Seth Lakeman Official

[sophie]

According to this Seth will be in the next issue of Guitarist magazine
http://www.guitarist.co.uk/page/guitarist?entry=british_folk_tuning_with_martin
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The Seth Lakeman Archive - All the Seth news I can be bothered to print
http://sethlakeman.wordpress.com/
Twitter Feed: http://twitter.com/SethLakemanNews

[Katee]

ooh thanks... doesn anyone know when its out, if it isn't already?
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***We Make No Shadows We Stand Alone***

[Ruby]

Home computer (with unfathomable scanner ) still under wraps owing to endless building work at home so please forgive any typos…

One for the musos maybe but this is to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to all the Mire for making me laugh a lot at frequent intervals and especially for maymay and Cressi for scanning and typing the Q article. Thank you so much, ladies!

Disappears sharpish before cracks and buys an Arundel ticket – why, oh why do friends insist on organising everything for every August Bank Holiday , mutters off into the distance grumbling…


Guitarist Magazine July 2008: Fretbuzz: Guitar’s Rising Stars

Radishingly gorgeous photo caption: This British folk hero is ready to tackle mainstream success on his own terms with a new, rockier album.

Seth Lakeman could be the best thing to happen to folk music in a long time. If the genre could be accused of an elitism that has held it back from more widespread appeal, this 31 year old Devonian is a shot in the arm. While his forthcoming fourth album – Poor Man’s Heaven – has huge crossover potential with its major label backing; it’s not because he strays from the storytelling that has characterised folk for years.

While his Mercury award nominated ‘Kitty Jay’ album (recorded in Seth’s kitchen for £300.00) and its successful follow up ‘Freedom’ Fields found Seth telling historical tales based in his native Devon, he’s looking further south to Cornwall on the new album: “ This album is more coastal in terms of subject matter”, Seth explains. “The Penlee lifeboat disaster inspired a couple of the songs, one being ‘Solomon Browne’ – the name of the lifeboat that was lost. ‘Crimson Dawn’ is written about the SS Mohegan which is another shipwreck”.

The album finds Seth’s four piece band exploring the rockier dynamics of their live shows.

“I’ve rediscovered Led Zeppelin recently,” explains Seth. “The dark nature or our songs and the way they’re quite rough and ready is similar to Led Zeppelin 3. They’re incredible, so I’m careful not to compare ourselves, but in terms of a sound and of what’s being played; those dark chords are what we go for.”

That kind of rhythm work is aided by Seth’s choice of instrument – a 1952 Martin tenor guitar. Although he’s an acclaimed fiddle player with years of experience performing with this two musician brothers and the folk-rock band Equation, he relies on the tenor for songwriting and the majority of live sets.

“It really inspired my writing. I have to use the capo a hell of a lot because the tuning I use is GDGD but sometimes I drop the G to a D. I had to kind of invent the chord progressions but it gives this great percussive sound. It makes the songs quite driven – unique.”

But he expanded his string horizons even further during the recording of ‘Poor Man’s Heaven’.

“There’s still a lot of tenor but now a lot of mandolin, Bouzouki and mandocello too. I was lucky enough to be given a mandolin and mandocello by Fylde guitars to use on the record. It’s really given the sound a lot of character”.

Guitarist, bandmate and brother Sean also brings his own distinct style to the songs with his Martin acoustic, as Seth explains. “He did a degree in jazz and a lot of that taught him all that sort of Django chord structure – gypsy jazz. He’s worked with great players so he’s got that driven rhythm sound where’s he all over the fret board, playing chords you can’t get your head around!”

Alongside is multi-tasking double bass and banjo player Ben Nicholls; it makes for a live sound that is powerful, and attracting established folkies and new faces.

“Young people like seeing energy on stage and that’s one thing we can give. Whether we will make radio in terms of any great impression is another thing. What we definitely do is work hard live and we love it.”

The ingredients are certainly there for wide-scale success but regardless of where he goes from here, Seth is both grateful for his success so far and enthusiastic for the potential for new folk music in a digital age.

“Only three or four years ago it was impossible getting a gig – it was hard enough down the road, let alone in Exeter,” he reflects. “Now I think it’s easier – you can get punters to come to shows. You just send a round robin on MySpace. It’s opened the floodgates – it’s a really good time for acoustic music.”

Passing Notes

Favourite guitarists: John Hiatt, Neil Finn

Favourite gear: 1952 Martin tenor (“I’ve got two – one of them I bought in the US for $250 about four years ago.”)

Try if you like: Show of Hands, Crowded House

More info: www.sethlakeman.co.uk

Download: Solomon Browne
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'By the end his bow was a froth of frayed strings and the audience was euphoric.'

[maymay]

Thanks Ruthie that was so interesting..my they are clever aren't they those Lakeman boys
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Are you on my side?

[babs.]

I'm a year older than his dear little tenor guitar.


I ought to get re -strung really .

[lilgreenmomo]

*chortles*
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Humans sing different melodies but learning to sing in harmony is the key to our survival. - Daniel Everett

[sophie]

Great interview. Thanks so much for posting it Ruby.
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The Seth Lakeman Archive - All the Seth news I can be bothered to print
http://sethlakeman.wordpress.com/
Twitter Feed: http://twitter.com/SethLakemanNews