Music

Chat with Iolo Whelan of Jamie Smith’s MABON

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 3 Comments

Jamie Smith’s MABON:  Concerts, changes and the new album.

I posted my first article about Jamie Smith’s MABON in May 5,  2010. Back then the band were known as Mabon. They  appeared in  posts as it is hard not to notice them. Everyone  was either tweeting about them or just posting status updates with youtube videos of the band.

The music is a mix of all the influences from the seven Celtic nations. That is why apart from being a Welsh band , they officially label themselves as playing  original, Interceltic, world music. To quote from the band: ” it draws inspiration directly from the traditional folk music of the Celtic countries. This is not Welsh music, nor Scottish or Irish; this is Interceltic music, a true exploration of forms and styles found in Celtic music and their forging into something bold and new.”

It is interesting to observe how this band continue to grow in their sound. After three albums(one is  alive concert)  they are working on the latest album. It is an honor to catch up with Iolo Whelan the drummer and official spokes person for the band to gather thoughts that very few know about yet. I am glad to know one thing and that is(sound of trumpets)……the name of the new album!

Band members

Jamie Smith – Accordion, Oliver Wilson-Dickson – Fiddle, Adam Rhodes – Bouzouki, Matt Downer – Electric & Upright Basses, Iolo Whelan – Drums and Percussion: Calum Stewart (special guest) – Flute & Pipes

Iolo interview answers for The Celtic Music Fan, May 2012.

 

Website: www.jamiesmithsmabon.com   FB: www.facebook.com/jsmabon

 

What’s the best part about touring with the band?

We are very fortunate in this band that we get to travel: as well as touring in the UK, which I love, we’ve also traveled in Europe, Canada, Australia and Mexico.  When we travel, we meet so many wonderful people, and see so many amazing things.  I always feel when you visit another country as a working musician, you see a very different picture than if you were a tourist.

As a brilliant example, I remember the first time we went to Poland: we were in the country for less than 24 hours, but by the time we left, I felt as though I had had an amazing insight into Polish life, Polish culture, Polish people’s lives, which will stay with me for ever.  It’s the same everywhere we go.

And apart from the travel of course, there are two obvious but very important things which I love about working in this band – the friendship and the music!  Playing with great musicians who are also your friends makes any performance a joy.

Tell us about the new project you are working on at the moment.

 

For us, this year is all about our new album, Windblown.  We were preparing  new material in the winter, and we’re recording it over spring and summer ready for an album release tour in the autumn.  Our last album was recorded live, so it’s a while since we were in the studio, and it’s interesting to see how things have changed.

The biggest change is the inclusion of songs in our repertoire now as well as the established instrumental aspect.  I was interested to see how the two things would sit side by side on the new album: and I think because we treat our songs the same way we treat our instrumental material, they form one unified collection very well.

We’re very excited about the way it sounds so far and can’t wait to get it out there for our friends and fans!

Has there been a change in the traditional Welsh music scene recently and what are they?

 

I think if there is a change in the traditional music scene in Wales today, it is a new confidence amongst musicians and bands.  I feel that more bands are happy to do their own thing and chart their own course.

Some are returning to the roots of the music and further exploring that material at its oldest sources; some are still mixing traditional material with rock and pop influences; others are exploring new realms of fusion with a broader palette of genres.  Our approach is to work without a specific niche or brief, and to make music as we fancy, taking in different influences from all the great music we hear, and seeking whatever sound we enjoy in our own original music.

Maybe that confidence in the Welsh folk scene is reflected in the appearance of more Welsh roots bands on the world music stage: Jamie Smith’s MABON, 9Bach, Calan, Burum, Catrin Finch and others are appearing more often on international stages now.  Indeed, I think some of these bands receive more attention on roots and world music platforms internationally than they do in Wales – maybe with time that will change too!

How do you define the music of Jamie Smith’s MABON and what are the things we will be expecting from the band this year in terms of concerts and collaborations, if there are any?

 

We describe our music as original, Interceltic, world music.  Original because, even though we work in a roots field and with trad music influences, our music is mostly composed by our accordionist and lead vocalist Jamie Smith; Interceltic because our primary influences are the cultures of all the Celtic nations; and world music because we do not feel we need to restrict ourselves to that field, and because our brand of original roots music sits so well on a world music stage.

Our main focus for this year is our new album, as I mentioned, and while that keeps us looking inward for a while, we will also be featuring several new and established collaborators on the recording.  Old friends Calum Stewart and Will Lang will contribute on wooden flute and on bodhran respectively, but our friend and recent collaborator Tom Callister will be guesting on the album too, as well as some other very special musicians yet to be revealed.

We’re hoping, after some festival appearances this summer and our album launch tour in the autumn, to be taking plenty of bookings for 2013’s festival season.  Hit our ‘Like’ button on Facebook or bookmark the concerts page of our website, and you can you can keep an eye out for a gig or a festival near you this year, next year and beyond!

You are the skins man and what can you tell us about the drums that we don’t know yet?

 

I often say that mine is the best seat in the house for any concert, but a Jamie Smith’s MABON concert in particular provides really interesting challenges.  For me, I feel my task is to support the melodies and the songs without getting in the way.  The sound of the accordion, fiddle and bouzouki is so full that it can be easy for the bass and drums to distract from that fullness, without adding anything special in its place.

So I tread a fine line between lifting the music and spoiling it, and I enjoy having to make those decisions from one moment to the next: I hope I get it right enough of the time!  There are many challenging roles out there for a drummer, but I’ve been doing this gig for twelve years now, and it’s still constantly stimulating, and fresh and somehow different every time.

One of our most faithful long-term fans told me last year that he can listen to us play a piece of music which he’s heard countless times before, but will hear something new or different in it each time he sees us perform – that gives me great inspiration for every concert we play.

You can buy albums of the band here: http://www.jamiesmithsmabon.com/shop/

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Today in the Celtic world….

New album from an American harpist!

Congratulations to harpist friend Scott Hoye for releasing the album called Black Rose today! Listen and buy the album here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/scotthoye

Celtic, Chillout and Beyond..

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Louisa Maxwell:Dance dance dance to the jig!  

Somewhere around 2006, I was added by Celtic Conspiracy to their list of friends. I think the group brought something refreshing to the then blossoming online network for bands and solo artists. Well , we all know what happened to Myspace years later when facebook took over . But Myspace is still a great directory if you want to look for bands of any genre. Celtic Conspiracy only uploaded three tracks on their page which I think was too little considering that I really like their sound. Part chill out, part ambient and  unmistakably Celtic, I was expecting a full album. But until now nothing yet.

Louisa Maxwell’s voice is such a great instrument. There is that powerful optimism that flows to the track O’Neil’s March that makes you simply smile from ear to ear. This goes to show that having a classically trained soprano voice morphed with studio effects can create a new kind of sound and feeling. The reverb, delay-the ‘wet’ vocals can enhance a sound. And for layered vocals tracks, I think it is necessary to offer  atmosphere and ‘space’. And atmosphere is the strong point of any ambient music. A little electronic groove would not hurt either. I found myself dancing alone in the computer room with headphones during my break from. That was six years ago.

I did some research and found out that Louisa Maxwell released an album The Wedding Music Guide which is available for sale at Amazon.

http://www.myspace.com/celticonspiracy

Here is a little bio I got from http://www.rapidreactionrecords.com

Louisa started her career as a classical soprano at the Juilliard New York.
Her love of Celtic music brought her to the harp combining ethereal vocals with Celtic melodies. She has no qualms about moving outside the boundaries of tradition using a modern electro acoustic harp. She has performed all over the world: New York’s Lincoln Centre, Carnegie Hall, The Irish National Concert Hall, Bunratty Castle, Scotland’s Highland Festival, the Celtic Congress in Dublin, BBC radio and TV, Channel 4, Irish, French and American Television.

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Blast from the past: Dagda – Home Again in Eireann

Home Again in Eireann is taken from Dagda’s album Hibernia. It is one of those albums you’d like to listen to again and again after getting home from work. It teeters between being a dance album and one which New Agers love to relax to. Groove and electronic effects are the strong points of this album. Love it! You should try it too.

You can listen to the samples or buy the album at Amazon 

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Mortal longing, immortal music.

I am a big fan of Enya and Clannad. I am proud to say it. Somewhere around 2009 I met Justin Elswick online. He is better known as Sleepthief. His music, although heavily grounded on ambient and electro,  is very much influenced by vocal layering. He made sure that he gets this style across. He has been consistent too. After his  amazing Labyrinthine Heart, which I think if it was vinyl or tape would have worn out after a gazillion listens, he is now releasing a new EP to be due this summer. Mortal Longing is the new single off the album. Canadian Singer  Jody Quine provides the vocals her and she also worked with him in his previous releases. For those who haven’t read the interview I did for him, here is the link: http://celticmusicfan.com/2009/09/11/sleepthiefs-justin-elswick-talks-about-labyrinthine-heart-the-new-album/

Here is his bio:

Justin Elswick may be an anomaly in the music industry a full-time attorney who has found the tenacity and creative inspiration to create a lush new electronic/pop vocal project as “SLEEPTHIEF.” Originally from Southern CA, Justin became obsessed with music at the age of four when his parents bought him a Fisher Price record player for Christmas. Although his parents were unable to afford piano lessons, Justin would somehow always find a way to play his grandmother’s old piano. His love of music also translated into various DJ gigs during high school and college. For the last several years, he has also written reviews as a music critic for the popular website musicaldiscoveries.com.
As Sleepthief, he has released two successful albums “The Dawnseeker” and “Labyrinthine Heart” plus several singles and tracks included in compilations.
Now he is working on the new long-awaited EP, first single will be “Mortal Longing”(feat. Jody Quine), set for digital release on 11th June 2012, along with a video (released 4th June).

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The Voyager – XV by Gavern

The composer of Celtic Adrenalin is releasing a new album soon and he brought us this teaser. Beautiful ambient track !

Jochen Vogel: Highland Lounge

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No two wire-strung harpists/players are the same. This is obvious in the kind of style that Jochen Vogel has been developing for years. Like guitars, violins and other instruments, the Clarsach is a very expressive instrument owing its grace not only to the player but the way it was constructed. The wood, the conditions that it has been exposed to becomes the result. Then you add the temperament of the player and the kind of musical background he or she comes from. What you get is a refreshing sound that is not like any of those that play the same instrument.

His music is jazzy and ‘modern’ that proves this ancient instrument can find a new place in mainstream audience as well as those that are passionate about the musical culture that it originated from. His rendition of Cancro Cru  flows like waterfalls while  Fields of Gold along with his cool singing (reminiscent of Chis deBurgh) will send generations of Starbucks crowd playing this as piped in music. Jochen Vogel has mapped his domain ahead of the others and created a kind of music that listeners will chill to for generations.

http://www.jochen-vogel.de

http://www.myspace.com/jochenvogel

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I have been writing about the harp community lately and I think this link will help everyone who is interested in the history as well as evolution of the Clarsach. Thanks to harpist Scott Hoye for bringing this to my attention.

http://www.wirestrungharp.com/

Sophie & Fiachra

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From Quebec to Ireland.. 

The beauty of two worlds. No other effect is achieved like the purity of two distinct instruments merging together creating symmetrical patters of sounds…If there is an imagery I can take to describe the beauty of Sophie and Fiacra’s music, then it has to be the Celtic knot work. Elegance, confidence and free spirited warmth are all reflected in the four sample tracks you can hear in their audio and video gallery.

The two came from musical backgrounds. Sophie Lavoie, is from Quebec and she was introduced to music from a very young age. From piano, she moved to the violin incorporating both Classical and folk influences of her region. Fiachra O‘Regan,  from Connemara, on the West Coast of Ireland, released his own solo album and has been known in festival circuits playing and teaching pipe music.

These two musicians have something fresh to offer in the Celtic music scene. Not only that they play beautifully, but they also take their website image seriously. You can buy their albums here: http://sophieandfiachra.com/shop

and http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/SophieFiachra

Links and Contact:

http://www.myspace.com/sophieandfiachra

http://sophieandfiachra.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sophie-Fiachra/285584302986

Da blurb!

Since the start in 2008, Sophie & Fiachra have gone from strength to strength with performances in Canada and throughout Europe, and TV appearances on RTÉ and TG4 in Ireland, and Borio Channel in Germany.Sophie & Fiachra have just recently recorded their debut eponymous album (buy). Their concept is fresh and original; music from Sophie’s native Quebec blended with that from Fiachra’s home, Ireland. The result is pure powerful music.

Both band members are very much devoted and true to their traditions in terms of music, and each have been influenced by listening to recordings of Masters from previous generations as well as Current Masters. They share many tunes as their music shares its origins. The styles of these two musicians blends naturally and without compromise; their music is vibrant, rhythmic, and timeless. This Is Old Quebec meeting with Old Ireland.

Because of the Styles of these individual musicians and the nature of their instruments, the music ofSophie & Fiachra sounds like much more than a two piece band. This energetic music promises to entertain and astonish all Audiences.

Tylwyth Teg’s Lively Welsh Fusion

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Cardiff  based band make a leap into the national Welsh folk scene.

Foot stumping music from a band that started in 2009,  an album and now gigs all over the country.  Tylwyth Teg(which is also the Welsh term for “Fair folk‘ or fairies) have joined the ranks of  Celtic bands that represent the “Welsh sound”. Sleepless Streets off their self title album grabs you with is fusion of musical styles and male vocal that calls Larry Kirwan of Black 47.

They maintained a balance between  eclecticism and  their folk roots. The  influences make the music exciting  but they maintained that cohesive aspect of songwriting that agrees with everyone’s background and respects it. There’s that developed  sound that will tell you right away it is Tylwyth Teg.

http://www.tylwythteg.co.uk

http://www.myspace.com/tylwythtegcardiff

email: tylwythtegcardiff@gmail.com

facebook :https://www.facebook.com/tylwythteg

Band members:

Sally Wooldridge, Jo Marriott – Flutey-Tooties
Katie Marriott, Heulwen Williams – Fiddlers
Andy Taylor – Guitar
Dave Francis – Bass Boi
Anna Fonge – Cello
Ed Millington – Drums

You can buy the new album here: http://www.tylwythteg.co.uk/Tylwyth_Teg/Shop.html
In a small lecture theatre in Cardiff UniversityHere is a helpful blurd from their website:

music department, a session of about 30 people
started playing what can only be described as
a shambles of folk tunes! From there the numbers
dwindled to 8 members that became collectively
known as Tylwyth Teg.

With members ranging from welsh dance group band
members to classically trained to heavy metal headbangers,
these musicians began taking traditional folk tunes, combining them with all these influences into a unique sound.

Since this rabble meeting in October 2009, Tylwyth Teg have played at the International Pan-Celtic folk festival in Ireland and Lowender Perran folk festival, along with gigs dotted all over Wales. With instruments varying from fiddles, Irish flute, Cajon and various saxophones this is a group with unrelenting enthusiasm, which guarantees dancing by the end of the night!