Fay Hield - Wrackline - Out now on Topic Records

 Fay Hield - Wrackline - Out now on Topic Records

Looking at traditional stories involving the ‘otherworld’ of fairies, ghosts and the animal kingdom, Wrackline explores our emotional responses to the space between their reality and our own. Fay is accompanied on the new album by a stellar cast of some of the finest folk musicians working today; Rob Harbron, Sam Sweeney, Ben Nicholls and Ewan MacPherson.

“Wrackline is split into 6 themes, including my interpretations of songs from within the tradition and contemporary responses. It’s my first foray into songwriting but it is firmly within the realms of folk music - drawing heavily on traditions but looking at how they are still relevant for us today. Perhaps in these strange times it’s particularly important to understand how stories can help us make sense of the world around us, both the world we can see and also those darker, less tangible things. In the run-up to the release, I will be sharing blog posts and podcasts which I hope will help you find a way into thinking about the mythical unknown. Maybe hearing how they’ve become important to me, can help you in this time of insecurity, to find some sense and beauty.”  Fay Hield, July 2020

Click below to watch the official videos for the first two singles.

Buy, Stream or Download Wrackline

Upcoming Tour Dates

• 03 Sept 2021 - Sheffield - The Greystones 

• 04 Sept 2021 - Leeds - The Constitutional

• 05 Sept 2021 - Settle - Victoria Hall 

• 08 Sept 2021 - Gateshead - Sage Gateshead 

• 09 Sept 2021 - Salisbury - Salisbury Arts Centre

• 10 Sept 2021 - London - The Nest Collective

• 11 Sept 2021 - Wiveliscombe - Silver Street Sessions 

12 Sept 2021 - Topsham - Topsham Folk Club 

https://www.topicrecords.co.uk/

Wrackline, A New Album From Fay Hield

Wrackline, the new album from Fay Hield, looks at traditional stories involving the

‘otherworld’ of fairies, ghosts and the animal kingdom, the new work explores our emotional responses to the space between their realm and our own. Working through imaginary space to make things real. “We all search to connect with others – we are entranced by those we cannot connect with and find ways to tell their stories to explain our own.”

The album is set to be released this September and will contain some interpretations of traditional songs and responses to carefully selected songs exploring their meaning and drawing on personal experience and beliefs.

Fay is accompanied on the new album by a stellar cast of some of the finest folk musicians working today; Rob Harbron, Sam Sweeney, Ben Nicholls and Ewan McPherson.

Signed copies of Wrackline are available to pre-order from our store on Propermusic.com.

Pre-order Wrackline

News From Topic Records November 2019

News From Topic Records November 2019 Anne Briggs Ltd Edition Gold Vinyl (back in stock on December 6th 2019) This eponymous 1971 debut album by Anne Briggs, largely unavailable for 48 years, is widely regarded as a pillar of any folk collection. Re-issued here as part of the Topic Treasures series - the label’s classic and notable albums expanded in deluxe format with rare images, new liner notes (by esteemed journalist, Ken Hunt) - ‘Anne Briggs’ heralds a huge resurgence of interest in this most reclusive of folk doyennes. This debut album contains some of Briggs’ most notable songs, including ‘Blackwater Slide,’ which she famously taught to Bert Jansch, (who recorded it on his ‘Jack Orion’ album) and ‘Go Your Way,’ co-written with Jansch. As with the 1971 original, the sleeve here contains song notes by the highly-regarded English folk singer and collector of folk songs, A.L. Lloyd. Limited edition 180gm gold vinyl back in stock on December 6th 2019. Pre-order Vision & Revision The First 80 Years of Topic Records We were thrilled to see Vision & Revision: The First 80 Years of Topic Records at number 3 in the Folk rundown of MOJO's Essential Guide to 2019. The deluxe double album features the cream of British folk artists interpreting a song of their choice from our vast back catalogue and includes never-before-released tracks by Martin Simpson, Richard Thompson, Lankum, Peggy Seeger, John Smith, Sam Lee, Martin Carthy, Olivia Chaney, Lisa O’Neill, Oysterband, Nancy Kerr, Chris Wood, Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker, Lisa Knapp, Kitty Macfarlane, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Emily Portman & Rob Harbron, Rachael McShane & The Cartographers, Eliza Carthy & Olivia Chaney and The Oldham Tinkers. Buy, Download or Stream Topic Records Folk In Focus It's your last chance to visit the Folk In Focus exhibition of iconic photographs which runs until the 5th January at Cecil Sharp House. Focusing on the seminal artists who’ve helped shape contemporary folk music as we know it, the exhibition includes era-defining shots of Anne Briggs, Shirley & Dolly Collins, The Watersons, Nic Jones, June Tabor, Martin Simpson, Eliza and Martin Carthy, Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl and many more. Featuring photographs by Brian Shuel, John Harrison, Elly Lucas, Judith Burrows, Dave Peabody, Eammon O’Doherty and George Van Win, the exhibition runs until 5th January 2020 at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Road, London, NW1 7AY. Free entry. On Tour Martin Simpson continues his Rooted tour throughout November and into December. Rachael McShane & the Cartographers have announced new dates in March and April next year and Eliza Carthy heads out with the Restitute Band in April. Martin Simpson 20 November - Penrith, Upfront Arts Venue 21 November - Gateshead, Sage Gateshead 22 November - Morecambe, The Platform 23 November - Cheshire, The Lion Salt Works Museum 24 November - Stockton On Tees, The Waiting Room 27 November - Andover, The Lights 29 November - Corsham, The Pound Arts Centre 30 November - London, Cecil Sharp House 01 December - Wingfield, Wingfield Barns 05 December - New Milton, Forest Arts Centre 06 December - Fareham, Ashcroft Arts Centre 07 December - Brighton, St Lukes Church 08 December - Maidstone, The Bower House 19 December - Sheffield, Firth Hall Sheffield Rachael McShane & The Cartographers 20 March 2020 - Runcorn, The Brindley 21 March 2020 - Otley, Otley Courthouse 25 March 2020 - Morecambe, The Platform 26 March 2020 - Bury, The Met 27 March 2020 - London, Kings Place 28 March 2020 - South Petherton, The David Hall 29 March 2020 - Bath, Chapel Arts 24 April 2020 - Gateshead, Sage Gateshead 25 April 2020 - Barton Upon Humber, Ropery Hall 26 April 2020 - Suffolk, Folk At The Froize Eliza Carthy & TRachael McShane & The Cartographers 01 April 2020 - Halifax, Square Chapel Centre 02 April 2020 - Manchester, The Stoller Hall 03 April 2020 - Pontardawe, Pontardawe Arts Centre 05 April 2020 - Basingstoke, The Haymarket 08 April 2020 - Bristol, St George’s 09 April 2020 - Oxford, The North Wall 10 April 2020 - York, The Crescent 11 April 2020 - Settle, Settle Victoria Hall 06 June 2020 - Portsoy, Portsoy Town Hall Copyright © 2019 Topic Records, All rights reserved. Topic Records Topic Records c/o Proper Music Distribution 1-5 Applegarth Drive, Questor, Dartford Kent, Eng DA1 1JD United Kingdom

News From Topic Records June 2019

Celebrating the first 80 years of Topic Records New album announcement Martin Simpson - Rooted out 30 August on 2CD, Vinyl and Digital Singer, songwriter and guitar virtuoso Martin Simpson will release his brand new studio album Rooted on August 30. Produced by Andy Bell and recorded in Sheffield and Oxfordshire, Rooted will be available on CD, LP and digital with the deluxe 2CD and deluxe digital versions including a bonus disc of instrumentals, Seeded. Summing up the themes of his new album, Martin says: “The music and songs embrace nature and travel, mental health, real life stories, loss, politics and history… and the threads that bind all this together can be followed back a long way, to 1965 when I got my first guitar and started to soak up material and ideas at a very rapid rate.” Rooted features an array of stellar guest musicians, including Nancy Kerr (fiddle and viola), Andy Cutting (melodeon and diatonic accordion), Liz Hanks (cello), John Smith (electric guitar and vocals), Ben Nicholls (string bass and electric bass guitar), Julie Matthews (vocals), Alan Barnes (clarinet), Max Simpson (vocals), Amy Smith (vocals), Chris While (vocals) and Tom A Wright (drums and percussion). Richard Hawley and Dom Flemons contribute backing vocals and bones respectively to first single ‘Neo’ (out 21st June). As well as vocals, Martin himself plays banjola, 5-string banjo, 6-string fretless banjo, electric bass guitar and electric and resonator guitars! Martin will tour extensively in support of Rooted. See full dates here. PRE-ORDER Out 5th July John Tams - The Reckoning CD / Digital Deluxe Topic Treasures CD issue of the award-winning Topic album + 3 bonus tracks + 28 page booklet with new sleeve notes by acclaimed journalist/Sandy Denny biographer Mick Houghton + new intro by John Tams Originally released in 2005, John Tams’ third and final album, ‘The Reckoning’ received produced a triple whammy at the following year’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, winning Best Album, Best Traditional Track (for Bitter Withy) and Folk Singer of the Year. Re-released in July as part of the popular Topic Treasures series, ‘The Reckoning’ is a masterful collection of traditional and self-composed material including a spell-binding reading of ‘The Bitter Withy,’ a powerful reworking of ‘A Man Of Constant Sorrow’ and a magnificient set of sea songs including ‘Pretty Nancy’ and ‘A Sailor’s Life.’  PRE-ORDER Topic celebrated its 80th birthday with style and aplomb at the Barbican Centre in London last Friday, 7th June. A veritable who’s who of the folk world took to the stage to toast the oldest independent record label in the world, weaving their way through a vast back catalogue whose first seed was planted back in 1939! Performers included Eliza and Martin Carthy, Chris Wood, Marry Waterson, Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver, Olivia Chaney, Alasdair Roberts, Emily Portman, Sam Lee and Bernard Butler, Boss Morris and many more. View the image gallery on Facebook The Topic Records: Folk in Focus exhibition is on now at Cecil Sharp House [Free entry] and runs until 5 January 2020. The exhibition features iconic photographs from the Topic Records archive focusing on the seminal artists who’ve helped shape contemporary folk music as we know it. Featuring photographs by Brian Shuel, John Harrison, Judith Burrows, Dave Peabody, Elly Lucas, Eammon O’Doherty and George Van Win, the exhibition includes era-defining shots of Anne Briggs, Shirley & Dolly Collins, The Watersons, Nic Jones, June Tabor, Martin Simpson, Eliza and Martin Carthy, Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl and many more.  The Copper Family live at Cecil Sharp House Saturday 29th June TICKETS / INFO Copyright © 2019 Topic Records, All rights reserved.  mailing address: Topic Records Topic Records c/o Proper Music Distribution 1-5 Applegarth Drive, Questor, Dartford Kent, Eng DA1 1JD United Kingdom