Katie Grace Harris - The Toledo Sessions
Emerging talent, Katie Grace Harris will release her debut album The Toledo Sessions on Friday August 27th. The Purbeck Rising and GSMC celebrated folk singer and multi-instrumentalist recorded the album with producer Lukas Drinkwater. Joining her on this collection are some of the most highly regarded artists on the scene including Reg Meuross, Phil Beer and Odette Mitchell.
The Toledo Sessions was inspired by childhood journey’s in her father's blue Triumph and special times shared singing songs together. It’s a collection that celebrates much of the joy from the past with stunning arrangements of songs with a rich social history and strong family or female-centric narrative.
“For much of my childhood, we drove around in an inherited, blue Triumph Toledo. It had wooden dashboards, leather seats and plenty of rust. These times were special because it’s where my love of music began - singing songs with my dad by James Taylor, Ralph McTell, Hughie Jones and The Spinners - usually on our way to collect mum from her nursing shifts.
“All the songs back then told incredible stories and this combination of singing and storytelling is central to this new album. I was honoured to be joined by Reg, Odette and Phil for some of the tracks - all of whom helped me enormously to convey the essence of these songs.” The album will be released on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms on Friday 27th August.
streamed here: https://youtube.com/
TRACKS
- The Ellan Vannin Tragedy (4:11)
- Bedlam Boys (2:24)
- Counting My Footsteps to You (3.33)
- Ghosts of Lulworth (3:53)
- Haul Away Hallsands (4.51)
- Rio Grande (3.53)
- Come One, Come All (0.45)
- Hard Times (4.35)
- Leave Her Johnny (3.40)
- Betsy McLeod’s Lament (2.31)
CREDITS
All words and music composed by Katie Grace Harris with the exception of: Track 1: Words and music by Hughie Jones, arrangement by Katie Grace Harris Track 3: Words and music by Reg Meuross
Tracks 1, 2, 6, 8 and 9: Traditional. Arrangements by Katie Grace Harris
Katie Grace Harris: Vocals, Piano, Piano Accordion, Tin-Whistle, Shruti Box Lukas Drinkwater: Guitars, Double Bass, Cello, Percussion, additional vocals Reg Meuross: Guitar and vocals
- Phil Beer: Fiddle and additional vocals
- Odette Michell: Additional vocals
- Alex Duncalf: Cello on tracks 3 and 10
- Jon Fletcher: Additional vocals and Mandolin
Recorded with and produced by Lukas Drinkwater at Polyphonic Studios
Emerging talent, Katie Grace Harris has announced the release of her debut album The Toledo Sessions for Friday August 27th. The Purbeck Rising and GSMC celebrated folk singer and multi-instrumentalist recorded the album with producer Lukas Drinkwater. Joining her on this collection are some of the most highly regarded artists on the scene including Reg Meuross, Phil Beer and Odette Mitchell.
The Toledo Sessions was inspired by childhood journey’s in her father's blue Triumph and special times shared singing songs together. It’s a collection that celebrates much of the joy from the past with stunning arrangements of songs with a rich social history and strong family or female-centric narrative.
Katie explains:
“For much of my childhood, we drove around as in an inherited, blue Triumph Toledo. It had wooden dashboards, leather seats and plenty of rust. These times were special because it’s where my love of music began - singing songs with my dad by James Taylor, Ralph McTell, Hughie Jones and The Spinners - usually on our way to collect mum from her nursing shifts.
All the songs back then told incredible stories and this combination of singing and storytelling is central to this new album. I was honoured to be joined by Reg, Odette and Phil for some of the tracks - all of whom helped me enormously to convey the essence of these songs.
Track Notes From Katie
- The Ellan Vannin Tragedy (4:11) TRAD
“A haunting song by Hughie Jones of The Spinners, this was a staple Triumph Toledo song from my childhood. It fascinated me so much at primary school that I wrote about it, complete with illustrations. This is a completely new arrangement - with my own riff idea along with an added bridge section and some moody chords. Lukas Drinkwater and I had a great time recording this ‘storm’ in a song - ‘it feels like we are about to fighthe Norse!’ he said during the session.”
- Katie Harris – piano, shruti, vocals
- Lukas Drinkwater – percussion, double bass, vocals, sound effects
- Odette Michelle – backing vocals
2 Bedlam Boys (2:24) TRAD
“This song is an incredible snapshot of British history - showing that despite all the despair, somehow we can evolve in our humanity. Referring loosely to Bethlem Hospital which, in the 17th century housed men suffering from mental health conditions while the Magdalen Hospital housed the women. The lyrics are derived from a satirical love poem between a certain Tom O’ Bedlam and Mad Maudlin, with our arrangement aiming to respect this incredible pairing.”
- Katie Harris – piano accordion, vocals
- Lukas Drinkwater – percussion, double bass, vocals, sound effects
- Odette Michelle – backing vocals
- Counting My Footsteps to You (3.33) REG/ KATIE DUET
“I have often sung along to the songs of Reg Meuross whilst at home pootling about the house as not only are they great songs, but they are pitched perfectly for me to harmonise with. When Reg and I were filming for ‘Leave Her Johnny, leave Her’ I persuaded him to sing this one with me. We caught the ‘in the moment’ filming of this for my youtube channel.”
- Katie Harris – piano, vocals
- Reg Meuross – Vocals, acoustic guitar
- Alex Duncalf – cello
- Lukas Drinkwater – backing vocals, percussion
- Ghosts of Lulworth (3:53) ORIGINAL
“I’ve had the privilege of travelling all over the world for work, with each departure marked by saying a ‘goodbye’ to our Dorset home at Lulworth Cove. Local folklore says that the ghosts of ‘dancing girls’ can sometimes be spotted on the beach at dusk, with sightings reported as recently as World War Two. I like to imagine that there have been thousands of goodbyes at Lulworth over the centuries and that if you’re there at the right time, you might just catch these ‘ghosts’”.
- Katie Harris – piano, vocals, whistles
- Lukas Drinkwater – cello, percussion
- Haul Away Hallsands (4.51) ORIGINAL
“The tragedy of Hallsands is a relatively recent tale of social injustice. Home to 157 people, it no longer exists due to the greed of those who dredged the protective shingle from the bay. After the bitter storm of 1917 little was left of the village, which for centuries stood on the south Devon coast. The sole remaining house was lived in by Elizabeth Prettejohn until she passed away some fifty years later. This is her tale, and I feel it’s vital that we continue to tell it so that we don’t forget the struggle of those who were ignored.”
- Katie Harris – piano, vocals
- Lukas Drinkwater –double bass, vocals, acoustic guitar
- Odette Michelle – backing vocals
- Rio Grande (3.53) TRAD
“Like time capsules waiting to be unpacked, sea shanties have always fascinated me. However, they’ve often only given one perspective on seafaring life. What was life like for the families left behind? This is my tongue-in-cheek ‘she-shanty’”.
- Katie Harris – piano accordion, vocals
- Lukas Drinkwater – percussion, double bass, vocals, acoustic guitar
- Odette Michelle – backing vocals
- Come One, Come All (0.45) ORIGINAL
“This is my short and sweet take on ‘Heart of Oak’, the Royal Navy’s official march. It’s a call to men to join the Navy and hints at the press gangs of old.”
- Instrumentation:
- Katie Harris – vocals
- Hard Times (4.35) TRAD
“Adversity is a timeless thing, as this classic written by Stephen Foster in 1854 shows. Our contemporary struggles might be different in detail, but this song retains its universal meaning.”
- Katie Harris – piano, vocals
- Lukas Drinkwater – acoustic guitar
- Odette Michelle – backing vocals
- Leave Her Johnny (3.40) TRAD COLLAB with REG MEUROSS featuring
PHIL BEER, ODETTE MICHELL and JON FLETCHER
“Having grown up in Southampton I was always very aware of the Titanic story and particularly the effect that it had on the people of my hometown. The national coal strike of the era meant that many ships could not sail and consequently dock and shipping workers could not work. Families had become desperate and the Titanic, being one of the few larger ships able to procure labour offered a way out for the local men - who signed up in their droves.
“When the ship sank hundreds of Southampton families were directly affected and this is our re-write of this legendary song about one such family.”
- Katie Harris – piano, piano accordion, vocals
- Reg Meuross – vocals, acoustic guitar
- Phil Beer – vocals, fiddle
- Odette Michelle – vocals, bazouki
- Jon Fletcher – vocals, mandolin
- Betsy McLeod’s Lament (2.31) ORIGINAL
“Whilst living in Scotland I took an interest in the abandoned ruins left from the Highland Clearances and wanted to depict a story in song from this period of great injustice.
“Researching Betsy’s story was very challenging, as she is listed only as ‘Donald McLeod’s wife’ who ‘went mad’ (not my terminology) in accounts of their family's banishment from their Highland home. It was only after writing to descendants of clearance families now living in Canada that I was able to uncover more details. This song celebrates her bravery in protecting her family from eight henchmen one fateful night and hopefully serves as a fitting memorial to her story.”
- Katie Harris – vocals
- Alex Duncalf – cello
Website www.katiegraceharris.com
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