Beyond The 45
Singles, EPs, Downloads
The Fatea office also serves as a home for our weekly Along The Tracks show on Folk Friday Radio and as a rule singles and Eps have generally gone in that direction whilst Fatea generally concentrates on albums and live reviews for our full length feature, but with more artists going back down the single route to keep themselves in the public eye, we thought it was time to reflect that in our offerings and as rules are made to be broken or at the very least adapted, welcome to the Singles Round Up.
Kezia Gill - If Heaven Has a Honkytonk
keziagill.com
The unmistakable force that is Kezia Gill, is releasing the fitst single from her upcoming album, All On Red. If Heaven Has a Honky Tonk, featuring the names of many well known country artists who have already passed on, is a very different take on what could be a morbid topic. Instead it creates a rather lovely and reassuring imagery of what, and who, might be waiting for us one day. I can't help but wonder how many funerals this song will find itself playing at and rightly so. It is very cleverly written and upbeat, with guitar and drums accompanying Kezia's trademark vocal. If this lead single is anything to go by, All In Red, to be released in 2026, is going to be an album to remember. HM
The Weaving - Dlúth & Inneach (Warp & Weft)/ Martin Wynnes #2
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558992653296
A traditional instrumental from a band with members in West Kerry, Tipperary and Yorkshire. This is the first single and title song of their debut album. Pian, fiddle and accordion mix together on the two tunes, producing a joyful danceable set that embraces the Irish tradition with a verve which is highly refreshing. They post on their socials in both English and Gaelic suggesting their whole approach is about building a fusion of two traditions. The 7 minutes of these tunes fly by and put a mark down for what could be a very interesting album in 2026. TM
Petrichor - En Passant
www.instagram.com/reubeneves
Petrichor is the nom de music of Reuben Eves. The dark bass heavy synths and skittering drum machines reflect his intention to create "experimental, unconventionally structured" pieces. En Passant, named for a chess move describes his struggles with mental health, particularly OCD, and the use of chess as a metaphor is on that is unusual and offers possibilities for expansion in future work. As just his second single this is an intriguing and bodes well for the rest of his upcoming EP titled A Black Dog. TM
Wille And The Bandits - Wheal Jane
www.willeandthebandits.com
Heavy Blues rooted in the 70s, and in their Cornish home. This is a powerful slab of hard rock which recalls the likes of Led Zeppelin and Joe Bonnamassa, which keeping a clear identity. Wheal Jane was one of the last functional tin mines in Cornwall, finally closing in the early 90s. Their upcoming album, Salt Roots, they describe as "a record that reaches deep into questions of identity, environmental responsibility, and belonging to the land." This leaves you to wonder about what they think of plans to use the Cornish tin mines to extract lithium for batteries. Overall a great price of blues rock, with the album now highly anticipated TM
The Parachute Testers - Away In A Manger
theparachutetesters.com
Possibly released a bit close to the big day to make the impact that it should, but like the best of Crimbo decorations, this unconventional take on one of the country's most popular carols, should be taken up now, used forthe rest of the season and then car5efully put away and thgen taken out and used for years to come, stripped back, precise if you aren't out looking for unusual stars by the end of the song, something's wrong. NK
River East River West - Too Many Whiskeys Under The Bridge
www.johnjenkinsmusic.com/
I'm not sure if River East River West is a nom de plume or the figment of John Jenkin's fevered imagination. Cut out from the stampeed that is "Stealing Fire - The John Jenkins Songbook Volume 2", "Too Many Whiskeys Under The Bridge" is a cliche ridden country romp that can raise the spirits of even the most jaded individual. This is fine uplifting stuff that's as good as a two fingers in the shot glass, let your hair down and shout a few yehaws for good measure. NK
Mindy Murray- Striking At Kings
www.mindymurray.com
Mindy Murray will release Striking at Kings on January 2, a folk song recounting the 1938 farmworkers’ strike at King’s Farm in Morrisville, PA. Coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, the song reflects on enduring inequality, captured in the lyric: “And ninety years later, the poor are still poor. And those wannabe kings, they just take more and more.” Murray is joined by River Drivers bandmate Kevin McCloskey on mandolin and harmony. A song well suited to Murray's narrative leasd music. AI
Thrifty Malone - All Those Summers Ago
thriftymalone.com
When I first heard this cut I assumed that the Saw Doctors had a new single out and was pleasantly surprised that it comes from a new band, to me, Gibraltarian four piece Thrift Malone who had managed to invite the Waterboy's Steve Wickham along for the ride. Any song that references posters of Blondie is going to have something going for it. This is unadulterated nostelgia wrapped up with Celtic rock notes and rose coloured glasses. Well worth checking out. NK
Isolde Lasoen - My Kind Of Drama
isoldelasoen.com
Belgium singer singer-songwriter, percussionist delivers a very contemporay take on chanson combining it with an electronic chic that retains the melancholy, but gives it a back beat that is not only of the hear and now but helps provide a structure for the narrative to rest on. Recorded in French, though she does also record in English, this is a song that reflects on what beauty can do the emotions in its many different guises. "My Kind Of Drama" drawing the strands of what makes us resond. AI
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.
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