Great New Roots Gigs On The Way!!  Sat 15 June to Fri 28 June – Tickets, Details, Videos…

 

 

Hi folks, what a spectacular run of superb live music we have between now and the end of June! This Saturday at The Harrison in Kings Cross sees a killer triple-bill with Josienne Clarke, Benedict Benjamin and Robert Chaney (last 10 tickets remaining!), and on Thursday 15th we’re at the Green Note in Camden with a rare UK show from Findlay Brown (‘ [a] master songwriter’ The Guardian), with support from Our Man In The Field. On June 22nd we have any all-day celebration of the very best in London alt-folk & contemporary roots at The Betsey Trotwood in Clerkenwell – twenty acts over 9 hours of music on three floors, and all for a tenner. On the 26 June Genevieve Dawson (‘see her and her band at any opportunity you get’ Bittersweet Symphonies) brings her full band to The Water Rats in Kings Cross, and on the 28th June we have Gus White and his band just around the corner in WC1 at The Harrison. All that, plus we’ve got the New Roots Stage at the lovely Hay’s Galleria in London Bridge as part of Summer By The River- there’s a free concert at 3.00 pm every Saturday afternoon between now and August 31st, it’d be great to see you down there if you’re in the area!  All details below, with lots more for July & August up at the New Roots website, dive in!

Visit the New Roots website for all June / July/ August dates: www.newrootsevents.com
Listen to New Roots Radio: https://www.mixcloud.com/RadioNewRoots/

 

Sat 15 June to Sat 31 Aug: Summer By The River -The New Roots Stage at Hay’s Galleria

Sat 15th June, 3.00 pm: Balladeste : FREE CONCERT

 

A collaboration between Preetha Narayanan (violin) and Tara Franks (cello), string duo Balladeste explore the versatility and sound potential of just two stringed instruments.  With elements of contemporary minimalism, Indian classical music and folk, the duo create original compositions that are vibrant and experimental yet melodic and cinematic in quality – songs without words with a contemporary alt-folk twist.

“gorgeous compositions and swooning melodies with warmth and fervour that demand attention”  The Musician (Top pick album Spring 2018)

“Dazzling musicianship and transportive melodies. An utter privilege to have them on the show”   The Nest Collective – Resonance FM

 

 

Sat 15 June: Last 10 Tickets! The New Roots Sessions: Josienne Clarke / Benedict Benjamin / Robert Chaney

The Harrison,
28 Harrison Street, Kings Cross,  WC1H 8JF.
Ph: 020 7278 3966
8.50 adv BUY NOW  / 10.00 door
Nearest tube Kings Cross, 5 mins walk DIRECTIONS
Doors open 7.30 pm. Music from 8.00 pm sharp.

 

 

New Roots presents THE NEW ROOTS SESSIONS, A series of Friday and Saturday night events at the Harrison in Kings Cross featuring three superb headline solo artists on a triple-bill. Fully seated, tickets limited to 40 only- advance purchase advised.

When Josienne Clarke signed to the illustrious independent music championsRough Trade Records, its founder Geoff Travis told The Guardian that she writes, ‘songs that rearrange your internal emotional landscape… reinventing the popular song structure’. With a rare gift for poetic melancholy, Josienne’s songs have also been described as ‘extraordinary’(Mojo), ‘gently exquisite’ (The Observer) and ‘full of depth’ (The Telegraph), while the world music bible Songlines said, ’Clarke’s dark, complex imagery in the lyrics pushes the songs into rich metaphorical territory, one of the heart and of self-enquiry’. American Songwriter magazine named Josienne one of the best songwriters of 2016.

With an elegant, nuanced and emotionally affecting singing style (Cerys Matthews described her as having a voice that can ‘trickle back over centuries’) Josienne has frequently been compared to the great Sandy Denny, but present too are elements of Nina Simone and Gillian Welch; all three are important influences on her work. With several new records and theatrical productions to look forward to in 2019, Josienne Clarke remains one of the most impressive, accomplished and downright heart-breaking singers, lyricists and composers we’ve got.

 

 

Benedict Benjamin is Ben Rubinstein, formerly of The Mariner’s Childrenand Peggy Sue (Wichita Records). Benjamin is first and foremost a songwriter versed in the classic traditions of the form, capable of crafting both operatic crescendo and lullaby calm, shot through with the heartbreaking swoon of Roy Orbison, the soothing harmonies of the Everly Brothers and the honesty of Jeff Tweedy. His songs undercut the dream-like beauty of early 60s pop music with lyrics both frank and poetic.

 

 

A rising star on the London folk scene, American singer-songwriter Robert Chaney counts Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams and Judee Sill as influences. A remarkable songwriter with a voice to send shivers down your spine, sown deep into his songs are threads of the dusty shellac blues of the 20s and 30s, pulp noir tales of the 40s, the cable-knit folk revival of the 50s, and the French celluloid new wave of the 60s. His debut album ‘Cracked Picture Frames’ garnered high praise in the music press, with Folk Radio UK making it their featured album of the month. With his guitar as the barest of accompaniments, Chaney propels the listener through time, space, and story with a dexterity that truly sets him apart from worthy contemporaries.

‘Sharp, intelligent, thoughtful and moving’ (Folk Radio UK)

 

 

Thurs 20 June: Findlay Brown with support from Our Man In The Field

The Green Note
106 Parkway, Camden Town, NW1 7AN
Ph 020 7485 9899
10.00 adv BUY NOW / 12.00 Door
Nearest tube Camden, 2 mins walk DIRECTIONS
Doors open 7.00 pm, music form 8.15 pm sharp. 

 

 

Acclaimed British singer-songwriter Findlay Brown‘s 11 year career began with his 2007 single Come Home’ from debut album ‘Separated By The Sea’ rooting him firmly in the nation’s consciousness, its chart placing landing him an appearance on the legendary Top of the Pops. Reviewing his debut, The Guardian referred to ‘Separated By The Sea’ as ‘..brilliantly melancholic, the most unlikely classic of the year’.

Brown’s sophomore release was the Bernard Butler (Suede, Duffy) produced album ”Love Will Find You’ for the iconic Verve Records, leading to a U.S. tour and a performance of his single ‘How Long’, with orchestra, on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Since moving to Copenhagen in 2013 Brown has released the 2015 collection ‘Slow Light‘, and in 2018 released the ‘Not Everything Beautiful Is Good’ collection. The disparate sounds of folk troubadours Nick Drake and Jackson C. Frank, heavyweight songwriters Harry Nilsson and Paul Simon, and avant-garde trailblazers Terry Riley and Arthur Russell float in and out of the new album’s musical landscape like ghosts.

A superb songwriter of depth and complexity, with a unique ability to combine the classic and the leftfield, Findlay Brown has a pioneering musical spirit, his career to this point taking him from his home town of York to London, on to Brooklyn in New York, and now settled in Denmark.To date he has toured and collaborated with, amongst many others, Bert Jansch, Fionn Regan, John Renbourn, Paul Weller, Brendan Benson, Bat For Lashes and Johnny Flynn.

‘a rich-voiced master songwriter’  The Guardian

“Set’s the benchmark for gorgeous troubadour folk”  MOJO

“A kaleidoscopic, nostalgic vision.”  Interview Magazine

‘Following in the footsteps of the likes of Joni Mitchell or Sarah McQuaid, Findlay Brown’s “When the Lights Go Out” is a modern folk wonder set to Celtic tuning. PopMatters

 

 

You could be forgiven for thinking you’ve heard Our Man The Field somewhere before. He records live with his band just like the best of his influences; Neil Young, Van Morrison, Credence Clearwater Revival, Ryan Adams and Wilco. His own sound is undefinable but familiar and has been compared to modern day artists such as Ray LaMontagne, Damien Rice, Foy Vance and Joe Purdy.

 

 

Sat 22 June to Sat 31 Aug: Summer By The River -The New Roots Stage at Hay’s Galleria

Sat 22 June, 3.00 pm: Bird In The Belly : FREE CONCERT

Bird in the Belly are a hugely exciting 4-piece new-folk collective. They have spent the last year recording songs and stories rarely, if ever, recorded, in the hopes of reintroducing them back into the folk canon. The resulting debut album ‘The Crowing’ (2018) received critical acclaim, with the Sunday Express calling it “album of the year” (★★★★★).

Gig highlights include Manchester Folk Festival, Leigh Folk Festival, Tooting Folk Club and Ropetackle Arts Centre. The group are currently working on a feature length documentary about the contemporary folk scene to support ‘The Crowing’, featuring June Tabor, Frankie Armstrong, Stick in the Wheel, Ian Anderson (fRoots Editor), Lisa Knapp, Gerry Diver, Naomi Bedford, The Rails and more.

★★★★★ ‘Folk album of the year so far’  Sunday Express

★★★★ ‘Distinctively contemporary and earthy…a heady mix’  R2 Magazine

‘Stark and raw, they boldly go where few artists dare to tread’  Louder Than War

 

 

Sat 22 June: THE LONGEST DAY – An All-Day Festival of Alt-Folk & Contemporary Roots Music. 

The Betsey Trotwood
56 Farringdon Road, Clerkenwell EC1R 3BL 
Ph: 020 7253 4285
10;.00 adv BUY NOW / 12.00 door
Nearest tube Farringdon, 6 mins walk DIRECTIONS
Doors open 3.00 pm. Music from 4.00 pm until midnight.

 

New Roots and The Lantern Society present an all-day festival of the very best in UK alt-folk and contemporary roots music, featuring twenty acts over three stages at the legendary Betsey Trotwood in Clerkenwell. Doors will open at 3.00 pm, and the live music will go from 4.00 pm til midnight. The Betsey is a lovely music-friendly pub, full of character, and the event will take place across all of its three floors. It’s child friendly, with under 5’s welcome to come in for free. Tickets are £10.00 in advance, and £12.00 on the door- it’s limited to 100 places only, so advance purchase is advised!

FEATURING: ROBERT CHANEY (FULL BAND SHOW) ★ ROB CORCORAN & THE NECESSARY EVILS ★ JACK CHESHIRE (FULL BAND SHOW) ★ GABI GARBUTT & THE ILLUMINATIONS ★ ADAM BEATTIE ★ LUCY KITT ★ THE ORANGE CIRCUS BAND ★ GABRIEL MORENO & THE QUIVERING POETS ★ LORRAINE WOOD ★ FORTY ELEPHANT GANG ★ LOUIS BRENNAN ★ CARA LUDLOW ★ OUR MAN IN THE FIELD ★ JACK HARRIS ★ NED ROBERTS ★ GUS WHITE ★ THE HOLLOWAY JUG BAND ★ PRIMA QUEEN ★ DOMINIC SILVANI ★ STAGG

 

Weds 26 June: Genevieve Dawson (Full Band Show) with support from Lewin

The Water Rats,
328 Grays Inn Rd, Kings Cross, WC1X 8BZ
Ph: 020 7833 3312
10.00 adv BUY NOW / 12.00 door
Nearest tube Kings Cross, 5 mins walk DIRECTIONS
Doors open 7.30 pm. Music from 8.15 pm sharp.

 

 

Singer-songwriter Genevieve Dawson is originally from Edinburgh, now based in South-East London. Growing up on Joni Mitchell and Ella Fitzgerald, she went on to study music, playing and singing in jazz and folk bands across Europe and the UK. After a period spent living in Cairo and Morocco she returned to London, completing her studies at the iconic Goldsmiths University. Bringing together a frank lyrical style with a wonderfully rich and soulful tone, Genevieve Dawson’s sophisticated sound, supported by a superbly accomplished four piece band of keys, horns, bass and drums, pulls influence from jazz and folk in equal measure.

‘ [She] blends folk-roots with spicy infusions of off-kilter improvisation and ambitiously ambiguous harmony. Genevieve’s take is not unlike that of Hejira-era Joni Mitchell- her songwriting knows no upper bounds…see her and her band at any opportunity you get’.  Bittersweet Symphonies.

 

 

Fri 28 June: Gus White (Full Band Show)

The Harrison,
28 Harrison Street, Kings Cross,  WC1H 8JF.
Ph: 020 7278 3966
7.00 adv BUY NOW  / 8.50 door
Nearest tube Kings Cross, 5 mins walk DIRECTIONS
Doors open 7.30 pm. Music from 8.00 pm sharp.

 

 

Gus White offers something truly unique to the UK alt-folk and contemporary roots scene, combining his distinctive voice and considered songwriting approach with an accomplished guitar style that pays its respects to Nick Drake and John Martyn. With artfully observed lyrics, his distinctly English, pastoral sound is both timeless and contemporary. White’s finely crafted alt-folk songs are supported by fine close harmony accompaniment from singer Kristin McFadden, fleshed out by cello and clarinet. With five new tracks to be released across 2019 Gus White is very much one to watch for the future.

‘Warmly recommended for fans of Nick Drake, John Martyn… fresh minted for the 21st century’ – Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music

 

 

Coming up in July: 

 

Weds 3 July: Paul Mosley  The Green Note Basement, Camden

‘Wonderful. Mercury Prize level good.’  BBC6music Fresh on the Net  / ‘Beautiful, intimate and effecting. Great modern folk writing’  ★★★★  R2Magazine .TICKETS & DETAILS

Fri 12 July: Cerian with support from Barry Locke, The Harrison, Kings Cross

“Gorgeous… fantastic… quite sensational… I’ve described her as ‘the purest voice on radio’, and she really is…” – Justine Greene (BBC Radio 2)  TICKETS & DETAILS

Thurs 18 July: The New Roots Sessions – Jack Harris, Martha Paton, Louis Brennan at The Green Note, Kings Cross TICKETS & DETAILS

‘Jack Harris is a priest of song who holds himself to a rigorous, ancient code of beauty most of us have forgotten exists.’ Anais Mitchell /  Martha Paton: “We were hooked on this from first listen…a beautiful slice of country and folk-infused pop” – Folk Radio UK /  Louis Brennan: ‘.A master storyteller with a voice like rolling thunder’ GQ Magazine

Sat 27 July: Alden Patterson & Dashwood, The Harrison, Kings Cross. TICKETS AND DETAILS

★★★★★ Album Of The Year Editors Choice – fROOTS Magazine / ★★★★★ R2 Magazine / ★★★★ Songlines Magazine / “It’s lovely stuff” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 Folk Show

That’s all from New Roots for now– if there’s anything more you’d like to know please drop me an email to newrootsevents@gmail.com. Cheers! Rory.