Neo-traditional U.K. folk melodies and harmonies that seem plucked from the English country side come up against the dark, haunting underbelly of American blues, drifting psychedelic-era guitar lines and mountainside Americana with Ghosts , the oddly compelling and blissfully incongruous debut from Brit duo Smoke Fairies . Childhood friends who began writing and performing together in school, Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire began in the world of classic folk but quickly began to bring in more American elements, from swampy blues to alt-country shadings strung from Texas to Appalachia. But it was an extended stay amidst the earthy [...]
Today, a new feature. Besides bringing reviews of all the music festivals we attend this year, we will also be previewing them and selecting five acts for your perusal. First up - Camden Crawl 2010. Camden Crawl is now one of the many one-wristband-multi-venue-mult i-gig events that have sprung up on the UK music calendar. The first was way back in 1995. Back then Camden was an obscene but strangely alluring indie mecca where markets sold cheap jackets, vintage clothes and fashionable junk. Not much has changed in that respect, except the word [...]
Do you have some memories you keep locked in a box in your brain, only dwelling on them in soft, damp-eyed mo ments of vulnerability? The music of Smoke Fairies - aka the London duo of Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire - is imbued with that same spirituality and raw intensity: theirs are aching, beautiful tunes that threaten to explode like fireworks such is the passion in them. The genre is a sort of gospel, folky blues, best listened to in a dimly-lit chamber rich with incense and red wine. Celtic influences add to the atmosphere, and the music gradually becomes a swirling river to float away on, a hypnotic dream the colour of seaweed or dewy grass. [...]
British folk-blues duo Smoke Fairies recorded two new songs with erstwhile White Stripe frontman, Jack White , who contributed both guitar and drums. "Gastown" and "River Song" were recorded at White's Nashville studio and will appear as a single on his Third Man Records December 7. Rumor has it that Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies, the ladies of Smoke Fairies, spotted White at a crowded London bar and convinced the DJ to play their single, then grabbed Jack and passed him a whiskey and their CD. They clearly made [...]
When Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire spotted Jack White among the crowd of a London bar, the pair were determined to catch the ears of the famous Third Man Records CEO, White Stripes, Dead Weather, and Raconteurs member, and worthy candidate for the "Savior of Rock" title. According to God Is In The TV , Davies and Blamire, the singer/guitarists behind folky duo the Smoke Fairies , convinced the DJ to spin one of their tracks before passing Jack White a CD and glass of Whiskey. Well played, ladies. Jack called them up later, offering plane [...]
Myspace So on to my second gig of the Richard Hawley tour at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool. I'd only previously been to this venue once before to catch Ryan Adams, but recalled the great acoustics of the venue. The fine sound was in evidence again as soon as the Smoke Fairies came on stage. Unlike Nottingham I was able to catch the full six song set this time. This mixture of what I would describe as English [...]
Myspace Thanks to the combined genius of ticketmaster and the royal mail, my tickets for this concert arrived the day after the concert. I arrived at the Albert Hall to find that Seetickets had done just as good a job and therefore most attendees were queueing up at the entrance to get tickets. The resultant delay meant that I only caught a couple of the songs from the support act the Smoke Fairies. From my seat at the rear of the venue, the initial surprise was that unlike the last couple of [...]
Smoke Fairies News: Richard Hawley Tour Announced, Spanking New 73! Smoke Fairies , Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies are pleased to announce they will be releasing the mesmerizing single "Sunshine" on October 19, 2009. Packaged as a limited 73 the release follows the recent success of the Frozen Heart EP, which received critical acclaim across the board and gained fans at radio ranging from Rob Da Bank to Cerys Matthews . A live favorite for [...]
In advance of their amazing new 'Frozen Hearts' EP and Glastonbury performance, bewitching acoustic duo The Smoke Fairies have landed a great support slot with The Dead Weather at tomorrow's (June 24) sold out Forum show in London! This is in addition to Radio 1 airplay from Rob Da Bank this week, and a BBC session which saw them net yet another famous fan in The Kinks' Ray Davies . The Dead Weather is: Alison Mosshart [...]
After twenty years of marriage, Brett and Renny Sparks aka The Handsome Family are celebrating with a year long tour.In the UK they are being supported by The Smoke Fairies, another band we were keen to see and hear after an excellent recent session on Marc Riley's radio show. Whilst they have an undeniably harmonic and pretty folk sound, they were hampered somewhat by a set that contained no
Smoke Fairies are set to release their 'Frozen Heart EP' on Monday June 29, 2009. Packaged as a limited edition 73 with a free 5-track CD the release follows last summer's critically acclaimed debut single "Living With Ghosts" . Since then the Smoke Fairies, Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies , have been writing new material and, alongside a stellar cast of musicians, in the studio to record. The drums came courtesy of Andy Newmark (John Lennon, David Bowie) double bass by Al [...]
Smoke Fairies are set to release their 'Frozen Heart EP' on Monday June 29th. Packaged as a limited edition 73 with a free 5-track CD the release follows last summer's debut single 'Living With Ghosts'. Smoke Fairies will be on the road this week with The Handsome Family Thu 21 May LONDON, O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON Sat [...]
Recently I watched the Smoke Fairies play while attending the Roy Orbison Birthday Party in London. It was great to hear them perform the Roy Orbison song "It's Over" and their rendition of the track is included on the new 'Under the Covers' tribute release which includes other artists performing Roy Orbison songs such as Aruba Red, The Carter Twins, Rooney, Findlay Brown and more. Smoke Fairies are Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire and they're set to release their latest [...]
We've mentioned these fine ladies a couple of times here at TLOBF. Most recently in our 'Introducing' interview . Still in their musical adolesence, Smoke Fairies possess a charm and vulnerability that makes their delta blues/folk hybrid an intoxicating listen. TLOBF were invited to the single launch of 'Living With Ghosts' earlier in the week - we sent Dan Marner down to the 1930's esque venue Bourne & Hollingsworth, deep in the heart of Soho to capture the show on film. If Kristin Hersh had grown up in early 20th-century Mississippi Delta she'd [...]
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