It's been a year since we started lockdown at Folk and Tumble. It's been a tough year to write about music, the lack of live shows hits hard, and often, we find ourselves telling the same tales over and over again.
But, it’s a new month, it feels like a new season is upon us, and the sun is beaming into the spare bedroom that Folk and Tumble now calls home. Artists have been making music in incredibly difficult circumstances throughout the last 12 months, and well, here’s some to wrap your ears around this month.
Track by Track
Megan Lacy’s new E.P. ‘Salvation’ released on 5th March 2021 has been years in the making. But, the Austin, Texas native’s release is a beautiful stripped-back collection of tunes that showcase a masterful way with words and a sublime vocal performance.
Of her latest single ‘Help Me’, Danielle Lewis says:
On reflection of ‘Help Me’, the lyrics shed a light on my inner dialogue at that moment in time, perhaps even another aspect of myself. It’s a reminder of the importance of self-love that ultimately starts from within.
‘American Silence’ is the opening track of the album of the same name from American songwriter Chris Pierce. He’s a protest singer tired of singing protest songs as black voices in the United States of America are still hoping a change is gonna come.
‘The River’ by Tara Kelly is a beautiful slice of Americana-pop, dropping a subtle beat over a thoroughly modern melody that still harks back to the great storytelling style of Americana and country music stars of the past.
‘Call Them In’ is a feisty social-justice call-to-arms from D.C. based queer protest folk songwriter Crys Matthews. Released on 21st February, the birthday of the late Civil Rights Activist John Lewis. It’s a heady mix of Americana, folk, and soul, much needed in 2021.
Janet Simpson’s latest single ‘I’m Wrong’ has a gritty rock’n’roll edge that sets her apart from her more folksy contemporaries. As she melodically puts it in song:
but there’s a sweetness in this grime and dirt sure never stopped me in my tracks…
Songwriter Ariel Posen described his latest release ‘Heart by Heart’:
…written from the perspective of yourself but talking to someone special to you, who may be having a hard time with their life. Whether just a friend or a partner, the idea of the song is just constantly reminding the person that they can trust you, and I’ll be here when you’re ready, but there is no rush. The idea of knowing somebody’s heart, by heart is to say that you completely and utterly understand them.
Written in 10 minutes, and running to just over 8 minutes, StevieRay Latham’s ‘Dionysus Blues’ is an epic. Musically it owes much to the likes of John Lennon, Nick Cave, and the meandering mythology of Decemberists or Neutral Milk Hotel.
‘That’s Not Me’, released by Immigration Unit on 26th February 2021, is a powerful single asking big questions. Haunting, fragile beauty gives way to a searing wall of noise mirroring the emotion and chaos of the contemporary world we live in.
Stephanie Jean and Chris Turpin are Ida Mae. Although originally from the U.K. and relatively young in years, their latest single ‘Click Click Domino’ is a thumping slice of dirty blues with guitar work from Marcus King giving it a feel of old time America.
At Folk and Tumble, we encourage you where possible to buy new music direct from artists’ websites or through a platform such as Bandcamp, which offers a greater financial return to songwriters and musicians.
Photo by @joshrh19 on Unsplash.com