Mike Weaver celebrates his Greyest Bits
Cheltenham-born singer/songwriter Mike Weaver’s stop-start career has spanned six decades. His new album, The Greyest Bits, features fresh recordings of some of the most popular songs he has composed and performed over the years, all written between 1978 and 2022.
The Greyest Bits, released on Thursday 2nd February 2023, marks Mike’s 65th birthday. His material draws on family stories and life experiences: a rich personal tapestry that is often poignant, yet always relatable. Mike has never moved far from his roots, living in Gloucestershire and South Worcestershire since he was born in Charlton Kings in 1958. All of the songs were written in the region.
He first sang live in the late 1970s, but was always a reluctant performer, preferring to write and share his music with small groups and friends in more intimate surroundings. Working as an illustrator and journalist as his day job, Mike met and encouraged many musicians in those early days. He started his own marketing and publishing business in 1989, and largely withdrew from the music scene before quitting completely in 1997, when his twin daughters were born.
Sixteen years later he picked up his guitar and found his true voice. Encouraged by a few artists he’d supported through his newspaper columns and blogs, he began to write music again. Returning with a greater depth and sensitivity that comes with maturity, there were some thought-provoking new songs, and re-workings of earlier numbers to match life’s experience too. It took time. The hairline receded, the hair colour changed (naturally), the keys changed.
There were several self-recorded albums between 2014 and 2019, released on digital platforms, with CDs largely being sold at gigs. Live performances increased as Mike grew in confidence, playing his original material at folk clubs, festivals and other happenings in the Midlands and South West. He also became a popular support act, opening for artists such as O’Hooley & Tidow, Ange Hardy, Steve Ashley, Tir na nOg, Edwina Hayes, Breton ‘power folk’ icon Dom Duff, Canadian indie-folk musician Sarah Jane Scouten, and Reg Meuross. Mike was also a founder member of the ‘Folk Treble’ events in his local area, working with musicians such as Daria Kulesh, Kim Lowings, Colin Pitts and Katie Grace Harris.
Ten years on from a return to the stage, The Greyest Bits is here. The album has laments for long-lost pubs, myths and legends, tales of wartime experiences, songs of faith and hope, memories of childhood, impending fatherhood, letting go and friendships rekindled. Two new songs and an instrumental sit comfortably with eight ‘classics.’
A full eleven track CD will be available from live shows. Digital downloads are available from Bandcamp, Apple Music, Amazon and the usual channels.
The pure voice of Katie Grace Harris is featured on ‘The Greyest Bits’ - along with the multi-instrumental talents of Lukas Drinkwater, who also recorded, engineered the album at Polyphonic Recordings in Stroud. It’s been over two years in the making - largely due to the Covid pandemic and the unpredictability of events which life throws at us.
Who knows what the next few years will hold? Mike finds solace through his own writing, playing and performing, and hopes the listener will find words of comfort, kindness, relaxation and peace through his music too. Feedback is always welcome through the contact form on the website www.mikeweavermusic.com
The Greyest Bits, released on Thursday 2nd February 2023, marks Mike’s 65th birthday. His material draws on family stories and life experiences: a rich personal tapestry that is often poignant, yet always relatable. Mike has never moved far from his roots, living in Gloucestershire and South Worcestershire since he was born in Charlton Kings in 1958. All of the songs were written in the region.
He first sang live in the late 1970s, but was always a reluctant performer, preferring to write and share his music with small groups and friends in more intimate surroundings. Working as an illustrator and journalist as his day job, Mike met and encouraged many musicians in those early days. He started his own marketing and publishing business in 1989, and largely withdrew from the music scene before quitting completely in 1997, when his twin daughters were born.
Sixteen years later he picked up his guitar and found his true voice. Encouraged by a few artists he’d supported through his newspaper columns and blogs, he began to write music again. Returning with a greater depth and sensitivity that comes with maturity, there were some thought-provoking new songs, and re-workings of earlier numbers to match life’s experience too. It took time. The hairline receded, the hair colour changed (naturally), the keys changed.
There were several self-recorded albums between 2014 and 2019, released on digital platforms, with CDs largely being sold at gigs. Live performances increased as Mike grew in confidence, playing his original material at folk clubs, festivals and other happenings in the Midlands and South West. He also became a popular support act, opening for artists such as O’Hooley & Tidow, Ange Hardy, Steve Ashley, Tir na nOg, Edwina Hayes, Breton ‘power folk’ icon Dom Duff, Canadian indie-folk musician Sarah Jane Scouten, and Reg Meuross. Mike was also a founder member of the ‘Folk Treble’ events in his local area, working with musicians such as Daria Kulesh, Kim Lowings, Colin Pitts and Katie Grace Harris.
Ten years on from a return to the stage, The Greyest Bits is here. The album has laments for long-lost pubs, myths and legends, tales of wartime experiences, songs of faith and hope, memories of childhood, impending fatherhood, letting go and friendships rekindled. Two new songs and an instrumental sit comfortably with eight ‘classics.’
A full eleven track CD will be available from live shows. Digital downloads are available from Bandcamp, Apple Music, Amazon and the usual channels.
The pure voice of Katie Grace Harris is featured on ‘The Greyest Bits’ - along with the multi-instrumental talents of Lukas Drinkwater, who also recorded, engineered the album at Polyphonic Recordings in Stroud. It’s been over two years in the making - largely due to the Covid pandemic and the unpredictability of events which life throws at us.
Who knows what the next few years will hold? Mike finds solace through his own writing, playing and performing, and hopes the listener will find words of comfort, kindness, relaxation and peace through his music too. Feedback is always welcome through the contact form on the website www.mikeweavermusic.com
Charlie Dore announces UK Short Circuit tour
Charlie Dore returns this spring to deliver the first eight dates of the Short Circuit Tour alongside her multi-instrumental co-pilot Julian Littman.
The multi award-winning songwriter has ten albums’ and 4 EPs worth of material to draw from, so when planning the tour she realised that there were dozens of favourite songs in her catalogue that had hardly ever been performed live - some never.
Charlie says “Of course you fall in love with your newest release and want to share those shiny new songs, so it’s easy to end up ignoring most of your previous favourites, simply because there’s not enough time in any one night.”
This year Charlie has opted to tour in short, sharp bursts - yes, Short Circuits - so that in between each run of shows she and Julian can dive in and totally change the content and shape of each single set.
Charlie adds “This way we keep it fresh, the audience gets a chance to hear some of their all-time live favourites as well as brand new songs…so Julian and I get a chance to explore different arrangements and rediscover songs we’d written but forgotten we loved playing. None of these songs has a sell-by date, so we’re looking forward to re-visiting them and introducing them to all the new material. We think they’ll enjoy each others’ company and we hope the audience will too.”
Described as ‘brave, original and poignant’ by The Guardian, Dore has become known as one of the UK’s most respected songwriters – creating a genre-defying blend of what is best described as eclectic, contemporary folk-americana with crunchy lyrics. Sewn-through with her trademark dark wit, lyricism, and distinctive melodic voice, Dore’s material continues to reach new and enthusiastic audiences across all ages.
These eight dates will take in venues across both England and Scotland. Starting in Cambridge on 17th February, the tour then heads to Somerset, London, Ayr, Kinross, Glasgow, York, Ulverston and the Wirral. Part 2 starts in May. For more details and dates, check out Charlie's website charliedore.com
The multi award-winning songwriter has ten albums’ and 4 EPs worth of material to draw from, so when planning the tour she realised that there were dozens of favourite songs in her catalogue that had hardly ever been performed live - some never.
Charlie says “Of course you fall in love with your newest release and want to share those shiny new songs, so it’s easy to end up ignoring most of your previous favourites, simply because there’s not enough time in any one night.”
This year Charlie has opted to tour in short, sharp bursts - yes, Short Circuits - so that in between each run of shows she and Julian can dive in and totally change the content and shape of each single set.
Charlie adds “This way we keep it fresh, the audience gets a chance to hear some of their all-time live favourites as well as brand new songs…so Julian and I get a chance to explore different arrangements and rediscover songs we’d written but forgotten we loved playing. None of these songs has a sell-by date, so we’re looking forward to re-visiting them and introducing them to all the new material. We think they’ll enjoy each others’ company and we hope the audience will too.”
Described as ‘brave, original and poignant’ by The Guardian, Dore has become known as one of the UK’s most respected songwriters – creating a genre-defying blend of what is best described as eclectic, contemporary folk-americana with crunchy lyrics. Sewn-through with her trademark dark wit, lyricism, and distinctive melodic voice, Dore’s material continues to reach new and enthusiastic audiences across all ages.
These eight dates will take in venues across both England and Scotland. Starting in Cambridge on 17th February, the tour then heads to Somerset, London, Ayr, Kinross, Glasgow, York, Ulverston and the Wirral. Part 2 starts in May. For more details and dates, check out Charlie's website charliedore.com
Voices from the Cones is a glass act
From the huge Glassworks production line and cone-shaped furnaces of the past to the reflections on bespoke pieces created in more recent times, Dan Whitehouse's new work Voices from the Cones celebrates the largely untold stories of Stourbridge's master craftsmen/craftswomen and their communities.
For over 400 years, the glassmaking industry nourished the communities of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, UK, where - thanks to the skills of immigrant French Huguenots - it became the most important glassmaking area of the country. In recent years the industry has faded away with the last factory apprentice, Malcolm Andrews, now teaching artisan makers, who are the last link in this glassmaking chain.
In 2019 Dan Whitehouse was invited by Alan Ellsmore of the Ruskin Mills Trust in Stourbridge (a college built on the old Glassworks site) to research and write a narrated song cycle about the history and community of the Glassworks which closed down in the 1990s. The project was supported by National Heritage Lottery funding sourced by a Ruskin Mill Trust/Dudley MBC joint bid.
Voices From The Cones sprang from an archive of interviews with 100 former glass workers talking about their memories of working in the glass trade, alongside new interviews conducted by Dan accompanied by storyteller John Edgar. The result is an emotive journey into the history and future of the glass industry. The original live show, performed by Dan and augmented by John Edgar’s incredible storytelling and narration, was featured at the International Festival of Glass in 2019 and will be again on August 24th 2022 (coincidentally, the United Nations International Year of Glass) as well as at the Yorkshire Festival of Storytelling 2021.
Now, thanks to Arts Council England funding, each song and the ‘radio ballad’ style song cycle with narration will feature on this two disc album, released on 30th September 2022.
Working with a sparkling array of musical talent including John Elliot, Chris Cleverley, Kim Lowings, Gustaf Ljunggren, Nicole Justice and Lukas Drinkwater, the album glides between electronica, country, rock, hip-hop, folk and pop.
For more information please visit dan-whitehouse.com/live
For over 400 years, the glassmaking industry nourished the communities of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, UK, where - thanks to the skills of immigrant French Huguenots - it became the most important glassmaking area of the country. In recent years the industry has faded away with the last factory apprentice, Malcolm Andrews, now teaching artisan makers, who are the last link in this glassmaking chain.
In 2019 Dan Whitehouse was invited by Alan Ellsmore of the Ruskin Mills Trust in Stourbridge (a college built on the old Glassworks site) to research and write a narrated song cycle about the history and community of the Glassworks which closed down in the 1990s. The project was supported by National Heritage Lottery funding sourced by a Ruskin Mill Trust/Dudley MBC joint bid.
Voices From The Cones sprang from an archive of interviews with 100 former glass workers talking about their memories of working in the glass trade, alongside new interviews conducted by Dan accompanied by storyteller John Edgar. The result is an emotive journey into the history and future of the glass industry. The original live show, performed by Dan and augmented by John Edgar’s incredible storytelling and narration, was featured at the International Festival of Glass in 2019 and will be again on August 24th 2022 (coincidentally, the United Nations International Year of Glass) as well as at the Yorkshire Festival of Storytelling 2021.
Now, thanks to Arts Council England funding, each song and the ‘radio ballad’ style song cycle with narration will feature on this two disc album, released on 30th September 2022.
Working with a sparkling array of musical talent including John Elliot, Chris Cleverley, Kim Lowings, Gustaf Ljunggren, Nicole Justice and Lukas Drinkwater, the album glides between electronica, country, rock, hip-hop, folk and pop.
For more information please visit dan-whitehouse.com/live
Global Sounds at Gate to Southwell 2023
This summer’s Gate To Southwell Festival (June 29-July 2) looks certain to be the most international, entertaining and musically diverse event yet.
The highly-acclaimed and immensely danceable London Afrobeat Collective have joined the festival headliners; eight musicians who create politically-charged funk inspired by late Nigerian superstar Fela Kuti with his perfect blend of soulful jazz horns, hi-life and mighty Yoruban rhythms. There’s also a strong African influence to the music of the Stone Jets, uniting the distinctive voice of Given Nkanyane with the guitar skills of Manfred Klose.
In total contrast, heading for Southwell from Wales, there’s the raving steampunk-style nu-metal-meets-traditional Welsh music of NoGood Boyo (appropriately taking their name from the bad boy character in Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood!). And last but far from least of the recent festival recruits…Martyn Joseph, unquestionably one of Britain’s finest singer-songwriters, will also be appearing. Martyn’s a jaw-dropping guitar player with a unique percussive style who's even been branded “The Welsh Springsteen”. “One of the most charismatic and electrifying performers in Britain today”, according to Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music.
They join an already global sounding line-up featuring The Raghu Dixit Project from India, The Dog Show Sessions, pictured, (combining English roots stars Show of Hands with Madrid-based Irish-American quartet Track Dogs), American singer-songwriter Tom Russell, bluegrass boys The Hoth Brothers from New Mexico, Italian ragtime and old time from Max & Veronica and Irish traditional music stars Gatehouse. Plus there’s top quality rhythm & blues from Nine Below Zero, English folk from Tarren and one of the UK’s finest singer-songwriter guitarists in John Smith, whose songs such as ‘Save My Life’ and ‘Far Too Good’ have been streamed many millions of times.
With more artists soon to be announced, there’ll also be great camping and glamping facilities, excellent family entertainment, dance, spoken word & comedy, pub gigs, workshops, Camp Fire, craft stalls and top-quality food and drink. Tier One discounted tickets are running out but Tier Two tickets will soon be on sale for https://www.gtsf.uk which will again take place at the beautiful lakeside setting in Kirklington near Southwell, Nottinghamshire (NG22 8NX). The festival received great reviews last year including RnR Magazine’s verdict: "excellent cast list...too many good performances to mention. It has become a great favourite and if you haven't been already, try it.”
The highly-acclaimed and immensely danceable London Afrobeat Collective have joined the festival headliners; eight musicians who create politically-charged funk inspired by late Nigerian superstar Fela Kuti with his perfect blend of soulful jazz horns, hi-life and mighty Yoruban rhythms. There’s also a strong African influence to the music of the Stone Jets, uniting the distinctive voice of Given Nkanyane with the guitar skills of Manfred Klose.
In total contrast, heading for Southwell from Wales, there’s the raving steampunk-style nu-metal-meets-traditional Welsh music of NoGood Boyo (appropriately taking their name from the bad boy character in Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood!). And last but far from least of the recent festival recruits…Martyn Joseph, unquestionably one of Britain’s finest singer-songwriters, will also be appearing. Martyn’s a jaw-dropping guitar player with a unique percussive style who's even been branded “The Welsh Springsteen”. “One of the most charismatic and electrifying performers in Britain today”, according to Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music.
They join an already global sounding line-up featuring The Raghu Dixit Project from India, The Dog Show Sessions, pictured, (combining English roots stars Show of Hands with Madrid-based Irish-American quartet Track Dogs), American singer-songwriter Tom Russell, bluegrass boys The Hoth Brothers from New Mexico, Italian ragtime and old time from Max & Veronica and Irish traditional music stars Gatehouse. Plus there’s top quality rhythm & blues from Nine Below Zero, English folk from Tarren and one of the UK’s finest singer-songwriter guitarists in John Smith, whose songs such as ‘Save My Life’ and ‘Far Too Good’ have been streamed many millions of times.
With more artists soon to be announced, there’ll also be great camping and glamping facilities, excellent family entertainment, dance, spoken word & comedy, pub gigs, workshops, Camp Fire, craft stalls and top-quality food and drink. Tier One discounted tickets are running out but Tier Two tickets will soon be on sale for https://www.gtsf.uk which will again take place at the beautiful lakeside setting in Kirklington near Southwell, Nottinghamshire (NG22 8NX). The festival received great reviews last year including RnR Magazine’s verdict: "excellent cast list...too many good performances to mention. It has become a great favourite and if you haven't been already, try it.”
Windborne breeze back into the UK
Finally back in the UK, following their hugely popular 2020 tour, Windborne are returning to teach and sing songs from their American roots, songs of protest and freedom from their album Song on the Times, along with folk songs from other cultures collected on their travels.
Jeremy, Lynn, Will and Lauren all come from musical families, and honed their craft through youth camps with Vermont based Northern Harmony, ultimately progressing to sing with the professional level choir, Northern Harmony, before establishing themselves as a quartet.
Windborne specialize in close harmony singing, shifting effortlessly between dramatically different styles of traditional music. Their musical knowledge spans many continents and cultures but they remain deeply rooted in American folk singing traditions. Audiences and critics lavish praise upon the singers not only for their technical mastery, but for the passion, engagement, and connection with each other and the audience that imbues each performance with a rare power. Their captivating sound draws on the singers’ deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of their artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, their harmonies are bold and anything but predictable.
But there’s another, crucial dimension to Windborne that guides and roots their artistry. They are adherents to folk music’s longtime alliance with social activism, labor and civil rights, and other movements that champion the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Their songs burst with lyrics that, while penned decades or centuries ago, still ring true in modern times, and Windborne’s dynamic harmonies breathe new life into these songs.
For ticket links and a full list of tour dates and venues, go to: www.windbornesingers.com/concerts
Jeremy, Lynn, Will and Lauren all come from musical families, and honed their craft through youth camps with Vermont based Northern Harmony, ultimately progressing to sing with the professional level choir, Northern Harmony, before establishing themselves as a quartet.
Windborne specialize in close harmony singing, shifting effortlessly between dramatically different styles of traditional music. Their musical knowledge spans many continents and cultures but they remain deeply rooted in American folk singing traditions. Audiences and critics lavish praise upon the singers not only for their technical mastery, but for the passion, engagement, and connection with each other and the audience that imbues each performance with a rare power. Their captivating sound draws on the singers’ deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the absolute uniqueness of their artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, their harmonies are bold and anything but predictable.
But there’s another, crucial dimension to Windborne that guides and roots their artistry. They are adherents to folk music’s longtime alliance with social activism, labor and civil rights, and other movements that champion the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Their songs burst with lyrics that, while penned decades or centuries ago, still ring true in modern times, and Windborne’s dynamic harmonies breathe new life into these songs.
For ticket links and a full list of tour dates and venues, go to: www.windbornesingers.com/concerts
Sarah McQuaid back on the road with her 'Live In Lockdown album tour'
With her new live-in-lockdown album The St Buryan Sessions drawing critical raves and appearing on best-of-2021 lists on three continents, Sarah McQuaid is once again hitting the road.
The tour coincides with the release of a new video filmed earlier this month at the behest of The Bert Jansch Foundation, as part of their “Around The World In 80 Plays” project.
In what would have been the legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter’s 75th year, the Foundation set three Yamaha LL TransAcoustic guitars travelling around the globe from guitarist to guitarist, each playing a song or tune inspired by Bert.
“I was tremendously honoured to be invited to take part,” says Sarah. “It was incredible just to handle an instrument that’s been played by so many guitarists I’ve worshipped from afar for so long, and to see their signatures on it and sign my own name under theirs. It was almost surreal.”
To make the video, Sarah returned to the beautiful medieval church of St Buryan, not far from her home in rural West Cornwall, where The St Buryan Sessions was also recorded and filmed.
Sarah’s own custom-made Andy Manson acoustic guitar will be accompanying her on tour, along with her Korg SV-2 stage piano, vintage Premier Olympic floor tom drum, and the Ibanez Artist electric guitar originally loaned to her by another guitar legend, the late Michael Chapman, when he produced her 2018 album If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous.
“It’s always funny when people see all the instruments onstage and say, ‘Oh, we didn’t realise you were bringing a band with you!’” Sarah laughs. “But precisely because I’m a solo performer, it’s important for me to be able to add variety by playing material in a bunch of different styles on a bunch of different instruments.”
Released on CD and limited-edition double vinyl LP on 15 October 2021, The St Buryan Sessions made it onto “Best of 2021” lists published by such far-flung media outlets as 2ser 107.3fm in Sydney, Australia; the “Ear To The Ground” radio show on Nashville’s WXNA FM; the Netherlands’ “Slim Chance” music blog; and the UK’s “Strummers & Dreamers” show on Cambridge 105 and Blues & Roots Radio.
For further information and full tour dates, please visit sarahmcquaid.com
The tour coincides with the release of a new video filmed earlier this month at the behest of The Bert Jansch Foundation, as part of their “Around The World In 80 Plays” project.
In what would have been the legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter’s 75th year, the Foundation set three Yamaha LL TransAcoustic guitars travelling around the globe from guitarist to guitarist, each playing a song or tune inspired by Bert.
“I was tremendously honoured to be invited to take part,” says Sarah. “It was incredible just to handle an instrument that’s been played by so many guitarists I’ve worshipped from afar for so long, and to see their signatures on it and sign my own name under theirs. It was almost surreal.”
To make the video, Sarah returned to the beautiful medieval church of St Buryan, not far from her home in rural West Cornwall, where The St Buryan Sessions was also recorded and filmed.
Sarah’s own custom-made Andy Manson acoustic guitar will be accompanying her on tour, along with her Korg SV-2 stage piano, vintage Premier Olympic floor tom drum, and the Ibanez Artist electric guitar originally loaned to her by another guitar legend, the late Michael Chapman, when he produced her 2018 album If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous.
“It’s always funny when people see all the instruments onstage and say, ‘Oh, we didn’t realise you were bringing a band with you!’” Sarah laughs. “But precisely because I’m a solo performer, it’s important for me to be able to add variety by playing material in a bunch of different styles on a bunch of different instruments.”
Released on CD and limited-edition double vinyl LP on 15 October 2021, The St Buryan Sessions made it onto “Best of 2021” lists published by such far-flung media outlets as 2ser 107.3fm in Sydney, Australia; the “Ear To The Ground” radio show on Nashville’s WXNA FM; the Netherlands’ “Slim Chance” music blog; and the UK’s “Strummers & Dreamers” show on Cambridge 105 and Blues & Roots Radio.
For further information and full tour dates, please visit sarahmcquaid.com
