Description
SATURDAY 18 MAY 2024
BLAIR DUNLOP + Painted Sky
Get Out of The Rain Album Tour
St Andrew’s Church, Millhams Road, Kinson, Bournemouth BH10 7LN
Bar open from 7pm
Doors 7:15pm
Music from 7:45pm
£17 adv (inc £1 booking fee) / £19 otd
THE ONLINE BOX OFFICE IS NOW CLOSED. A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR
“You can hear the folk heritage coursing through his veins as well as the originality he brings to the genre”. (Songwriting magazine 2021)
‘Get Out of the Rain’ will be Blair’s first studio album since 2018 (‘Notes from an Island’). Where ‘Notes’ was an introspective analysis of Brexit Britain, the new collection is a celebration of spring, newness and freedom. Songs of metamorphosis and wide screen road trips prevail.
Blair has been hailed as one of the UK’s most accomplished songwriters since he burst into the folk scene with his debut ‘Blight & Blossom’ (2012). BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards followed along with critical acclaim. In 2016 Blair released on his own label (Gilded Wings) and received wider acclaim and BBC Radio 2 playlisting for singles ‘The Egoist’ and ‘356’. Appearances at Glastonbury and the major folk festivals followed, along with breakthrough tours of Australia; and Blair is now firmly established as a household name amongst respected British songwriters.
On the new collection of songs and the album Blair says: “It’s been 5 years since my last record, comfortably my longest gap between releases, so it feels really good to be able to put this out in the world. Jim Moray is producing, and that’s very exciting as he’s someone I’ve admired for many years. He was one of the reasons I first got into traditional music in my teens. Since then, my personal style has evolved, but there are aspects of traditional storytelling that seep into my original works. I would say that Midday Mass is a reflection of that. It’s a song about a café back in my hometown of Chesterfield, but I guess that it’s a vehicle for a social commentary as much as anything else.
Overall, I would say the sound of the record is more positive than my previous work. That’s due, in part, to the world opening up post-pandemic, and is ultimately born from a will to connect with people and get out into the world again. The industry hasn’t fully recovered yet, but it is a blessing to be able to tour in any capacity again. Freedom is a theme that runs throughout (unintentionally), and I reckon that’s reflected musically as well as lyrically. I’ve reached a point in my career where I just want to make the music I want to make, and give less consideration to where it may sit in terms of stylings and genre. That’s an empowering place to be and it opens up a world of sonic possibilities.”
PAINTED SKY
Siblings George Brandon (guitar/vocal) and Holly Brandon (fiddle/vocal) have been making music together for as long as they can remember. Both have worked on independent projects, with George performing solo and Holly, perhaps best known as part of transatlantic folk band, The Magpies. But the siblings have always been drawn back to each other’s playing and tight-knit instrumentals and harmonies reflect the bedrock of their lifelong musical history.
Original material thoughtfully balances the duo’s roots in traditional English music. Their songs are characterised by honest vocals and timeless storytelling, underpinned by driving rhythms. Whilst their exquisite instrumentals weave delicate finger-picking guitar and soaring fiddle with a dynamic energy.
After making waves with their EP – Dawn – in 2020, Painted Sky are set to release their debut album From The Blue in May 2024. Produced by award-winning singer-songwriter, Blair Dunlop, the record stands as a testimony to the siblings’ 20 years of music making. It feeds on a rich pool of English songwriting, traditional songs and ideas to deliver an album with a refreshing mindset, where waves of contemporary textures and arrangements make it feel like an album truly from the blue.
