Regular site visitors will know all about Syd Arthur, a band based in Canterbury which features Kate’s nephew Raven Bush on violin and mandolin. An accomplished live band, they are greatly inspired by the sonic pioneers of the late 60s and early 70s. I can’t wait to catch them live some day!
With their unique and organic aesthetic, the band have since found themselves the integral part of an exciting new music scene. Several bands have developed strong ties, united by an encouraging spirit of camaraderie and a shared love of such greats as Soft Machine, Fela Kuti and King Crimson, to name but a few.
Syd Arthur have recently announced a new single – Ode To The Summer – to be released on Dawn Chorus Recording Co on 31st October. Featuring an exclusive non-album B-side, Black Wave it will be available on digital/limited 7″ vinyl. Ode To The Summer can be pre-oredered from all major online retailers from now, or pre-order through us direct and you will receive the download right away. Also Limited 7″ Green Vinyl available in limited numbers at www.sydarthur.bandcamp.com
These guys sound fantastic on this – check it out.
Regular visitors to this site give us much feedback on our promotion of the creative work of not just Kate but also those closest to Kate; Paddy, John and Del. One of the of the most interesting connections that we’ve picked up on in the last few years has been the journey of Syd Arthur – a band based in Canterbury, England, that features Kate’s nephew Raven (John Carder’s son) on fiddle. With a very distinctive sound the band have built on earlier successes and are justifiably proud of their impressive new Moving World EP. Pre-order it here. We recommend you get it.
The band is four Canterbury-based devotees of sound immersed in the simple pleasures of songwriting, performance and their abilities for exploratory improvisational musical interplay. Live, the band has been together since 2006. On record, it all starts from here.
Syd Arthur’s intricate, high-energy live sets have been what the band are founded on, and over the past 5 years they have created a large following on the underground scene across the South of England, Europe and beyond. Festival veterans, the band have played from Glastonbury to the Secret Garden and back. Summer solstices and green gatherings number against self-funded UK tours and trips to pretty much every country in Europe. With the level of live recognition so far to simply pigeonhole Syd Arthur as an underground act is something of a mistake. This is an accomplished live band looking to make a further stamp on a music industry there for the taking.
As with all great live bands, capturing a definitive take on record is always a challenge, one that up until recently the band have neglected to take on. But in 2009 the band began the task of setting up Wicker Studios, their own self-funded studio space on the outskirts of southeast London. Greatly inspired by the sonic pioneers of the late 60s and early 70s, they patiently learned how to engineer, produce and mix themselves, using an innovative hybrid of analogue and digital techniques.
Not alone in their plight, the band have found themselves at the heart of an exciting new music scene bubbling away in the Canterbury area. United by an encouraging spirit of cooperation and mutual support, together with a shared love of (among others) Soft Machine, electric Miles, Eno, Can, Zappa, Beefheart, Fela Kuti, King Crimson and Sun Ra, several bands have developed strong ties. The `Furthur Productions’ collective, of which Syd Arthur have been an integral part, has provided the ideal platform for this scene, forging a uniquely `organic’ aesthetic and experimenting with immersive audio-visual environments and hybrid analogue lightshows. Several of these new Canterbury bands were also brought in to record at Wicker Studios. And so a record label was born. On 28th March 2011, the Dawn Chorus Recording Co. will release its first creation, Syd Arthur’s Moving World EP.
Recorded in an intensively creative week at the end of 2010, the tracks on Moving World represent the most powerful possible expression of the band’s potential up to this point. To liken Moving World to the original `Canterbury scene’ artists like Soft Machine, Caravan, and Hatfield and the North is an easy starter, but this is what the Canterbury Sound artists might have come up with had they grown up with an extra 30-40 years of music history culture, WOMAD festivals and the entire world’s musical output at their fingertips rather than just blues, jazz and R&B records. Here, Syd Arthur exhibit a genuine merging of worlds, rather than a forced or contrived `world fusion’ music.
Raven Bush
And this is just the beginning! Syd Arthur’s debut album is currently being recorded. Dawn Chorus Recording Co. plans to release an album a month from artists including Zoo For You, Rae and The Boot Lagoon from April onwards. And each of the bands have their own busy live schedules to promote. The time for Syd Arthur to rise up and be taken notice of is now!
Never for Ever, a Kate Bush tribute band that operate in the northwest of the UK have been adding new gig dates for the 2011 season. (see our gigs listing here). The highlight is a potential slot at this years Glastonbudget festival. To make it through, one of their gigs is also an audition for the festival. It takes place on Saturday 26th February at 9pm atThe Shedin Leicester. It’s a single 45 minute set, half the band’s usual set length.They’d love as many Kate fans to come along as possible to enjoy the gig and help make the audition successful! We have more on Never For Ever – including the show setlist here.
Del Palmer has now launched a page for his solo projects on Facebook, which can be found here. His latest album, Gift, is available at his official site.
The exceptionally talented (and all round great guy!) Del Palmer has released his much anticipated second full studio album, “Gift”, available from Del’s website from today, Monday 6th December, priced at £8 plus £2 p&p. Downloads from iTunes etc also available. More details can be found at his official site and his Myspace page.
There are only 50 copies remaining of Beck Siàn’s very first release – the Ethereal EP.
Ethereal was recorded whilst Beck was living on the edge of a sub-tropical rainforest in Australia. It is her first ever recording of her own material, and was the beginning of her current musical journey. The EP features Beck’s songs Ethereal and Dream Beneath Trees(Ethereal Pt. 2) – both appeared as bonus tracks on the Unfurling CD. The EP also features Beck’s spine-tingling version of Danny Boy. This is the only chance you will have to own a copy of this track. This really is a magical, atmospheric EP. Beck’s father, David Robson, plays bullroarer and windchimes, and her good friend Stax contributes some awesome didgeridoo-playing.
There are only 50 copies of Ethereal remaining, and once they’re gone, that’s it – it’s deleted. As a special offer, Beck will sign these last 50 copies. You can purchase a copy now using the PayPal button HERE … don’t miss out…
Beck Siàn was born in Melbourne, Australia. Her mother is Welsh, and her father was born in England, but is from an Irish family. A cousin of Kate, it was her influence and artistic inspiration (as well as having a talented artist for a father) that sparked Beck’s own desire to dance, sing and create. Beck’s original music is heavily influenced by the natural environment surrounding her. Her first album, Unfurling, was set within an Australian Rain-forest. Her second full-length CD, Luminous Wings & Unseen Things is set within the formal gardens of a haunted Welsh Castle.
21st October 2009: A quiet year as far as Kate herself is concerned, although we still hear whispers about a track recorded with Rolf Harris – mostly from Rolf himself! More on that when we get more solid confirmation.
In other news HomeGround Magazine have sent out their latest update. They are thrilled to announce the release of the new album by Beck Sian – “Luminous Wings and Unseen Things“. For those who don’t know, Beck is Kate’s cousin’s daughter, Hannah Bush was her great aunt. The album is described as beautiful, and you’ll see here that the album cover art is too!
With their Youtube video clips generating a positive buzz among fans, ‘Hounds of Love’, the tribute band, are to tour the UK over the next few months. This is an opportunity to hear Kate’s music played live by people with a genuine respect and feel for the material. The shows aren’t meant to be a pastiche or cabaret act. A six-piece band fronted by singer Josie Mills from York, they communicate Kate’s songs with impressive passionate sympathy. Their set includes Wow, The Big Sky, Running Up That Hill, Man With The Child In Eyes, Cloudbusting, And So Is Love, Them Heavy People, Babooshka, Hounds Of Love, James and the Cold Gun, Rubberband Girl and Wuthering Heights. Read more about the band, watch and listen to clips and find out more info on the tour dates here: http://www.myspace.com/thehoundsofloveband
Inquirys about the band or venues interested in booking them should email Richard here.
17 Jan 2009 20:00 The Square and Compass Ilminster, Southwest 23 Jan 2009 20:00 The Old Market Brighton & Hove, South 29 Jan 2009 20:00 The Robin Wolverhampton, Midlands 30 Jan 2009 20:00 The Brook Southampton, South 13 Feb 2009 21:00 The Fleece and Firkin Bristol 14 Feb 2009 20:00 The Met Theatre Bury, Northwest 07 Mar 2009 20:00 The Picturedrome Holmfirth, Northeast 13 Mar 2009 20:00 Tavistock Wharf Tavistock, Southwest 14 Mar 2009 20:00 Falmouth Pavilion Falmouth, Southwest 26 Mar 2009 20:00 The Stables Milton Keynes, London and South East 16 Apr 2009 20:00 Memorial Hall Sheffield, Northeast
So, we’ve tried (reluctantly) to keep this a secret but, Del Palmer has released an exclusive recording of his take on “Watching You Without Me” on his MySpace page here. Please check it out soon as it is not going to be on his Myspace page for long. Great stuff…and adds to our excitement and celebration in this momentous year for Kate. Cheers Del!
Del Palmer‘s much-anticipated solo album, Leap Of Faith, is now available to order at his official website. Payments can be made via Paypal, and the CD costs just £10 plus £2 postage to anywhere. We wish Del every success with Leap of Faith and encourage all our site visitors to check it out!
If you haven’t already checked it out be sure to visit www.delpalmer.com. As well as information on his upcoming Leap Of Faith album the site is being constantly updated and contains some very interesting photos and comments from Del including his own biographical notes. We can even see unused versions of Del’s “kite” design from The Kick Inside! Many of the musician’s that Del has worked with over the years are featured. Del says: “Most of you will already know that I have been involved both as musician and recording engineer with Kate Bush for more than thirty years. It has been, from an artistic point of view, an incredibly fruitful liaison for me. I feel privileged to have had a front row seat to watch a true artist create so many musical masterpieces… having just completed the latest studio album to be released by Kate I felt the time was right to try, finally, to make some music myself. I have spent the last year or so recording songs and will soon have the project completed.” And we can’t wait! Just as we like to keep you up to speed about what Kate’s brothers Paddy and John are up to we’ll also be carrying all news of this album here at katebushnews.com. It will be really fascinating to hear this music by someone who has played such an important role in shaping Kate’s music with her.
Did you know? The very latest news is gathered at our forum’s buzzing Medialog section here.
As you know, Kate has two exceptionally talented brothers with whom she has collaborated throughout her career (latest word from Paddy below, more from Pad in HomeGround 77 the issue after the upcoming Aerial issue). Kate’s brother John Carder Bush has today published a darkly humorous novel, The Cellar Gang. We’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time. You can order the book and read all about John’s forthcoming written, musical and spoken-word works at his newly launched website www.johncarderbush.com. The book is available in a special limited edition of only 500 copies, the first fifty of which are signed and numbered by the author. Hardback and beautifully bound in linen, The Cellar Gang is printed on thick cream wove paper and comes with a ribbon marker – careful design which will come as no surprise to anyone lucky enough to own a copy of John’s previous publication Cathy. John says: “The Cellar Gang is available from today. I’m very pleased with the book itself – it feels good to hold, looks wonderful and I hope it will nibble its way into your hearts. Many thanks for all your interest in this project.” You can take a look at a large cover shot of the book here. As always with these very special items, and particularly in the run up to Christmas, the advice is – get your order in fast!
