Hannah White (& Guests)
Walk Beside Me
Hannah White is back with an inspiring new single that's set to continue her rise and rise as one of the UK Americana scene's most admired writers and performers - this time in the company of two guests from the top table of American artistry.
On March 24, fresh from her UK Americana Album of the Year award nomination for Hannah White and the Nordic Connections, she teams with her bandmates again for the infectiously uplifting 'Walk Beside Me.' But that's not all: Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Tim O'Brien adds vocals, mandolin, mandola and fiddle, and the revered, in-demand Viktor Krauss, brother of Alison, plays double bass.
True to the passion for social inclusion and justice that informs everything White does, 'Walk Beside Me' is a beacon of optimism in dark times, with a message that better days are around the corner. It's an irresistibly positive sentiment given even greater depth by her distinctively warm lead vocals and the superior playing of Lars Hammersland on Hammond organ, Ole Ludvig Krüger on drums, Svein Henning Berstad on vocals and White's husband Keiron Marshall on acoustic and baritone guitar.
"'Walk Beside Me' is about making sense and moving forward in a world with so much suffering and injustice," says Hannah. "In my darkest moments, knowing someone out there cares, even from very far away, has more than helped me, it has saved me. This song is a celebration of the power that comes from simply loving and standing by each other, and it's a calling to those who feel the same way."
Longtime admirers of Tim O'Brien, Hannah and Keiron filmed him some years ago for their Sound Lounge Sessions channel of the time, after which he gave them a surprise invitation to open for his UK tour of 2017. "He's a virtuoso musician and a giant in the bluegrass world," she says, "and I was very honoured when he accepted my invitation to join me on this record."
Of Krauss, Hannah adds: "Viktor is an astounding musician, artist and producer that I've been listening to for a long time, particularly with Lyle Lovett but also with so many artists I adore: Buddy Miller, Dolly Parton and of course his sister, Alison Krauss. We've been in touch for a few years about working together, and I've always known it was going to happen as soon as the time was right."
'Walk Beside Me' is also an exciting preview of more new music coming this year from Hannah and the Nordic Connections, whose 2020 album was such a widely-praised delight. Fatea described "the restraint, the range, the softness, the clarity, the levels, all appropriately placed in delivering this masterpiece," while Folk Radio UK admired its "ballad sound and style of Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton." Numerous tracks from the album attracted airplay around the world, on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Scotland and from broadcasters across Europe, Australia and beyond.
From May 19 into early June, Hannah and Keiron will head out on a 13-date, socially-distanced tour of the UK, playing everywhere from Bury to Birmingham and Southampton to Sheffield. The tour culminates with shows at their own, much-loved Sound Lounge venues in Morden and Sutton, south London, on June 5 and 6. For further information, ticket details, music and more, visit hannahwhitemusic.com.
Paul Sexton
Fatea Showcase Sessions
The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Corsair is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk for all the artist information.
Walk Beside Me
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