelling piano and orchestral elements and the subtle backing vocals. But most of all I love Matt Hegarty’s voice – I just can’t get passed that.
9. Paul Kelly feat. Alice Keath – “Sonnet 73”
To be honest I could have chosen any of the tracks from Paul Kelly’s marvelous album Shakespeare inspired Seven Sonnets And A Song. The reason I finally settled on “Sonnet 73” is two fold: Firstly it has a wonderful, folk-country feel with Kelly’s strummed acoustic guitar over a plucked pedal steel; And second the backing vocals from Alice Keath (Sweet Jean) are pitch perfect. Who knew you could improve on The Bard?
10. Seth Lakeman feat. Wildwood Kin – “Meet Me In The Twilight”
More than any other song on this list “Meet Me In The Twilight” gets lodged in my head and refuses to leave. Lakeman’s percussive guitar work coupled with an instantly singable (or yellable) chorus are what makes this song so catchy. Wildwood Kin add an extra level of sophistication to this track as well as the rest of Lakeman’s album Ballads of the Broken Few. I have a feeling that this track would be amazing to see live and have the crowd foot stomping and singing along.
11. Mumford & Sons, Baaba Maal, The Very Best, Beatenberg – “Wona”
This collaboration between Mumford & Sons, Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, Swedish-Malawian electronic band The Very Best and South African afro-beat masters Beatenberg is just pure joy. All afro-beat goodness and nu-folk bombast, you can’t help but smile when listening to “Wona”, it’s such a breath of fresh air. I know that liking Mumford & Sons is definitely no longer “cool” but when they’re collaborating and producing music like this then you’ll still find me first in line for their next release.
12. James Kenyon – “The Motorbike Song”
I feel like James Kenyon might be one of the most underrated singer-songwriters in Australia right now. Songs like “The Motorbike Song”, with its rootsy groove and Paul Kelly-esque lyrical style, should see Kenyon a firm favourite amongst music lovers everywhere. I also have to give props to the wonderful video from Ed Bracey – it even makes Melbourne’s Docklands look stunning.
13. Michael Kiwanuka – “Black Man In A White World” Michael Kiwanuka has always deftly woven together elements of folk, gospel, blues and old-school R&B and his single “Black Man In A White World” is the epitome of that sound. I love the gospel clapping accompanying the disco-like string stabs and R&B guitar. This could well have come straight out of the 70s – one of those songs that sound immediately timeless.
14. Fanny Lumsden – “Land of Gold”
At the time of writing Fanny Lumsden had been nominated for an ARIA award, has 4 Golden Guitar nominations and has gone to number one on the Country Music Channel charts twice. Incredible work for a singer-songwriter from the Riverina. One of those top charting songs is the nostalgic “Land of Gold”, a deceptively simple storytelling song with a big heart that has quickly become one of my favourite Fanny tracks ever. Whether she’s playing with a full band or with just her bassist Dan, “Land of Gold” always pops live. I really love this song.
15. Passenger feat. All Our Exes Live in Texas & Luke Thompson – “Caravan (Live)”
It’s a bit cheeky choosing a live version of a track that’s seven years old as one of my favourites of 2016 but this video has been on serious high rotation since it was posted earlier this year. When you take possibly my favourite Passenger track of all time and throw a collaboration between All Our Exes Live in Texas and Luke Thompson into the mix you strike pure gold. Just listen to those harmonies on the choruses – magic stuff.
16. Imogen Clark – “You’ll only Break My Heart” Imogen Clark has had a pretty big year built on the bedrock of her debut album Love & Lovely Lies and its two lead singles “Take Me For A Ride” and “You’ll only Break My Heart”. The latter is Clark’s most mature offering to date, making the most of her big voice and lyric driven song writing. I’m not sure why Imogen Clark gets lumped into the Country crowd – to my ears her music is straight up acoustic pop – but regardless of the genre “You’ll only Break My Heart” heralds big things to come from the Sydney singer-songwriter.
17. Ariela Jacobs – “Lost”
The way that Ariela Jacobs plays with melody and syncopation on “Lost” is so intriguing. The rhythmic, unpredictable verses give way to simple 4/4 choruses and then a middle eight that just launches itself at you and takes you by surprise. This song is all about Jacobs’ voice with the accompaniment – simple piano chords for the most part – taking a back seat to her lyrics. This track is powerful and vulnerable all at the same time.
18. Sian Evans – “Cold Feet”
I got to meet Sian Evans at the National Folk Festival this year where she got me to act as roadie for her as she rushed to one of her gigs. She’s spent much of 2016 carving out a solo career for herself after her work with The Rusty Datsuns and part of that has involved developing her own distinct sound. The result is the single “Cold Feat” which has a pop sensibility with a heart of folk.
19. The Weeping Willows – “River of Gold” The Weeping Willows embrace their bluegrass side with their huge single “River of Gold”. I love Andrew Wrigglesworth flat picking guitar on this song, accentuated with a subtle banjo over the entire track. And then of course there’s the harmonies between Wrigglesworth and Laura Coates which The Weeping Willows are renowned for.
20. Gretta Ray – “Unexpected Feeling”
Triple J Unearthed High winner Gretta Ray has quite rightly had a massive year with high rotation on the national broadcaster and lots of love from the music press. Her track “Unexpected Feeling” is such a joy to listen to – and to be honest when I first heard it I had no idea that Ray was still in high school. There’s a definite maturity in her songwriting and I just love her guitar work on this track.
21. Sam Newton – “Hold You Down”
The Americana vibes of “Hold You Down” coupled with Sam Newton’s sweet, unassuming voice make this track instantly attractive. I love the way you can’t help but tap your toe along with the brushed snare drum and thumping bass. The production on this track really pulls it all together – it could well have been a straight up acoustic song but the addition of drums, bass and trembling electric guitar turn the song into something more.
22. William Fitzsimmons – “Hear Your Heart”
I was so happy that William Fitzsimmons released his mini album Charleroi: Pittsburgh Vol. 2 this year (as well as a live album) because it meant more songs like “Hear Your Heart” out in the world. Rolling fingerpicking, hushed vocals, sad subject matter – this is William Fitzsimmons in a nutshell and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
23. Laura Marling – “Soothing”
I don’t know why I was surprised when we got a new Laura Marling song this year – she’s been insanely prolific throughout her relatively short career having released five albums in the last eight years. “Soothing” is the first taste from her upcoming seventh album Semper Femina and it sees Marling depart from her usual acoustic guitar driven songwriting with a bass and percussion loop that wouldn’t be out of place on a Radiohead release. This track also sees Marling’s first foray into directing on the accompanying video (that is borderline NSFW so maybe wait until you get home to play this one).
24. The Campervan Dancers – “Slow Down Butterfly”
From what I understand “Slow Down Butterfly” was gestating for quite a while before Sydney duo The Campervan Dancers launched it at the beginning of the year. This is a track that tumbles over itself with vocals, samples, instrumentation popping up all over the place. I love the injection of chaos into what could have just been a standard piece of indie-folk pop. Let’s hope there’s more gestating where this came from.
25. Emmy The Great – “Algorithm”
My need to squeeze Emmy The Great’s recent output into the genre of “folk” so that I can justify posting it on Timber and Steel continues with “Algorithm”. The first Emmy The Great song in a while to contain a decent amount of acoustic guitar, “Algorithm” is a lovely example of the direction Emmy The Great’s songwriting has taken recently – more obscure, more pop but still with her fragile voice front and centre.
For me 2016 was the year where the singer-songwriter reigned supreme and where the more experimental edges of the folk genres got my attention. I’m actually surprised there’s not a lot more bluegrass and Americana music on this list given that’s been my focus over the last few years, but I think this is a pretty nice collection of what’s been on high rotation in the Timber and Steel bullpen throughout 2016.
As always it’s hard to pick just 25 albums and no doubt your favourite hasn’t made this list. But as always there’s a few more “best of” lists to come this week so stay tunes.
So without further ado here are Timber and Steel’s top albums of 2016.
1. Foy Vance – The Wild Swan
From the opening blues of “Noam Chomsky Is A Soft Revolution” through the rootsy folk of “She Burns” to the sixties folk of “Fire It Up (The Silver Spear)” The Wild Swan is a simply cracking album from Northern Irish troubadour Foy Vance.
Never one to be confined by expectation The Wild Swan takes you on a journey through blues, soul, Americana, folk and more, with Vance deftly weaving everything together in a single coherent piece of joy. I love how individual each and every song is while still having enough of a through line that the album is utterly listenable from start to finish.
I’ve been across Foy Vance for some time now but the lead single from this album, “She Burns”, was my way into his music. The Wild Swan was the perfect soundtrack for a driving holiday I took in New Zealand earlier in the year, rolling with the landscape and sinking deep into my bones.
Almost every track is a standout but “She Burns” and “Bangor Town” are the tracks I keep coming back to. The Wild Swan has turned me into a life-long Foy Vance fan – I can’t wait to see what comes next.
2. Burrows – Burrows
I didn’t realise this when I first heard it but I’ve been waiting for Burrows’ self titled album for about three years. I saw Sam King perform at the 2013 National Folk Festival and fell in love with his delicate folk music. Little did I know that that appearance would be the beginning of the Burrows project and that their debut album would become a firm favourite this year. King’s voice, the beautiful harmonies from the rest of the band, the understated instrumentation all come together to build an amazing piece of art. Standout track is without a doubt “Falling Apart”.
3. The Company – Six & Five Six & Five is a thoroughly modern bluegrass album from a local band at the top of their game. This is bluegrass without the play-as-fast-as-you-can gimmickry so many modern bluegrassers rely on. Instead this is solid songwriting backed by some of the best musicians in the country. “Another Season”, “Six and Five” and “Androids” are all standout tracks but to be honest my list of favourites changes on every listen. And can I just say that I think Michael Patrick has my favourite bluegrass voice in Australia.
4. Bon Iver – 22, A Million
Part of me expected the new Bon Iver album would be an extension of the cinematic indie-folk of 2011’s self-titled opus. So when 22, A Million landed I was more than a little blindsided – but in a wonderful way. All glitches, samples, electronics and overdubs, the album is completely immersive and a giant leap forward for Justin Vernon. At the heart of it all is Vernon’s unique voice and some pretty amazing songwriting which stands up regardless of the beeps and bops.
5. Melody Pool – Deep Dark Savage Heart Melody Pool delivers an amazingly red raw new album dealing with her own experiences of depression and mental illness. The songwriting is mature and complex and requires the listener to engage, not passively sit by as the music washes over you. I’ve picked Pool as an artist to watch for many years now and I feel with Deep Dark Savage Heart she’s delivering completely on her potential. Just listen to “Black Dog” or “Love, She Loves Me” and try not to fall for Melody Pool.
6. William Fitzsimmons – Charleroi: Pittsburgh, Volume 2 Pittsburgh was easily one of my favourite albums of 2015 so when William Fitzsimmonsfollowed it up with a mini-album featuring a bunch of unreleased tracks from the same recording session earlier this year I was a very happy man. Fitzsimmons’ beautiful, melancholic songs draw you in and keep you captivated. I love his hushed vocal style – this is definitely lean in music.
7. One Up, Two Down – A Day On The Quay
Two of Australia’s most talented folk musicians – George Jackson and Daniel Watkins – join forces with American bassist Andrew Small for this wonderful mini album from the beginning of this year. Stuffed full of amazing instrumentals like “Kansas City Railroad Blues” and “The Ways Of The World”, it’s actually the traditional song “Bury Me Not On The Lone Praire” that keeps me returning to A Day On The Quay again and again.
8. Radical Face – The Family Tree: The Leaves
The final chapter of Radical Face’sThe Family Tree series is a triumphant bookend to an amazing project. The album is full to the brim with Radical Face’s trademark layered vocals, finger-picked guitars and soundscapes making this a unique indie-folk experience. The rumour is that Radical Face will be changing stylistic direction now that The Family Tree is done so I can recommend immersing yourself in this album before getting ready for his next adventure.
9. Paul Kelly – Seven Sonnets & A Song
Pairing Paul Kelly with The Bard is absolutely inspired. For the most part Seven Sonnets & A Song sees Kelly flex is folk muscles when adapting the sonnets into songs and the results are lovely. The two singles – “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 73” – are by far my favourite tracks on the album with the latter featuring beautiful backing vocals from Sweet Jean’s Alice Keath. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – this album is pure magic.
10. Seth Lakeman feat. Wildwood Kin – Ballads Of The Broken Few
Teaming with up-and-coming trio Wildwood Kin was a stroke of genius for Seth Lakeman’s new album Ballads Of The Broken Few. Their three-part harmonies elevate Lakeman’s classic folk sound to something more. I’ve been a fan of Seth Lakeman since I saw him on his last Australian tour and I can honestly say this is my favourite album of his to date – and that is one 100% down to the collaboration with Wildwood Kin. As always Lakeman is able to draw on the tradition to inspire his music while still creating something that is wonderfully modern.
11. Eagle & The Wolf – Eagle & The Wolf
The crunchy blues of Kris Morris and the indie-folk of Sarah Humphreys come together for a project that is greater than the sum of its parts
14. Oh Pep! – Stadium Cake Oh Pep! shake off the shackles of straight up indie-folk and embrace all out pop on their debut album.
15. Billy Bragg and Joe Henry – Shine A Light: Field Recordings From The Great American Railroad Billy Bragg and Joe Henry dive into the American songbook for their Railway themed album – I especially love their version of “Midnight Special”.
16. Passenger – Young As The Morning Old As The Sea Passenger once again demonstrates why he’s one of the best folk singer-songwriters in the world with the release of Young As The Morning Old As The Sea.
17. Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate Michael Kiwanuka’s melting pot of influences – folk, blues, jazz, soul and R&B – come together on an album that is instantly timeless.
18. Rowena Wise – Rowena Wise
The new queen of quirky indie-folk Rowena Wise delights with her stunning debut.
19. Matt Corby – Telluric
The long-awaited debut from Matt Corby sees him refusing to be boxed in by genre or convention and creating some stunning music in the process.
20. Imogen Clark – Love & Lovely Lies
One of the hardest working singer-songwriters in Sydney releases a debut to be proud of, paving the way for bigger things to come.
21. Jack Carty – Home State
Another solid, positive outing from Jack Carty following a big year of touring (and marrying!) for the singer-songwriter.
23. The Weeping Willows – Before Darkness Comes A-Callin’
The Melbourne based duo deliver a heady mix of folk, bluegrass and classic country in their best release yet – no wonder they’ve been nominated for four Golden Guitars
24. James Kenyon – Imagine You Are Driving
Australia’s most under-rated singer-songwriter delivers a stunning new album that is making the local industry sit up and take notice.
25. The Staves – Sleeping In A Car The Staves follow up their 2015 debut with a three track EP that continues to prove they are one of the most exciting voices coming out of the UK indie-folk scene.
– Vance Joy released his new video “Straight Into Your Arms”. Details here
Interviews
“I think what makes The National special for me is the way it homages and appreciates the raw, grass roots qualities of folk and traditional music, presenting it all with great respect on both big and small stages. The level of knowledge, friendliness and depth with which the audience throws itself into proceedings is second to none, at least as far as I’ve experienced at festivals around the world” – Nancy Kerr chats to Gareth Hugh Evans. Interview here
“I did write a pop song. I wanted it to be accessible to a wider audience. I wrote three songs last year and that was one of them – they all kind of have this pop sensibility” – Sian Evans chats to Gareth Hugh Evans. Interview here
“We’re trying to be miles away from the play-louder-than-the-pub kind of band, which I’ve definitely done in the past but it gets kind of exhausting. These days we hope to invite people in rather than try to compete with them” – Sam King from Burrows chats to Gareth Hugh Evans. Interview here
“It’s the last arena where you go to see an act and straight away go and talk to the person who’s just played and take a bit home with you. It’s that kind of instant performance energy. That’s why these festivals are still trucking along well. As a musician it’s a privilege to play at them because people face your way and they might buy something and you get to talk to everyone” – Andrew Winton chats to Gareth Hugh Evans. Interview here
Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Tuesday 29th March – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra, ACT
Wednesday 30th March – The Exchange Hotel, Sydney, NSW
Gigs Next Week
Americana Fiesta Sunday 27th March – Bald Faced Stag, Sydney, NSW
Ann Vriend Friday 25th March – The Goulburn Club, Goulburn, NSW
Saturday 26th March – The Milk Factory, Brisbane, QLD
April Maze Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Black Market Tune Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Tuesday 29th March – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra, ACT
Wednesday 30th March – The Exchange Hotel, Sydney, NSW
Batch Sessions feat. Tenderfoot, Ed Wells Wednesday 30th March – Batch Brewing Company, Sydney, NSW
Blind Boys of Alabama Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
Thursday 31st March – QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane, QLD
Friday 1st April – Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne, VIC
Bloodwood Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Bluesfest Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – Byron Bay, NSW
Burrows Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
City and Colour w/ Little May Saturday 26th March – The Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD
Monday 28th March – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide, SA
Wednesday 30th March – Red Hill Auditorium, Perth, WA
Daniel Champagne Thursday 31st March – Rad Bar, Wollongong, NSW
Friday 1st April – Canberra Musicians Club, Canberra, ACT
Emily Barker Saturday 26th March – The Railway, Fremantle, WA
FolkSwagon feat. Danielle Deckard, The Delta Revue, The Run Wednesday 30th March – Cafe Lounge, Sydney, NSW
Festival of Small Halls feat. Vishtèn, The Little Stevies, Rob Longstaff Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Thursday 31st March – Hume Club, Bonegilla Migrant Experience, Bonegilla, VIC
Friday 1st April – Balgownie Village Community Centre, Balgownie, NSW
Gordie Tentrees Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Tuesday 29th March – The Old Church, Canowindra, NSW
Wednesday 30th March – Food Angel Café, Dorrigo NSW
Thursday 31st March – Tintenbar Upfront Happ, Tintenbar, NSW
Friday 1st April – Magda Community Artz, Brisbane, QLD
Hootenanny feat. Deep South & Down Sunday 27th March – Miss Peaches, Sydney, NSW
Hussy Hicks Friday 25th to Sunday 27th March – Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
Irish Mythen Saturday 26th to Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
Wednesday 30th March – Palais Theatre, Melbourne, VIC
Jaron Freeman-Fox & The Opposite of Everything Friday 25th March – The Spotted Mallard, Melbourne, VIC
Sunday 27th March – The Who Club, Warburton, VIC
Monday 28th March – The Flying Saucer Club, Melbourne, VIC
Thursday 31st March – The Homestead Tasmania, Hobart, TAS
Friday 1st April – Live at The Wharf, Ulverstone, TAS
Jason Isbell Sunday 27th March – Boogie Festival, Bruzzy’s Farm Tallarook, VIC
Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, NSW
Tuesday 29th March – Recital Hall, Melbourne, VIC
Thursday 31st March – Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo, VIC
Friday 1st April – The Croxton Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
Jordie Lane Friday 25th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Thursday 31st March – Secret Show, Sydney, NSW
Friday 1st April – Music on the Hill, Red Hill, VIC
Kaurna Cronin Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes Saturday 26th March – The Union, Melbourne, VIC
Little Features Saturday 26th March – Hibernian House, Sydney, NSW
Man From Snowy River Bush Festival Thursday 31st March to Sunday 3rd April – Corryong, VIC
Mark Lucas and The Dead Setters Saturday 26th March – The Retreat Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
Sunday 27th March – The Yarra Hotel, Abbotsford, VIC
Friday 1st April – The Gasoline Pony, Sydney, NSW
Moxie Friday 25th March – Fly By Night Club, Fremantle, WA
Nancy Kerr & James Fagan Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – The National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Nancy Kerr & the Sweet Visitor Band Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – The National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, NSW
Wednesday 30th March – 170 Russell, Melbourne, VIC
Thursday 31st March – Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Paddy McHugh & Andy Golledge Friday 1st April – The Midnight Special, Sydney, NSW
Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin w/ Liz Frencham and Lime & Steel Thursday 31st March – Petersham Bowling Club, Sydney, NSW
Pocket Fox Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Rhiannon Giddens Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
Riley Pearce Wednesday 30th March – The Bearded Lady, Brisbane, QLD
Friday 1st April – The Newsagency, Sydney, NSW
Sahara Beck Sunday 27th to Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
Shakey Graves Tuesday 29th March – Hamer Hall, Melbourne, VIC
Thursday 31st March – The Basement, Sydney, NSW
Sian Evans Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Steve Earle & The Dukes w/ The Mastersons Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
The Decemberists Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, Byron Bay, NSW
Tuesday 29th March – Hamer Hall, Melbourne, VIC
Wednesday 30th March – Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW
The East Pointers Thursday 24th to Monday 27th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Wednesday 30th March – Kendall Community Centre, Kendall, NSW
Thursday 31st March – No 5 Church Street, Bellingen, NSW
Friday 1st April – Yamba Community Centre, Yamba, NSW
The Fagans Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – The National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
The Little Stevies Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Thursday 31st March – Hume Club, Bonegilla Migrant Experience, Bonegilla, VIC
Friday 1st April – Balgownie Village Community Centre, Balgownie, NSW
The National Anti-Folk Festival Thursday 24th to Monday 27th March – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra, ACT
The National Folk Festival Thursday 24th to Monday 27th March – Canberra, ACT
The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band Friday 25th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Sunday 27th March – The Quarterdeck, Narooma, NSW
Wednesday 30th March – Lizottes, Newcastle, NSW
Thursday 31st March – The Stone House, Tomerong, NSW
Friday 1st April – Railway Institute Hall, Thirroul, NSW
The Rambling Boys Thursday 24th to Monday 27th March – National Folk Festival, ACT
The Timbers Thursday 24th to Monday 27th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Friday 1st April – Mt Gambier Hotel, Mt Gambier, SA
The Weeping Willows Friday 25th March – Billyroy’s Blues Bar, Bendigo, VIC
Sunday 27th March – T’Gallant Winery, Main Ridge, VIC
Friday 1st April – Harmonie German Club’s Friday Night Live, Canberra, ACT
The Young’uns Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Tim Guy Thursday 31st March – The Junkyard, Maitland, NSW
Friday 1st April – Vic on the Park, Sydney, NSW
Tweedy Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – Bluesfest, NSW
Vishtèn Thursday 24th to Monday 28th March – National Folk Festival, Canberra, ACT
Wednesday 30th March – Django Bar, Sydney, NSW
Thursday 31st March – Hume Club, Bonegilla, VIC
Friday 1st April – Wooloongong Hall, Wooloongong, NSW
You may recognise the members of Canberra nu-folk four piece Burrows as being from bands like The Ellis Collective, Mr Fibby, Fun Machine, Pocket Fox and more. But Burrows is more than the sum of its parts, with music that draws you in and captivates you. With a new album on the way Burrows will be playing a series of shows at this week’s National Folk Festival. We sat down with front man and songwriter Sam King to talk through the evolution of the band.
Gareth Hugh Evans: Back in 2013 you were on The National Folk Festival lineup credited as Sam King. Was that the beginning of the project that has become Burrows?
Sam King: Yeah, it actually was! I applied to the festival solo because I’d not really done much solo before, I’d always played in bands. I had a solid hour of songs at that point so I thought I’d give it a shot. Then very kind of close to the festival I decided that it’s definitely much more fun playing with other people so I invited three people to come and play with me. We were still credited as “Sam King” in the festival program. It was only meant to be a one off thing, a nice excuse to play with some friends. But we ended up being quite taken by it and continued doing it.
GHE: I was at The National that year and called you out as an artist to watch in a Timber and Steel feature. And then every now and then I’d check in online to see what was going to happen to “Sam King” project but nothing had ever eventuated. I thought maybe that was it – I didn’t realise it had evolved into what has now become Burrows.
SK: Yeah – it’s a slightly less Google-able name
GHE: All of you guys play in different bands in and around the Canberra folk and indie scene like The Ellis Collective and Mr Fibby. What makes Burrows different from those other projects?
SK: Yeah, a lot of those bands have the same people in them. We definitely stick pretty close to each other project to project. I mean Grahame [Thompson] is definitely my go to cello guy. They all kind of evolved out of different things. For The Ellis Collective Matty Ellis is a huge part of that. The name we were never really stoked with but it kind of came about because early on there was a lot of us playing in the band and we were all quite busy. It was more just an idea that Matty could be at the centre and whoever he was playing with could be The Ellis Collective. As it turned out we pretty much all made it to all gigs so it wasn’t really necessary. For [Burrows] I’m sort of at the centre of it. I’m slightly uncomfortable with that idea but I like to think of it as a more collaborative process than just a single singer-songwriter. I feel like we’re much more than the sum of our parts from that point of view. So I guess what makes it different from the other projects is really that I’m playing less of a supportive role – usually the catalyst for all the songs comes from me and then it evolves from there pretty quickly.
GHE: And it’s not just you doing the songwriting right? I got the feeling other members of the band were contributing.
SK: Yeah. And that’s a great deal for me. Usually the way those songs come about is often I’ll get a third of a way through a song – I might have a melody and the chords – and I sort of take it as far as I can then flick it to them. Whether they totally finish it from there or they flick it back to me, that process can go on for a little bit – but in most cases I’ll get it part of the way and they’ll write the lyrics, then maybe as a band we’ll change things structurally. I’d really love in the future for it to be much more collaborative. After a while you get sick of the sound of yourself.
GHE: So you’re just about done on the Burrows album right? You’re pretty close to releasing that?
SK: Yeah, it’s being pressed and printed now. It will be available at The National Folk Festival but we’re not officially launching it – it’s just a little sneaky prelaunch. I think we’ll be officially launching it and touring it mid year. Our initial plan was to launch it at the festival and then tour it around that time but it had to get pushed back a little bit – I was al little bit too picky with the masters. It came back the first time and I wasn’t thrilled with the mix, I had to change one or two things.
GHE: I caught you guys at the Summer Hills Folk Festival in Sydney and from what I gather you pretty much played the album from start to finish in your set there.
SK: Yeah, that’s right.
GHE: It’s sounding gorgeous live. I guess the way I would describe Burrows’ sound is “lean in music”. The kind of music you want to listen intently to.
SK: That’s a very good description – that’s definitely what we’re aiming for. We’re trying to be miles away from the play-louder-than-the-pub kind of band, which I’ve definitely done in the past but it gets kind of exhausting. These days we hope to invite people in rather than try to compete with them.
SK: Generally The National’s pretty great for [that type of music]. We’re playing Scrumpy, Majestic and The Lyric – we’ve just got the three gigs. Intimate is what we’ll be aiming for and we’ll cross our fingers that there won’t be some sort of dance band in the next tent.
GHE: Just as you’re launching into a sweet folk tune the Brass Knuckle Brass Band will march past.
SK: Those guys would do that just to spite me, even if they weren’t scheduled to play at that point they’d hop up on stage [laughs]. The festival tends to evolve every year with where venues are and the size of them. Scrumpy and Majestic have been pretty consistent over the last few years.
GHE: I feel like The Majestic is your spiritual home. That’s always traditionally been the “youth” tent at the festival.
SK: Yeah. There’s a very funny story behind The Majestic. The two years before The Majestic came about and was on the oval Mr Fibby was there. We didn’t get in [to the program] but we were all there with The Ellis Collective and I think [Adam] Hadley was there with something. – we just put up some posters in toilets saying “Mr Fibby. The Oval. 10pm”. So there was a tradition for a couple of years where we would play acoustically on the oval and sometimes more people than could really hear us would show up, which is awesome. And then the Majestic was kind of put there based on those performances. I think the festival director had been invited to come down and look at these scallywags playing on the oval and then they put Hadley in charge of the venue for three years. Then hilariously we couldn’t get a gig there anymore [laughs]. But yeah, definitely our spiritual homeland based on that. It was brought about by Mr Fibby in an indirect way – and it also coincided with the fringe festival’s funding getting diverted to The National. It was nice to see all that stuff in one place – it was often hard to get a seat in there.
GHE: Definitely – when The Majestic was on the oval I could never get in. People would just come and park themselves there all day.
SK: Yeah – it was funny wasn’t it? I would always just sneak backstage and watch from there.
SK: It’s definitely a great opportunity to play in Canberra to a lot of people who are from interstate. I think it’s a good stepping-stone – it’s a nice gateway for other festivals around the place. A lot of the other festival directors come to The National and they see you and that has some nice flow on effects. And I guess as a Canberran, I’ve not done anything else for Easter since I was 17. I’m sure other stuff goes on but I wouldn’t know about it. It’s a very special time of year and it’s always very nice when they get you along to play – particularly when I was younger. The first few breaks they gave me in bands like One Night Jam – they were hugely supportive. For younger performers it’s a great stepping-stone to all of a sudden be playing to 200 people who are hanging on your every word. There’s not really any opportunities in Canberra – or anywhere to for that matter – to do that outside of the festivals. I cannot praise it highly enough.
GHE: Well thank you so much for chatting with me today. I can’t wait to see Burrows again!