Well today was a different kind of day in that I went off down to see the lovely Stu Hanna to begin rehearsals for the ‘Lucy Ward Band Awesome Swanky London Album Launch’ (official title of course hehe – tickets found HERE)
But then my phone start bleeping off the hook…that sounds odd…what I mean is, emails flying into my inbox, texts arriving, missed calls – the whole shabang! and then it dawned on me, something must have cracked off, and it had, the first reviews of Single Flame had come in that morning.
ARRRGGHHH! Was my first thought, but then I resolved I should at least read them before I ARRRGGHH and you know what, I’m glad I did.
Spiral Earth and FRoots both released their reviews today and here be a whistle-stop tour of what they said as I know y’all busy bees
Spiral Earth:
‘When I listened to [Single Flame] my reaction was one of astonishment – This album tears up the rule book and Lucy puts her fist through the door marked ‘predictability’
‘On the opening track I Cannot Say I Will Not Speak she sounds like a Northern Nico, her voice is haunting and stern against the beat of a drum. That surprise sets the tone for all of this amazing album, it feels like a recording that should have come out mid career, where are the lost albums between this one and her debut? I looked away and she developed from singer songwriter to star.’
‘Lucy Ward is best when her great voice is like a great tree fast against the storms and sunshine that beat down upon it… One of the albums of the year for sure.’
FRoots:
‘[For The Dead Men] showed a deeper, much darker side to her that’s evident here and which explodes with such extraordinarily powerful resonance on this album, she’s barely recognisable as the singer who gave us Adelphi Has To Fly. In two years she’s blossomed into a challenging songwriter and a richly involving singer with mature and accomplished arrangements’
‘…sounding like a brooding cross between June Tabor and Nico…’
‘…Lucy Ward has grown up…’
~~~~~~~~
Not sure if I would agree with the growing up part ;p but I will certainly take the dual Nico comments and the general positive loveliness on offer. I said this last time round with Adelphi, but I think making album is very much like giving birth…all your hopes and fears all package up in one neat bundle that eventually goes into the world to be judged. I am very glad that the first people Single Flame has met seem to think she’s cool 🙂
Can you call albums ‘she’? I dunno, but you can pre-order her HERE
Anyways in case ye missed it yesterday here is my brand spanking new music video. I give you ‘Icarus’
Here I am, 2 years on, about to write another epically long blog about Glastonbury Festival…but this time, it’s different, this time I can finally say
I PLAYED GLASTONBURY
Oh man that feel’s good to say 😀 And on a mainstage and everything!!
Friday at 13:40 saw my Glastonbury debut on the acoustic stage and what a scary, exciting and awesome experience it was. I don’t think I have ever been as nervous as I was before that gig, i must have put my hair up and back down again over 20 times in the dressing room hehe, I paced, I tuned my guitar A LOT, I stressed about my choice of dress, I forgot my lucky socks, I stressed about forgetting my lucky socks, I cried…It was a roller coaster I can tell you :p and when it was finally time to go on stage, instead of the usual adrenaline that kicks in I had this daunting sense of ‘this is the moment you’ve been waiting for, you better smash it, else what was the point in waiting so long?!’
That sounds very negative, but I guess because I love the festival so much, that actually being part of it felt like a big responsibility, I was going to become part of someones Glastonbury experience…on a more selfish note I was only going to get one chance to live my dream and to mess it up now would be a total bummer.
Having said all of that – as soon as I walked on stage, saw that gorgeous crowd of people…I really wasn’t expecting such an awesome turn out… all the usual gig emotions took over and I played, sung my heart out and enjoyed every moment. It was over in a flash.
I never usual take photos from the stage but I just had to do it this time 🙂 sorry for the blurryness
The acoustic stage crew were all completely golden, every person I met was friendly and helpful and their awesomeness totally topped off the experience. There was also a whole alice in wonderland theme going on backstage which totally rocked! 😀 find pics in my facebook album 🙂
So aside from gigging, the festival was brill (as per usual) here is a rundown of top moments (in no particular order)
Rolling Stones – I have always joked that the stones are the last massive, legendary act I needed to see before I shuffle off this mortal coil, they probably aren’t, I’d really like to see Joni Mitchell and ooo a bunch of other artists live but hey they are certainly up there as ones to watch. Now don’t get me wrong, I know they can’t do it like they could when they were 20 but sometimes the right party atmosphere, dancing and singing a long to your favourite tunes on the hill in front of the pyramid stage is what it’s all about and we had a ball 😀
Oysterband – Now, spending my time on the road at clubs and festivals I have seen oysterband A LOT, but I tell you something, this is the first ever time that I have watched them from the audience, I have always watched from back and side stage before and although they are always great (and the nicest bunch of fella’s on the scene!) this was something else. We were jumping around, dancing and singing – both me and rob left that gig with completely hoarse voices (good job it was after my set hehe)
Greenpeace farmers market cake – The greenpeace field is always grand, they work very hard to present their message in a really fun and accessible way so that people who might not have encountered them before can get involved and this year their field was amazing. Their message was about climate change and the melting of the polar ice caps so although the sun shone on glastonbury for 95% of the time it was always snowing (eco foam) at the GP field. With giant polar bears and ice caps it was like stepping into another world! They also had a fantastic farmers market there that sold the finest cakes in all the land. This was a particular favourite:
Carrot cake with lime cream! YUM!
Amanda Palmer – is a long-standing favourite of mine. I first got into her music in my teens listening to The Dresden Dolls and I always have a soft spot for ladies with gumption and Amanda is certainly that. I missed her set with her new band as it clashed with my own but lucky for me she played the radical round-up (radical songwriters in the round) with Billy Bragg at the leftfield. She made me cry and laugh, proper authentic, raw, musical goodness 🙂
Billy Bragg and Phil Jupitus – the very first time I saw Billy Bragg on the left field stage back in 2000 he blew my mind and I have been a massive fan ever since. I have seen him collaborate with all kinds of great people but Phil Jupitus’ rewrite of ‘Sexuality’ may well have blown everything else out the water! somebody actually managed to catch the moment and handily put it on youtube so go an have a look of you get the time.
yeo valley greek yog and honey froyo…no need to say more
sparkly cape – Oh man finding this made my day, and then I decided not to buy it, then it made my next day, and I decided not to buy it, and then I went with my mum and she assured me it had to be mine 😀
Shinyness
Hanging out in the Permaculture drinking home-made organic cider and apple juice in the sunshine
I can’t escape mentioning it again…MY GIG…WAHOOOOOOO 😀
This blog has taken me about 4 days to write, and I still don’t think I have gotten the essence of the festival, or the gig or any of it over to you but I am aware that no matter how long I work on this I might never achieve it so you guys take care and hopefully I’ll catch you in those fields next year 🙂
That’s a first for me! But I couldn’t resist 🙂 Because in the last hour, not one, but two very exciting things have just happened!
1: Mike Harding put this up on facebook…woop!
Lucy Wards new CD is terrific and her song For The Dead Men is simply immense – I listened through twice – awestruck. I’ve put it in next Sunday’s Show
2: Properganda Online just shared some of those cheeky little track tasters that I was telling you about…here you go…have a listen 🙂
So there you are, your first little nuggets of noise from Single Flame, I really hope that you liked what you heard 🙂
You can get tickets to the swanky London launch bash here
One more thing before I go and have a cup of tea to calm down…I will be releasing exclusive content, track tasters, artwork and all sorts of exciting bits and bobs as the album draws near and all the bestest bits will be available only to those of you who are signed up the mailing list 🙂 cheeky but true so if you would like to periodically receive ramblings from me (not a spam engine I assure you) then click here
Until it’s full release on 19th August (when it will be available at all good music outlets) you can get Single Flame from propermusic.com, itunes and a certain tax dodging company named after a jungle.
Why should we buy it on pre-sale? I hear you cry
Well of course it is totally up to you 🙂 you know I am not a pushy sales lady in real life, but every copy you buy pre-sale adds up for the UK Album Charts so if you feel so inclined to buy one for yourself, your friend, your dog, your cat, your mortgage advisor and your doctor then feel free :p
The day has come! I can finally announce the name of new record!!!
Here’s the vid I posted this morning…I also genuinely recorded it this morning, it takes A LOT of tea to make me look that awake of a morn…nothing I can do about the tired voice hehe
As you heard there, Single Flame will be released on 19th August 2013 ARRGGGHHH 😀
Keep your eyes peeled for all sorts of little tasters and treats as the time draws near, and those of you who are signed up to my mailing listcan also expect extra special exclusives to hear and see things before anybody else and opportunities to win all kinds of exciting stuff 🙂
WAHOO! It is very rare that I get the opportunity to play with a band so these gigs were something truly special 🙂 I am wayyyyy lucky to work with such talented and kind people. Ahh man I was just buzzing!!
First stop was a sold out gig in my home town of DERBADOS!!! The audience was crammed full with not only peeps who like my music but also my family, friends, old school teachers and other people I have met along the way. There was just something in the air, but no need to call out the instigators (see what I did there), there is just something about playing in your home town that has a vibe like no other. A distinctly scary vibe lol, I was bricking it!! But in all the good ways 😀
woop band!
The band line up is an ever changing, ever growing array of awesome people and I was blessed to be able to have both Sam Pegg and Joy Gravestock there, but also my self pronounced surrogate parents O’Hooley and Tidow. We had very little time to rehearse together given everyone’s busy schedules; in fact, the first time Joy played with the rest of the guys was at the sound check before doors! But it’s a true testament to those guys for pulling it off, they really nailed it.
In fact there was a brilliant moment after we had finished one of the tracks, I stepped back so all the guys were in front of me and witnessed an exchange of looks across the stage that said silently ‘Oh my Jeff! That actually worked, we did it ARGGGHHHH’ 😀 hehe.
Actually, I’m getting ahead of myself a bit here, given that this was a special night, I went all out with the stage decor, lanterns/chairs/cushions/throws/telephones/vases all from my own home and a load of cut tree branches on the edge of the stage that had come from my mums garden. I had a lot of help from my family, we built a diddy, cosy nest for us to play music in and it felt well good 🙂
Me and Rob also made a big pack up picnic…no band of mine is going unfed!
PICNIC!
My lovely band devouring the picnic backstage at The Guildhall, Derby
There was lush sound, groovy lights, a smoke machine…it was like being on stars in your eyes! and I totally loved it hehe!
Vids to come of that evening by the way peeps so keep your eyes peeled on facey b, Twitter and YouTube.
We were lucky enough to not only have 1 night of band loving but got to do it all again the next day in Abingdon, thanks to the lovely Jenny at Seahorse promotions who had booked in the most amazing little guildhall you’ve ever seen with a gorgeous minstrel gallery and everything! Just look
Toooooooooo cute!
More Than The Music also wrote a really lovely review of the night…have a gander here
So then as the very last note on this here tour check out the Top 5 Tour Facts:
1: 3000 miles covered (this is travel to and from gigs only)
2: 8 car picnics consumed (just to clarify, this is where you eat picnics in the car, not when you eat cars as a picnic!)
3: 5 completely sold out gigs
4: 200 songs performed
5: Last, but certainly not least, the sound effect we used on Belinda’s electric piano was entitled “Massive Organ”
Proof!
FESTIVAL SEASON IS HERE!!!!!! and that is mightily exciting! I have done a couple of early spring gatherings but this is the beginning of my summer spent living in a tent hehe. I will be playing at:
And I am proper excited about playing all of them!!!! There are lots of festivals that I have never been to before, Beverley, Towersey, Big Tree, Greenbelt but also I am going to be going to my spiritual home/the festival I grew up going to as an artist for the very first time: Glastonbury WOOP!!!
Lastly, my new album is very very nearly ready…the 2nd cut arrived in the post this morning 😀 Happy days!
Well how’s it going? I am having a great week, things are going good and I am feeling very productive. In fact, I would go as far to say that I’m on a roll! My ability to get work done however, is directly linked my spring tour coming to an end…booo 😦
But hey, what an awesome two months it’s been; it has been proper cathartic to get back out on the road and just play! I’ve had a chance to play loads of songs from the new record (more news on that soon!), I’ve done a couple of gigs with my lovely band and I’ve also frequented some right lush venues. So all in all, a very special send off for Adelphi, so here it is, Part 1 of the final round up from The Flown Tour:
This is gonna be well pic heavy cos…well just cos 🙂
Well I headed off to Seaton, Devon for a return visit to the lovely Jurassic Folk. A cracking event hosted in a night club…the most exciting thing about it being in a night club is that there is a pole dancing podium in the middle of the room! Not many folk clubs can boast that now can they! I was tempted to have a go, but I decided that I really couldn’t afford to break any limbs so that was the end of that :p
I’ve gotta show you these…they belong to Hilary, the lovely hostess from jurassic folk. The pink laces just make them, don’t you agree?
Woo Dr Martens!
After that gig I was up at the crack of dawn and on the road for 6am to get myself over to cambridge for a day in the studio with Stu and Sam laying the bass down. I was cream crackered, mornings are not my cup of tea! On route we did pass Stone Henge, however from the road it looks distinctly less impressive and strikingly more like the ickle spinal tap version which did make me smile at early o’clock 😀
The day in the studio was great, although I will admit I was a little sleepy at times and had to eat A LOT of malted milks to maintain focus! Sam played amazingly, I’ve known him for 19 years and the dude is just a bass master! Much like the guys in the video below!
…Sam is also a moog whisperer
Moog getting involved 🙂
Next on the touring schedule was Bothy Folk Club in Southport. My first time at this proper club full of fantastic resident singers and a very friendly audience! It’s completely acoustic and so given the opportunity to not be stuck to a microphone I was having a right boogie on stage…I made a joke about being like beyonce…worrying, I know :p however it seem to fly over the heads of the most traddie in attendance
Hehe, I wish I could move like that…my standard dance moves are much more akin to an octopus trying to put on a jumper 😀 Anyways, Fatea Magazine came and reviewed the evening…you can find it by heading to their website and clicking on ‘live’ 🙂
A few days past and I was flung back into the studio, working with the beautiful soul that is Joy Gravestock. Oh man, it was such an awesome day, it was the beginning of all the grand plans falling into place. I just sat and listened 🙂
Joy
Busy day alert! 2 festivals in a day! although I have been known to do 3 😉
First up the utterly scrumptious and brand-spanking-new Derbyshire festival ‘Hairpin Hullabaloo‘. I was playing there with Mills and Chimneys, but the main reason I just have to give this a mention is because this festival was run by my very good friend David Gibb of David Gibb and Elly Lucas with help from ‘Mills…’ compadre Julian Butt and they did a smashing job! 2 days of great folk music including Jez Lowe and The Bad Pennies, Pilgrims Way, Greg Russell and more. Here’s to the brilliant hullabaloo long may it reign! 🙂
How gorgeous is this stage?!
BEAUTIFUL VENUE ALERT!!! Pot Belly Folk Festival at Kettering Arts Centre is a relatively new venture too, this was their 5th folk festival and what a special day it was (I was there for the evening only but I was told the day was just as mighty!). Held in a church this place had a real magic atmosphere to it…proper spinetingling stuff! And I was headlining…headlining…a festival…totally cool 🙂 we did have a few technical hitches but once we got going all was well. I managed to catch the lovely Hadrian’s Union and Jez Hellard, whom I had never seen before but was totally ace!
Jez Hellard rocking out!
Just three more stops on the solo dates then I shall leave you in peace for today 🙂
Record Store Day was on the 20th of April and I headed down to ‘David’s‘ in Letchworth for a cheeky stint in their beautiful shop which sells not only records but books/instruments/cake and everything else that is good in the world! I spent lots! Or Rob did, I wasn’t carrying cash 😉
The 1963 production for Radio 4 of The Hobbit = GEEK HAPPINESS!!!!
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
The lushly (yes I did make that word up) Dunton Folk is pretty brand new, they started at the back end of 2012 and are really passionate about supporting acoustic music and putting on a fantastic programme of gigs. Also in a church, the venue is just gorgeous, in fact as we drove into the village we could see the church, sun blazing down, flower beds all in bloom it just looked like something out of a water colour ya know 🙂 My old friend Kate Denny (formerly of The Kittiwakes) did a beautiful support set. Awesome arrangements, accompanied by Charlie Skelton…ah it was just so up my street, lots of death, misery and crunchy harmony!
The very last date on the tour was at a launch event for Beverley Festival and I was sandwiched in between 2 lovely gents. T.E Morris who was new to me, but boy has he got passion! And headlining that evening was Steve Tilston. Supporting Steve was my first ever paid gig and it always feels great to play on a bill with him. The man is just such a beautiful songwriter!
Also at this gig there was caravan in the backstage area! Awesomesauce!
Indoor caravanning for the win!
Right then, that really is enough for today 🙂 But check back tomozipan for the part 2 of this blog where I will be rambling about
How’s it going peeps? Hope you had a restful Easter/Bank Holiday weekend and that you aren’t feeling too ill from all the chocloate/roast dinners/nights out you may have encountered over the weekend 🙂 hehe
I have eaten way tooooooo much this weekend…but what’s new there and it all tasted amazing! :p
Well I am officially half way through my spring tour 🙂 (although spring is a little illusive at the moment wouldn’t you agree) and it is going well lushly! I have been completely bowled over by how many of you guys, old friends and new, have come along so far and the party continues onwards WAHOO!
So before giving you a round up of what’s been cracking off on tour, plus a cheeky little recording update here’s a brief look at where I’m off to next 🙂 clickety clack on the destinations for more info on the gigs…
Right then, cheeky plug/reminder over, here is what I have been up too 🙂
Brewood acoustic music club in Stafforshire 🙂 What a brilliant night, I’d been to a session at this lively club way back when I was just 16 or so and always remembered it as being warm, friendly and above all fun! And I was not disappointed on my return! A proper folk club we had a night of laughs and singing, including the club anthem: Wild mountain thyme, to finish up the evening. Attending that evening was a lovely little girl, and quite possibly one of my youngest ever gig patrons, hence why she totally deserves a mention! Just 3 years old and she knew all of the words to Maids When You’re Young…start em young I say 😉 hehe. I also got gifted a really beautiful treble clef ring and some filled cobs from lovely venue manager Vicky. Happy Days!
Next up was my stint down in Kent at Folk In The Barn, and the first PRE SELL OUT of the tour…needless to say I was well excited! A tea time gig on a sunday, where super tasty veggie bangers and mash proceeded my sets and I was lucky enough to be joined on stage by proper talented, local boy done good, Luke Jackson. We did a version of House Of The Rising Sun together…the boy is fabulous! Find out more about Luke here.
rubbish phone quality, but me and Luke having a jam 🙂
And the snow continued to come down…but thankfully I just got to make snow angels and didn’t have to cancel any gigs…perfect combo!
It was off up to Sheffield next and what a special evening that was. In the gorgeous Lantern Theatre in Netheredge 🙂 the oldest theatre in sheffy, it’s proper, all red velvet and raked stage with the cutest balcony you’ve ever seen, (a balcony! at one of my gigs! Shirley Bassey eat your heart out!) well worth a visit if you are ever that way!
The view from the stage 😀
I was blessed with a packed audience, just 8 tickets unsold which I was pretty well chuffed with particularly as the snow was relentlessly blizzarding outside. I was supported by Pip Mountjoy, whos lovely mellow sound kicked of the evening beautifully.
Lastly on this mid tour round up was a jaunt Lincolnshire way to Faldingworth Live. Twas another baltic night but it saw the second pre sell out of the tour; woop! When we arrived there a tap had been a tap left on in the venue’s kitchen and we had to help the poor promoter and sound man mop up before cracking on with getting ready for the gig 🙂 soggy disaster overted we had a dry and enjoyable evening hehe. Supported by BBC Young Folk Award Finalist Sunjay Brayne, who incidentally is releasing his new single today! Go forth and check it out peeps 🙂
In other gigging news my band gig in Derby on 18th April is now completely sold out…proper excited to be playing to a capacity crowd in my home town 🙂
Outside of gigging I’ve also been back in the studio putting some exciting finishing touches to my forthcoming record 😀 Was a totally awesome day and I can finally hear the album coming together, just a few more sessions to go hehe…
YAY Cello and Bass times!
And outside of music I’ve had a well family few weeks, in fact my mum made dinner for 17 of us just the other day, it was a bit mental but totally wonderful all the same.
So that’s it, you lot take care and I’ll catch you soon
How’s it going you lovely lot? I am well thanks, I have been working hard since we last spoke and catching up with the tv brilliance that is ‘Nashville‘! Have you seen it?! The music is flipping ace! It’s got me feeling all inspired to write a country album :p hehe or to at least crack out my Patsy Cline vinyls!
So then, the tour has officially kicked off, I have done 4 gigs, and it has been a blast, I am loving being out on the road again, gigging, meeting loads of new folk, catching up with old friends – to cut a long story short – I’m having a ball! 😀 And thankfully there is plenty of touring still to be had 🙂 I’ll be in Staffordshire, Kent (Just 8 tickets left!), Sheffield (Limited availability), Lincolnshire (Just 8 tickets left!) , Devon, Southport, Kettering, Bedfordshire and Hull before the spring is out!
As part of this tour I will also be doing two rare gigs with The Lucy Ward Band 😀 Members of the band include the gorgeous, uber talented, BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominees O’Hooley and Tidow, Sam Pegg on bass guitar and Joy Gravestock on strings. Catch us…
18th April – Derby Guildhall (Limited Availability – Can’t wait to play my home town!)
Anyways, shameless plug over, here is a little round up on what has happened so far on this here spring tour 🙂
The tour kicked off in Croydon with a night hosted in super indie, super lovely Matthews Yard. The first thing that told me that this was gonna be a great gig was cos people were allowed to bring cups of tea into the gig…how brilliant is that! But hot beverages aside, two great support acts, 1 young duo just starting out (in fact it was their first gig) and comedy songstress Jenny Lockyer kicked off the night in style
Another reason I was proper chuffed was because we reached ’emergency chairs’ capacity, which is always a good sign 🙂
The gig went well and the audience were lovely. Afterwards I asked a lady if she knew of anywhere good to get some grub (cos I have always have the major munchies after playing) and it turned out she was the land lady of fantastic local pub, The Green Dragon, and though the kitchens were closed she went and personally cooked me and Rob chip butties 🙂 GET IN!
Bit dark but YAY for chip butties!
The next day the tour took a turn further south with a stop at Burgess Hill Fairtrade Festival supporting the mighty Martin Simpson. I was bricking it, naturally, but Martin was really lovely and I can now say I have sat down to lasagne with the great man himself (pretty cool eh?!). This was the only support spot in the tour, but (in addition to supporting Martin Simpson) to be part of this festival which works so hard to highlight the core issues surrounding Fairtrade and to educate us on how we can all make a conscious effort to support justice and equality in our day to day lives, was just too important a thing to miss.
Back up in the midlands, a gig at Tump Folk Club, where not only tea was served but you could get it in whacking, great, massive 6 cup teapots HAPPY DAYS 😀 hehe! A cracking club with a lovely audience, I was supported by the americana influenced outfit Borderline Crossing, they’ve got a real groove to their music those guys and a fun night was had. I also got gifted some proper fancy macaroons…which were amazing!
Lastly for this update, it was off Macclesfield way to Bollington Arts Centre, a gorgeous venue in a converted Methodist church. And it turned out to be a really special gig, as loads of you folks that I have met over the years came down to say hello and the energy in the room was buzzing. Plus it was sold out which was a right cheeky bonus! 😀
Right then folks, you take care and I’ll hopefully see you somewhere soon
Lucy Ward 