Thursday, 23 December 2010

Thank you and warm wishes



Dear friends

Thank you so much for all the support you've shown us in 2010.
With your help we've finished a record, toured in Australia and the UK, played some great festivals and kept it all going independently.
Thank you!
We hope you have a very Merry Christmas (if indeed you do celebrate Christmas) and/or a wonderful winter holiday.

Keep warm, much love and see you in the new year
Emily, Jo, Anna and Gill.

ps. here's a snowy poem by one of my favourite poets...

'IT SIFTS FROM LEADEN SIEVES'
by Emily Dickinson

It sifts from Leaden Sieves -
It powders all the Wood -
It fills with alabaster Wool
The Wrinkles of the Road.

It makes an Even Face
Of Mountain and of Plain
Unbroken Forehead from the East
Unto the East again.

It reaches to the Fence -
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in Fleeces -
It flings a Crystal Veil

On Stump and Stack and Stem -
The Summer's empty Room,
Acres of Seams where Harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.

It ruffles Wrists of Posts,
As Ankles of a queen -
Then Stills its Artisans like Ghosts,
Denying they have been.

Saturday, 18 December 2010

Limited pre-Christmas release


Artwork by Daniela Terrazzini

Hello there,
We've got a very, very limited amount of pre-Christmas release copies of 'Almanac' available from our bandcamp page! http://emilybarker.bandcamp.com
It's first come, first serve so be quick if you'd like a copy for Christmas.
Best wishes,
Emily

The Other Woman

It was such a special night last night at Kings Place for the Arctic Circle Christmas party. Played a wintery set with friends Ted Barnes, Gill Sandell and Dom Coyote then sang 'Nostalgia' with a brass ensemble and then 'Unreasonable Dream' with a choir! So much fun. Here are some photos of the evening by Rosie Reed Gold...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justforashortwhile/sets/72157625621249506/show/

Last week I met up with radio presenter Ruth Barnes from The Other Woman over a half at The Betsey Trotwood.

Here's the interview below...

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

December in Swithland Woods

I live in Leicester. Sometimes I do the drive to nearby Swithland Woods for a walk.
On this day the sun was out pouring light through leafless trees...

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Dom in winter sun

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Thursday, 9 December 2010

Arctic Circle Christmas Concert

by Damian O'Hara

A couple of years ago I wrote a song with Ted Barnes called 'Unreasonable Dream: Christmas Night.' It's about a man missing the last train home on Christmas eve.
It was released on an EP called 'That Fuzzy Feeling' by Arctic Circle and Static Caravan combined.

You can listen to it here.

And buy it here.

I will be singing this song, amongst others, at the Arctic Circle Christmas Concert on Friday 17th December.
The concert is at Kings Place and there are many festive collaborations between people such as Ted Barnes, Dom Coyote, Gill Sandell, Dale Grundle and Harry Escott. Plus surprise guests!

All the details are here.

Here is an interview I did for the Kings Place podcast that features a song no one has heard before called 'The Rains.' It's a demo and I recorded it on a Zoom H4 in my bathroom...


And here is the recording from the Resonance show Ted, Gill, Dom and I did on Saturday...

Hope to see you at the show.
Christmas cheers,
Emily


Our wintry song: Despite the Snow (the song not the album)

Photo by Patti Gaal-Holmes

After recording our album 'Despite the Snow' in a barn in Norfolk back in 2008, we then recorded a song of the same title at Sickroom Studios (also in Norfolk) and released it on vinyl double sided with a live version of 'This is how it's meant to be.' (It's also available on download.)

I wrote this song to accompany a silent film by Patti Gaal-Holmes. Both film and song are inspired by a poem by Robert Graves' poem 'She tells her love whilst half asleep.'

You can listen here or buy the vinyl or download from http://emilybarker.bandcamp.com/track/despite-the-snow


We'll be playing it this Sunday 12th December at The Apple Tree, Clerkenwell, London at the 'Come Down Meet the Folks' Christmas party. Also playing are the wonderful Serious Sam Barrett and The Arlenes with Jon the Boatman as DJ.
It's free and we're on at 7pm. The afternoon starts at 5pm.
Keep warm,
Emily


Wednesday, 1 December 2010

The 'Almanac' Tour


Photo by Daniela Terrazzini

Dear friends,

We're very pleased to announce the UK tour of our new album 'Almanac' which is due for release on Feb 7th 2011.
Here are the dates for your diaries (there are a few more yet to be confirmed)...

Weds 9th Feb- The Donkey, Leicester (support from Dom Coyote)
Thurs 10th Feb- Bournemouth Folk Club
Fri 11th Feb- The Cellars, Eastney, Portsmouth
Sat 12th Feb- TBC
Sun 13th Feb- The Fat Pig, Exeter
Tues 15th Feb- The Latest Music Bar, Brighton
Weds 16th Feb- Norwich Arts Centre
Thurs 17th Feb- Square Chapel Arts Centre, Halifax
Fri 18th Feb- The Castle Hotel, Manchester (support from Jenny McCormick)
Sat 19th Feb- Mellow Yellow, Blackpool
Sun 20th Feb- The Waiting Room, Stockton
Mon 21st Feb- Brel, Glasgow (support from Jo Mango)
Tues 22nd Feb- Leith Folk Club
Thurs 24th Feb- St. Giles-in-the-fields, London
Fri 25th Feb- Cambridge Folk Club
Sat 26th Feb- Thekla, Bristol

Thanks
Emily