Unthank:Smith
Wednesday 5th April 2023
+ Alex Rex + Finding Land Folk Show (DJ)
At Komedia (Main Space)
Doors 7:30 pm
Price £18.00 + booking fee / £22.00 on the door
* ON SALE NOW
Melting Vinyl presents
Unthank:Smith + Alex Rex + Finding Land Folk (DJ)
Komedia (Main Space), Brighton
05.04.23
Doors 19.30 / Start 20.00
£18.00 + booking fee / £22.00 on the door
Seated
14+ (under 16s to be accompanied by an adult)
Unthank:Smith
Melting Vinyl are very pleased to be hosting Unthank:Smith a collaborative duo consisting of musical geniuses Rachel Unthank from beloved folk duo The Unthanks and Paul Smith of household Indie-rock act Maximo Park.
Two North-Eastern Mercury Prize-nominated artists from different musical worlds find common ground with an exploratory merging of voices and acoustic sounds. After first meeting backstage at an Africa Express show in Middlesbrough Town Hall, Paul approached Rachel to see if she would like to sing together, given his interest in folk music and their regional connections. As one of two lead singers of The Unthanks, Rachel Unthank has dedicated much of her career to celebrating folk songs by writers little known beyond the North East, such as Graeme Miles, whose ‘Horumarye’ appears on the album. Rachel’s knowledge of traditional song allowed them to quickly add material to the original songs Paul was writing, in addition to ‘Seven Tears’, a rare Unthank original, inspired by Norse mythology.
They performed together as part of Lauren Laverne’s Great Northern Soundtrack at the 2018 Great Exhibition of the North, as well as recording a live session for Laverne’s BBC6 Music show. Co- produced by David Brewis of Field Music, this raw and atmospheric album features Faye MacCalman of emerging avant-jazz group Archipelago on clarinet, and exploratory drums by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy/Alasdair Roberts collaborator Alex Neilson, of Trembling Bells (cult) fame.
Their debut album Nowhere And Everywhere is due to be released on the 17th of February 2023. Two new songs, ‘The Natural Urge’ and ‘Seven Tears’ are available to hear now – https://pias.ffm.to/z2qrxmp
Co-produced by David Brewis of Field Music, Nowhere And Everywhere features Faye MacCalman of emerging avant-jazz group Archipelago on clarinet, and exploratory drums by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy / Alasdair Roberts collaborator Alex Neilson, of Trembling Bells.
Pre-order the album here – https://paulsmith.tmstor.es
Alex Rex:
Singing drummers may now be in vogue, but very few combine the masterful musicianship, vivid lyrics and expressive vocals one experiences with Alex Rex. In fact, few musicians have a CV as impressive as band leader Alex Neilson. He’s drummed with some of the most eclectic musicians of the international underground; from Bonnie “Prince” Billy to Shirley Collins, Jandek and Current 93. All on top of a 10-year stint with his own critically acclaimed psych-folk outfit, Trembling Bells.
Expect a set that’s captivating and takes you to the edge, soaring vocals that come from true emotion of love and loss.
Finding Land Folk DJs
Nick McMaster, writer, presenter and producer of Finding Land Folk Show on Radio Lewes, inspired by headline act Eliza Carthy, curates a journey across traditional and contemporary folk and folk-adjacent music from the UK and beyond. Expect past and future classics, quirks, uncovered gems, guesses and greats.