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Folk Music Interviews

Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival Interviews #5 Michele Stodart

Ahead of performing at this year’s Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival, taking place from 10 to 12 May, we were delighted to have interview, in partnership with “Last Night I Dreamt of…”, talented solo artist, singer-songwriter and member of the Mercury Prize nominated Magic Numbers, Michele Stodart.

Q: For those who haven’t come across you before, tell us more about Michele Stodart?

Michele: Well… I was born in Trinidad where I left for New York when I was 4yrs old. Most of my childhood memories are those of the big city. Then my family moved me and my two brothers to London / Hanwell where I live now. We moved around a lot as kids must’ve had over a dozen schools. Our family, let’s say is a little unorthodox all self-employed, living every day as it comes. My brother Romeo had a band and took over the front room made it into a studio where he started playing the guitar. I was always interested, going to all his gigs. He taught me a few chords on the guitar and it was a like a lifeline for me a way of breathing. I was painfully shy growing up. I started writing songs hiding away in the bedroom. He then later asked me to play bass with him one day and that was it. Most girls my age were looking at boys, the bass guitar was my first love. I was obsessed! Then The Magic Numbers were born! Signed the record deal at 19 and we toured the world and life pretty quickly became like a dream. Still writing songs on my acoustic, Romeo convinced me to record my first solo album… it was a crazy time because I was pregnant. So there I was touring with the band 24yrs old now and recording my album heavily pregnant. I remember recording the double bass and my baby was kicking away inside me. Anyway… fast forwarding a bit she’s now 11 years old (my best friend) I’m on the fifth album with the band and about to record my 3rd solo. Life has sure been an adventure!

Q: How would you describe your music in five words?

Michele: Honest, intimate, raw, melodic, reflective.

Q. What inspires you as an artist?

Michele: Dreaming, Learning, growing as a person. Looking at the world differently, people, their journeys and stories in their lives. Shared experiences. The strength of someone, women especially doing their own thing.

Q. What can audience members expect from your set as part of the Hebden Folk Roots Festival?

Michele: I’ll be playing a lot of new songs as well as some from my solo albums. Kathryn and I have also written an album together which is yet to be released so we’ll play some of those together also. That record is gonna be something special.

Q. What’s your favourite song to perform as part of your set and why?

Michele: It really depends, it changes every night with the crowds and the way I’m feeling at that particular moment.

Q. What do you love most about performing on the festival circuit?

Michele: I like the general vibe at a festival, there’s a freeness to a lot of great festivals. It’s the open space, music playing around the corner. Also as a performer it’s always good practice to play in front of a crowd that’s not necessarily there to see you. There’s a different buzz to that when you’re up on stage.

Q. What is your album Pieces about and what’s your favourite track from the album?

Michele: Pieces is really a storytelling album it’s about many things. It was the first time I started writing songs away from the guitar. I would take myself of long train journeys, late night walks, sit in cafes on my own just looking at people around me. Thinking lots. There are songs on the album about letting go… breaking the chains that bind you. ‘Something About You’ is about that moment (the little death) of completely surrendering however scary and secretive. I’d say I’m really enjoying playing ‘Ain’t No Woman’ at the moment it’s grown so much for me that song in its meaning.

Q. What’s the best and worse thing about touring as a solo artist? And how is it different to touring with The Magic Numbers?

Michele: It can be quite lonely touring on your own. Sometimes that’s nice coz I can write and take myself off on walks and stuff, but there’s a sense of fun and craziness with the band that I love too. But I’m lucky to experience both worlds it keeps me sane. Just about!

Q. What’s coming up next for you as an artist?

Michele: I’m starting the first stages of making another solo record. This month I go in the studio for a few days just to record (demo) a lot of the songs I’ve written to work out what kinda record I want to make and what I wanna say with this one. Other than that there’s lots of various projects going on as always. I’ve been very lucky to be asked to collaborate and record with lots of artists I admire. Kathryn Williams being a big part of that. Also playing bass and guitars for Huddersfield duo O’Hooley & Tidow, Rowan Rheingans (Lady Maisery) Ren Harvieu, David Kitt, David Ford. I’ve also been doing lots more curating, putting on nights at this amazing venue in London called Green Note where my brother and I host these monthly nights bringing artists together.

Michele Stodart will be performing at Hope Baptist Church at 9pm on Saturday 11 May alongside Kathryn Williams (read our interview with Kathryn here) as part of Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival. For further information on Michelle Stodart visit https://michelestodart.co.uk. For further information on the Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival visit www.hebdenfolkroots.org.

As mentioned, this interview was in partnership with “Last Night I Dreamt Of…”, a website dedicated to arts and theatre in South Yorkshire. For further information visit www.lastnightidreamtof.co.uk

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Folk Music Interviews

Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival Interviews #4 Katie Spencer

Ahead of performing at this year’s Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival, taking place from 10 to 12 May, we were delighted to have interview, in partnership with “Last Night I Dreamt Of…”, 21 year old singer song writer Katie Spencer.

Q. For those who haven’t come across you before, please tell us about yourself?

I am a progressive folk singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist, from the East Coast in Yorkshire. My music draws on influences such as John Martyn, Roy Harper and Laura Marling, and I owe as much of it to the songwriters of the 60’s acoustic music heyday as to the beautiful East Riding landscape.

Q. How would you describe your music in five words?

Guitar-based progressive folk songs.

Q. What inspires you as an artist?

Landscape is a huge one. I feel that we are so lucky to live in the UK, where the landscape and seasons are so varied. My consistent aim is to capture the space of the landscape into my music, and I’m currently living by the sea which is a big inspiration.

Q. What can audience members expect from your set as part of the Hebden Folk Roots Festival?

Some original music, heavily based around the acoustic guitar and influenced by the sounds of the 60’s folk revival.

Q. What’s your favourite song to perform as part of your set and why?

At the moment it would have to be a new song called ‘Roads’. It has been brewing for a while but suddenly came tumbling out of me, lyrics and guitar part all together. It has a short instrumental excerpt at the beginning which is a gospel tune called ‘Wash in this Beautiful Pool’ that I learned from listening to the inimitable Martin Simpson.

Q. Who else would you recommend festival goers seeing during the festival?

Peter Dilley & Henry Parker!

Q. What do you love most about performing on the festival circuit?

There are countless things to love. The connection with people is a great one, because festivals are a brilliant places for people of all ages and from all walks of life to congregate and enjoy their love for music together, in the same place.

Q. What can fans expect from your album Weather Beaten and what’s your favourite track from the album?

Weather Beaten is my debut full-length album. It was produced by Spencer Cozens, long-time collaborator of John Martyn and Joan Armatrading and someone who I’ve been a fan of for years. The sound of the album is clear and bright, but still has that warm and hazy folk vibe – as we aimed to capture my live performance style. It is subtly embellished by Tom Mason, Miles Bould and Martin Winning on double bass, percussion and woodwind. And my favourite tracks would be ‘Weather Beaten’ & ‘Too High Alone’, I just love what Martin Winning brought to those tracks with clarinet and flute.

Q. You often look to East Riding for inspiration, where in particular in the area inspired you and would you recommend visiting?

Yorkshire as a county is an incredibly beautiful place, and I am totally blessed to be able to explore it on a regular basis. East Yorkshire will always hold a special place in my heart, as I grew up there and I’m currently living by the sea in Hornsea (you should definitely visit, especially for the chip shop!)

Q. What’s coming up next for you as an artist?

Throughout this year I am touring my album ‘Weather Beaten’ and continuing to write new material, which is great fun!

Katie Spencer will be performing at Hope Baptist Church at 2.10pm on Saturday 11 May as part of Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival. For further information on Katie Spencer visit www.katiespencer.net. For further information on the Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival visit www.hebdenfolkroots.org.

As mentioned, this interview was in partnership with “Last Night I Dreamt Of…”, a website dedicated to art and theatre through South Yorkshire. For further information visit www.lastnightidreamtof.co.uk

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Folk Music Interviews

Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival Interviews #2 Merry Hell

Ahead of performing at this year’s Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival, taking place from 10 to 12 May, we were delighted to interview, in partnership with Folk Phenomena, the folk rock sensation that is Merry Hell.

Q. For those who haven’t come across Merry Hell tell us more about yourselves and how you came about?

Merry Hell come from the North West of England, mainly Wigan and offer joyful folk-rock with energy, passion and a message of hope and togetherness for these troubled times. The band emerged Phoenix-like from the ashes of the much loved, much missed folk-punk band The Tansads, who played some reunion gigs after a 10 year break. However, some of the original members couldn’t carry on and we didn’t want to be simply a tribute band to our old selves, playing only the old songs, we wanted to play the new music we had written as well as that of new members, like our female lead singer, Virginia, who also writes quite a few of our songs. We decided in order to do that, we should change the name to reflect our new energy, new hopes and new ideas, built on the old band but not dictated by it.

Q. How would you describe your music in five words?

Joyful folk-rock, with a message. (That’s 5 if you count the hyphenated words as one!!

Q. What inspires you as band?

Quite simply, we are inspired by what we do, making and sharing music with good people who enjoy what we do. What else would a group of musicians want than to have people care enough about their music to sing it along with us when we perform?

Q. What can audience members expect from your set in the Trades Club as part of the Hebden Folk Roots Festival?

At the risk of getting repetitive, we will share our energy, our joy and our hope, our songs in a way that will involve all the people there, not simply standing on the stage and expecting people to watch us – that’s not what we are about. We hope that people will go away feeling uplifted and a little more hopeful about the direction in which we are travelling together.

Q. What’s your favourite song to perform as part of your set and why?

Ooh, that’s like asking which is your favourite child!! There are different moods within the set, so each has a purpose – so the only real answer is the one that we are playing at the time!

Q. Who else would you recommend festival goers seeing during the festival?

Take in as much original music as you can. A special mention for our friends Vision Thing, currently rejoicing in being Folking.Com Rising Stars Award winners and the wonderful Katie Spencer.

Q. What do you love most about performing on the festival circuit?

There’s so many things – meeting old friends, making new friends, travelling around the country, celebrating both our differences and what binds us together but ultimately nothing beats that real sense of community when the band and the audience really come together, wherever that happens to be.

Q. What’s coming up next for the band?

Apart from lots of gigs?? We have made a documentary about a year in the life of the band – what goes on, what we are about, an opportunity for people to know us just that little bit better a people and to see some of what goes on behind the curtain!! That will be coming out soon. We are also starting to record a new album and bring new songs into the set, so there’s plenty for us and hopefully our friends to get excited about.

Q. Have any of the band ever been in love with a “Baker’s Daughter”?

Yes and no!! None of us have specifically been in love with the daughter of a baker (unless there are some untold stories). However, the song is also about loving someone enough to want to change enough to make a partnership work. To that extent, we have all been in love with a Baker’s Daughter!

Q. And finally, if you find yourselves there what would be your idea of the perfect merry hell?

Merry Hell implies a degree of good natured mischief, so the perfect merry hell would be to use our music and performances to inspire people to refuse to accept the present status quo and to bring about some positive change in whatever small way they can in that same spirit. Random acts of kindness are a good place to start and we try to include those in whatever we do!

Merry Hell will be performing at The Traders Club at 9.30pm on Friday 10 May as part of Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival. For further information on Merry Hell visit www.merryhell.co.uk. For further information on the Hebden Bridge Folk Roots Festival visit www.hebdenfolkroots.org.

As mentioned, this interview was in partnership with “Last Night I Dream Of..”, a website dedicated to all things theatre in South Yorkshire. For further information visit:


http://www.lastnightidreamtof.co.uk/