The idea of these songs is a rag-tag bunch of settlers in 1820 or thereabouts, corralling their carts for the night and singing songs. A few have guitars, a consumptive child plays violin, and someone else has an early version of garageband. They are sitting around the fire, ever more drunk and maudlin. The next day they're butchered to a man, by Apaches or some stray pack of soldiers on the escape from a Cormac McCarthy book. 

The grand plan is for other people to sing and play on these songs, to stealthily build some of them up to full orchestra and choir. Some songs seem to work recorded drunkenly with one guitar, whereas others seem to ache for sweeping strings and four part harmonies, like Gustav Mahler with a cowboy hat on.

Louise Riley, Veronica Thompson, Rasp Thorne and Shimrit Elisar have been the first to come wandering in barefoot and wild-eyed out of the vast imaginary emptiness and stand close to the fire for a couple of songs apiece. There is also some beautiful fiddle on a few tracks, played by Sophie Loyer. Nicola Cunningham sang and played glockenspiel at a recent live show. Sarah Gill has played most impressive cello on some of the songs.

Photo by Karla Da Silva

Home of the audio happenings at the Folksville club which is held monthly at the Waverley Bar on St Mary's Street in Edinburgh - hosted by Prairie Rose & The Wildwoods.

Here you will find samples of sets from all the Folksville gatherings.

A list of who has played so far:

Prairie Rose & The Wildwoods; The Heartland Flyers; Pearly World; Colin Morris...

“Fancy clothes, fancy rings. I ain’t no man with money. Been handed down, all of my things, ‘cause I ain’t got no money.”

A country-folk inspired two piece based in Edinburgh

Prairie Rose & The Wildwoods are the love child of all things folk, Americana and country.  The band consists of singer Arpita Shah and guitarist Ross Fairbairn and together they offer a melancholic soundtrack for your first kiss, your first love and your first heartbreak...and every heartbreak since.

Learning late about trust and poetry, trying to fear less and to build up some confidence in me. I like to sing but I don't dare to do it publicly so for now I'll share my stuff privately and quietly.

The Noise We Make is an instrumental rock band from Limoges, France.

Followers of prww