Scottish duo The Jellyman's Daughter lands squarely in the middle of a strange crossroads between bluegrass, post-rock, folk and soul. Mixing their unique vocal harmonies with wild and visceral cello, driving guitar and sweet mandolin, Emily and Graham write their songs together with a focus on doing something new.
After making each other’s acquaintance in the inspiring setting of Edinburgh, the pair soon found a love for playing music with each other, staying up into the wee hours making home recordings. After cutting their teeth busking the streets, playing covers creatively reworked to incorporate Graham’s rhythmic, percussive cello playing and the affinity in the duo’s vocal harmonies, they began writing original material.
The release of their debut album in 2014 saw them receive a huge amount of radio exposure, and reviewers unanimously agreed that something totally appealing had come on to the scene. The Sunday Herald (Scotland) made it one of their Top Albums of The Year while Maverick magazine described them as “fascinating” and said they demonstrated “originality by the bucketload”. “Heartily recommended” by Folking.com, Acoustic magazine told readers they “kick up a heck of a storm,” while The Daily Express called the duo “a match made in heaven”.
They started 2015 as they meant to go on, winning even more praise following bigger-exposure live performances, including a nomination for Best Acoustic Act in the Scottish Alternative Music Awards, and spreading their wings much further afield, spending a month touring Germany, The Netherlands and Denmark. After a successful appearance at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City early in the year, Emily and Graham spent 2016 gigging extensively, including a tour of Canada in September. In 2017, after a return visit to Folk Alliance in February with an official showcase, they have been focusing on putting the finishing touches on their second album, while 2018 will see them release the album and tour the UK, Europe, USA and Canada, sustaining the momentum that has earned them exceptional praise so far.
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"Graham can make his instrument as percussive as a drum, as grounded as a bass or as sweet as a fiddle... when Kelly and Coe sing together, their harmonies squeeze the heart."
- Alan Morrison, The Herald Scotland
“A really original sound... really enjoying that”
- Ricky Ross, BBC Radio Scotland
“Their sound is fresh, personal and well worth a listen”
- Folk Radio UK
“Music with substance... Chock full of acoustic talent and a husky, smoky lyricism”
- is this music?
“A rounded and quality piece of work. Sharing lead vocals ensures that there is variety in delivery with neither of the duo outshining the other although the richness of Coe's cello is the one constant throughout… All songs stand alone with no weak links”
- Americana UK, 8/10
The ability to write songs that are both modern and ancient is a rare thing. The product of an arcane art of weaving in traditional influences so thoroughly that they become the warp and weft of fresh creations.
The Black Feathers, made up of Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler, are two such talents. They first became aware of the magic between them while collaborating on several musical projects, becoming The Black Feathers and life partners in 2012.
Americana, Folk, and Acoustic Indie Rock sensibilities coexist comfortably in their musical world, with Hughes’ guitar work buoying the kind of harmonies often only heard in family bands.
It's been an incredible couple of years for the The Black Feathers. Their debut album was met with critical acclaim and broke into the Top 10 in the iTunes Country chart and the Official UK Americana Chart. A live album recorded at The Convent in Stroud has also just been released and very well received.
Tours in the UK, as well as an Irish tour supporting Eddi Reader, have kept Sian and Ray busy. They could easily rest on their laurels, but instead have been spending their downtime working on new material to be released in 2018.