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.
The Old Crow Road - When The Mountains Cry
www.theoldcrowroad.com
Individually The Old Crow Road have many years of folk music behind them, despite only coming together in 2024. The haunting violin from Tracey Beardsmore complements Rachel Evans-Haigh's almost blues vocal. The rhythm is driven by Robert Stott's guitar to produce a song with an Appalachian meets North East England feel. TM
Gnoss - HJOP
www.gnossmusic.com
Glasgow based quartet Gnoss have been for a few years and produce a blend of contemporary and traditional sounds which leaps out of your speakers with verve. That is at least partly down to the crisp recording by Stuart Hamilton. Less electronic based than their last album allowing the acoustic instruments the chance to show that modern doesn't have to sacrifice respect for tradition. TM
Marc Woosnam - Imposter
marcwoosnam.com/
An emotion filled delivery is Berkshire singer songwriter Marc Woosnam's calling card. He cites Jeff Buckley as an influence, and it will certainly appeal to anyone who loves his music. The strings swelling at the end are a nice touch. Woosnam says "I've been pouring my heart and soul into this album for over a year," and it shows on this lead single. TM
Cole Stacey - Sugarcanes
colestacey.net
Another new single from one half of the excellent India Electric Co. Again, taken from his excellent Postcards From Lost Places album, filled with atmosphere and impassioned singing. His solo work deserves your attention as much as his work with Midge Ure and India Electric Co. TM
Foreign Affairs - Walk Away
foreignaffairsmusic.co.uk
This got airplay on Elles Bailey's Planet Rock show recently and that Blues-tinged hard rock fits into exactly her corner of the musical forest. From their photos they also appear to be fellow Bristolians, in which case how have I missed them? The vocals have a touch of soulful Glenn Hughes about them, and they are not a million miles away from his Black Country Communion in both style and quality. Looking forward to hearing more. TM
Boulder Fields - Comes Around
www.facebook.com/TheBoulderFields
After the excellent full band album, With All The Other Ghosts, last year Cam Fraser's loose collective of Scottish musicians returns with a more acoustic EP ahead of a short Southern England tour in May. There is an almost Simon and Garfunkel feel to this song. That sense of being quietly epic which their best songs offer is on show here. Cam suggests that this is how the live shows will sound, in which case you don't want to miss them. TM
Valerie Smith - Songbird Road
www.thevaleriesmith.com
It's not often that Bluegrass tunes hit this powerfully, but Valerie Smith's music adds a Bluesy vocal to the more traditional elements of the Bluegrass sound. If you are, as I was reminded of the acoustic parts of Steve Earle's Copperhead Road then that just speaks to the quality of the song and the singer. TM
Heddlu - Paid Becso Am Dim
www.facebook.com/heddlu.music
You'll find the word Heddlu everywhere in Wales… on police cars, the translation being "peace force." Band leader Rhodri Daniel says, "I wrote this song for my sister, it means 'Don't worry about anything' in Welsh, who was going through chemo for breast cancer at the time, she is now in remission." A 70s prog rock song with a clearly uplifting tone, even for non-Welsh speakers. If you want a slice of classic rock don't worry about the language this is music for everyone. TM
Bob Leslie - The Lost Songs
boblesliemusic.com
The Lost Songs features the only known surviving fragment of Norn(Island Norse), taken from the the ballad King Orfeo and the key to this highly poignant song. The Lost Songs is an oral marker lamenting the loss of language and tradition. Scots replaced Norn as the dominant language and an oral tradition faded into the mists of time. Bob Leslie captures the sentiment and to a degree anger around that event. Well worth checking out. NK
Dubh Lee - My Poor Boy
www.facebook.com/dubh.lee
Soulful singing over a chorus drenched guitar from an Irish singer new to me at least. She says it was written in 2023 in a taxi, "looking out the window of my lift home and thinking about various poor choices I had made recently with regards to romantic encounters and as we drove down Cork Street towards Crumlin I was incorporating words from different signs and shop fronts into the lyrics." The song is simple, and direct, a bit of folk, a bit of soul and a new name to watch for. TM
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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