The vocals give a strangely intimate feel. A really top mix Nick, liking it very much

Lovely Joan is a traditional tale, a classic situation of a woman minding her own business when a man comes along and starts hitting on her. It happens a lot in traditional songs, same as in life today, where the man won't take a hint or won't take no for an answer. But Joan is smart and bold and manages to escape by tricking him and tearing away on his horse.

When I sing “Lovely Joan” I think about all the women and girls today that have been in a situation where they feel uncomfortable at best and are trying to figure out how to safely get out. Men and boys are expected to 'make the first move' and this leads to pressuring and persuading. Women and girls are taught not to kick up a fuss, to oblige and not to offend. The parallels between this 100+ year old song and life today make it clear how deeply rooted these problematic gender expectations are.

Listening to the track you'll hear glitchy manipulated vocals, heavy distorted riffs, striking war-type drum and soaring fiddle:


Lovely Joan

Fair Mabel of Wallington Hall

Elsie Marley is a North East icon. She was a well loved landlady who had all the gossip, all the booze and knew how to have a good time. She’s someone I look up to because she knows her worth and isn’t gonna fall into that neverending grind of work: ‘Elsie Marley’s grown so fine / she won’t get up to feed the swine / lies in bed til 8 or 9’. You go, Elsie

With this tune I wanted it to be a really satisfying slow-head-nodding track, which is a bit of a palette cleanser on the EP. You don’t need to stress, just sit back and let the deep plodding bass and tinkling fiddle wash you along.

Produced and Engineered by Frankie Archer and Jim Moray
Mixed by Jim Moray
Mastered by Piper Payne assisted by Colby Gustafson
Artwork by Rob Irish

Pressure and Persuasion

Elsie Marley

Follow The Fire Home

The Slip

Realisation, fear, indecision, run.............................Gone 

Gone (Soundtrack)

A trippy musical saunter ... Soooooo. one life, live it and enjoy all it brings.

Sensations (Embrace Mix)

There are times when your life gets into a rut and you just go round and around doing the same things

Repeat (Round and Around)

The moments when you are able to take in the good things

A Clear Mind (Grounded Mix)

‘The Demon Lover’ speaks of lust, sin and motherhood, and the binary split between the pure wife and the whore in the eyes of the patriarchy. “A warning to married women” since 1657.


Frankie Archer/Trad: lyrics, melody
Frankie Archer: vocals, fiddle, synth, production
Guy Massey: mixing, mastering, production
Fran O'Hanlon: synth, production


the demon lover tour 😈 on sale now
frankiearchermusic.com

"Extraordinary" - Jools Holland

"An utterly beguiling presence live" - Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2

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The Demon Lover

We listen to time, we talk about time, we move in time, we watch time, we wait in time and time whispers the many aspects back to us

Follow The Fire Home

Nick Moran

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