Samples Shirley Collins and Davy Graham "Bad Girl" off the album "Folk Roots, New Routes"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Collins
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davey_Graham

One Morning

I first heard the song “Pretty Saro” on the amazing album “Folk Roots, New Routes” with Davy Graham and Shirley Collins. I started singing this song about 15 years ago and only now have I made a proper recording. Phil once lived in Berlin and we made music together, hosted a radio show and became close friends. His spacious and warm style on the piano was something I always loved. I often sang in his kitchen, where had a piano and we would drink cups of tea and philosophise over things. Now living in Brighton, I sent him a recording of the song, with a simple drone backing. He sent back the version that is on the EP. It was that simple. Piano and drones from his accordion. Phil takes the credit here for the track. 



“As I Roved Out” is heavily associated with Planxty and the lovely tenor voice of Andy Irvine. It has been a favourite of mine for many years. I think my love for all things drone and voice, especially traditional polyphonic singing from places like Georgia, Corsica and Sardinia, influenced the purely vocal backing. 



I was introduced to the singing of Jasper Smith by the great Dublin band Lankum, when they sang his “Father Had Knife”. The song “Died For Love” is a terrible tale of a father finding his daughter has killed herself. I like the contrast in the almost lullaby melody and the tragedy in the story. The breathy sea of Saxophone drones and the solo is performed by my friend Dan Fairhurst, who has been a friend on mine since we were at school. 







CREDITS:





Pretty Saro:



Traditional arranged by Phil Smith and Marlais

Recorded and produced by Phil Smith and Marlais

Piano and accordion by Phil Smith



As I Roved Out:



Traditional arranged by Marlais

Recorded and produced by Marlais



Died For Love:



Traditional arranged by Marlais

Recorded and produced by Marlais

Saxophone by Dan Fairhurst



All tracks mastered by Dominic Clare at Declared Sound

Artwork by Lisa Götze "Baby Please Don't Die"

2016, watercolour and crayon on paper

Died For Love

As I Roved Out

Pretty Saro

Shadows of Flowers

Aileen

Prae

Gowan

Blue Swoon

Beware

Love Is Teasin'

Information on the singer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Ritchie

For information on the ballad, go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_(ballad)
http://mainlynorfolk.info/nic.jones/songs/edward.html

Edward

Contains samples from Shirley Collins - The Blacksmith

Picture is from Jost Amman's "Ständebuch"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jost_Amman

Blacksmith

Slow Thighs

"Jarvis" is a literary place that Dylan Thomas created in his early prose in which some of his stories are set. The characters and the landscapes that are placed in these mystical tales often possess otherworldly and mythological qualities. I see parallels within the narrative and imagery of folk music (particularly British folk music) and have used this music as a main source for my sampling. Having both power in its rawness and beauty in its eloquence, I use my own personal response to folk music whilst relocating it into a modern setting, creating ‘Dreams of Jarvis’.

Purchase the EP:
iTunes: hyperurl.co/iq3rra
Bandcamp: hyperurl.co/1us5lx

Green Blades

"Jarvis" is a literary place that Dylan Thomas created in his early prose in which some of his stories are set. The characters and the landscapes that are placed in these mystical tales often possess otherworldly and mythological qualities. I see parallels within the narrative and imagery of folk music (particularly British folk music) and have used this music as a main source for my sampling. Having both power in its rawness and beauty in its eloquence, I use my own personal response to folk music whilst relocating it into a modern setting, creating ‘Dreams of Jarvis’. 

Purchase the EP:
iTunes: hyperurl.co/iq3rra
Bandcamp: hyperurl.co/1us5lx

Mountain Murmuration

Love Will Penetrate Her

Dawning

A traditional song in which a young man sentenced to death by hanging is saved last minute by his true love, who comes "riding swifter than the wind". It has a beautiful melody, some great phrasing and it makes a nice change to see a woman doing the rescuing.  

'Streets of Derry' is off my new album 'Warm at Last', out on the 25th of May. Available in a limited edition cassette tape or digital download through bandcamp. https://marlais.bandcamp.com/

Streets Of Derry

Of All The Mysteries

Alt-J -Tessellate (Marlais Remix)

“Meeting Is A Pleasure” is an incredibly popular traditional song found on both sides of the Atlantic. It goes by different names, different melodies and different texts. It’s a shapeshifter, like so many songs. What lies at the heart of these various versions is that it’s a love song. A song of unrequited love; the moment you realise your lover has eyes for someone else.  Then there’s the part of bottle sharing. Is this song about drowning your sorrows? Perhaps it’s a parting gift, perhaps it’s poison. 

The version found on Nic Jones’ Penguin Eggs has accompanied me through many moody moments in my life but the raw a capella version of the Watersons sisters Norma and Lal singing it on the compilation “River Of Song”, has influenced this recording the most. A very special moment can be heard where Margaret Barry and Jean Ritchie compare versions on a recording session in London made by Alan Lomax in 1953.

“Meeting Is A Pleasure” trad. arr. Marlais
Recorded, produced and mixed by Marlais. 
Mastering: Enyang Rubriks
Cover art: Franz Böhlke

Released with Treibender Teppich Records on 17.9.2020
Available here:
https://treibenderteppichrecords.bandcamp.com/track/meeting-is-a-pleasure

And here:
https://marlais.bandcamp.com/track/meeting-is-a-pleasure

Meeting Is A Pleasure

Bright Night

mystical dystopian melancholic folk

Gurkenmusik on Mutant Radio

Berlin

Marlais

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