Having just featured an abundance of holiday themed music from artists across Canada, we could not fail to notice a pair of tunes being dropped into our social media feeds from across the pond too. The original plan was to add in with their commonwealth compadres but instead opted to let them shine under their own spotlight. Enjoy these festive ditties from the other side of the Atlantic.
Katherine Priddy (ft. Simon Armitage), “Close Season”
While I was born and raised in the English county of Shropshire, as the final of four siblings born into a family with strong ancestral roots to the city of Birmingham, I’m naturally keen to feature music from an artist who also boasts Brummie blood flowing through their veins. Originally name-dropped by a pal in the UK, Katherine Priddy was promptly featured in one of our Wednesday video features (a duet with fellow UK folk artist John Smith) back in February 2023, followed by her inclusion in a Snappy Singles feature to kick off this year.
The contemporary folk artist recently shared the first release from a two-part collaboration with British Poet-Laureate Simon Armitage. “As someone who has always drawn inspiration from poetry and literature for my songwriting, working with Simon has been a dream come true,” Katherine shares. “The project features two specially commissioned, winter-themed Armitage poems that I’ve transformed into songs and recorded alongside legendary producer Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Marianne Faithfull).”
The Magpies, “Midnight Oil”
This contemporary folk trio have very quickly earned their way onto our “must see live” list – which sadly we could not reconfigure our paid-work commitments to connect with them when they were touring the North American continent a couple of years ago. Recognized as one of the most exciting neo-traditional acts to emerge from the UK scene, The Magpies traverse Anglo and American roots, incorporating Celtic folk and Appalachian bluegrass into their repertoire.
Having eluded coverage here on the GDW pages (our bad), the trio of Bella Gaffney (guitar/banjo/vocals), Holly Brandon (fiddle) and Ellie Gowers (guitar/vocals) were a lock for this feature upon announcing the pending arrival of their 2024 festive tune, “Midnight Oil,” just last month. Penned by Bella in the spirited tradition of seasonal favorites by The Pogues and Kate Rusby, this tune captures beautifully the bittersweet feeling of being alone over the Christmas period, blending wistful lyrics with the driving energy of fiddle and banjo for an upbeat, yet heartfelt anthem. “It started life … after an icy walk in the Quantock Hills,” the trio share. “And was finished whilst watching the snow come down over Montréal.”
Photo Credits: (Artist Website) Katherine Priddy / Esme Mai Photography (The Magpies)
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
