Folk trio The Magpies are looking to banish those lockdown blues with the announcement of a UK tour for September 2021. To coincide the trio have a new single ‘I Never Will Marry’ which is set to build on the success of their 2020 debut album ‘Tidings’ with more impressive playing and impeccable harmonies as they put a new spin on this traditional tale. Those all-important tour dates, the video for ‘I Never Will Marry’ and much more about The Magpies follows:
Atmospheric and dark, scattered with blistering instrumentals, powerful female harmonies and stomping rhythm, it is a traditional tale of lost love, handed down from woman to woman over the centuries, polished and honed with each telling. From traditional Scots ballad to 18th century broadside to hillbilly North Carolina, the song crosses the Atlantic once more in this contemporary interpretation.
And its grief is heartbreakingly relevant today, a poignant calling for solidarity in challenging times. New lyrics seamlessly woven with the old bring a message of female unity, reaching back in time to the grieving voices of the past: ‘take my hand and sing free’. The song is released alongside a video, beautifully cinematic and yet flawlessly simple, an aesthetic reinforcement of the simultaneity of isolation and togetherness.
It has only been a short space of time since The Magpies burst onto the UK folk scene, but they have already made a huge impact with their fresh brand of transatlantic neo-folk and have been ‘making waves wherever they play’ (Phil Beer, Show of Hands). Following the success of their debut album last year, this September will see the trio return to the road, with a 16-date UK tour across England, Scotland and Wales.
1st September - Acapela Studio, Cardiff
2nd September - The Prince Albert, Stroud
3rd September - Harwell Village Hall, near Oxford
4th September - Blue Sky Cafe, Bangor
5th September - The Live Room, Saltaire
6th September - Staveley Roundhouse, near Kendal
7th September - The Hug and Pint, Glasgow
8th September - The Greystones, Sheffield
9th September - Gosforth Civic Centre, Newcastle
10th September - The Crescent, York
11th September - The Sound Lounge, London
12th September - Hanger Farm Arts Centre, Southampton
13th September - Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham
14th September - The Musician, Leicester
16th September - Rosslyn Court, Margate
17th September - Downend Folk Club, Bristol
Tickets available from themagpiesmusic.com
The Magpies have recently announced that they will be hosting their first festival - The Magpies Festival - which will take place on Saturday 14th August in the stunning parkland of York's stately home, Sutton Park. The line-up is set to include the likes of Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra, Blair Dunlop and Katherine Priddy, with more exciting names to be announced. In support of Women's Aid, the festival aims to support a gender balance across its line-up and management, as well as encouraging emerging local artists. Tickets are on sale now from www.themagpiesfestival.co.uk.
Three accomplished musicians in their own right, The Magpies is a combination far greater than the sum of its parts. Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Award-winning guitarist, banjo-player and singer Bella Gaffney, clawhammer banjo player and singer Kate Griffin and acclaimed fiddle-player and tunesmith Holly Brandon draw on their wide-ranging influences to create a unique blend of transatlantic folk. In their live performances, The Magpies have been exceptionally well-received. 2018 saw the band perform at festivals such as Cambridge Folk Festival, Wickham Festival, Towersey Festival and Deer Shed Festival. 2019 saw their first international shows, with showcases at Folk Alliance International in Montreal, a successful tour in Ireland and performances at Costa del Folk in Portugal. And the summer saw many more festival performances including Glastonbury Festival, Larmer Tree Festival, Shambala Festival and Warwick Folk Festival.
The Magpies’ debut album - Tidings - was released in June 2020 to critical acclaim: ‘effervescent’ (The Sunday Times), ‘folk with finesse’ (The Daily Mail), ‘check that album out’ (BBC Radio 2). A rich and varied showcase of the live show, the album draws on a range of influences and delivers a sound that can only be described as contemporary. The album explores uniquely female experiences in unpredictable and surprising ways, bringing a fresh voice to the current milieu. Their latest single builds on this further, remaining faithful to the women of the song’s past, whilst bringing a powerful 21st century energy to the traditional.