We are almost half way through 2025 - this year is flying by! We wanted to use this instalment of Folk & Mirrors to reflect on our year so far and share our plans for the months ahead.
We have performed at some great venues for the first time this year including Corp Market and Granny Mac's in Cardiff and The Lamb in Newport. We managed to film our full performance at The Lamb and we have some videos to share- keeping on top of posting content on social media can be tough, but we will try to catch up!
We had a fantastic time at Immersed Festival at the TramShed in Cardiff. We performed in a room that had a cinema style set up, with a forest scene projected on the screen behind us. It was an intimate performance with a great atmosphere. We also watched some fantastic sets from Macy and Half Happy. The pizza truck was a big hit!
The Newport Music Trail was a definite highlight of our year so far. It was such a privilege to be a part of an event that brought the community together by celebrating the diversity of the local music scene. We performed in Newport Arcade in the afternoon, and again in the evening at Arcadia Coffeehouse. We were very happy with the turnout, playing to a full house in the evening. We focused on performing our original songs and were blown away by the positive reception they received.
We also had the pleasure of performing at Devauden Festival in Monmouthshire as part of the Tangerine Trees Stage hosted by Dirty Carrot Records. The set up was beautiful - tucked away in the trees with hanging decorations and fairy lights. We were in very good company, with performances from artists such as Josh Hicks, Ophelia's Beard, and Greg Ryan. We absolutely loved the vibe of the Tangerine Trees stage, and the festival as a whole. We managed to catch performances from some local favourites of ours- Upstairs at Hannah's, Joe Kelly & The Royal Pharmacy- and were blown away by Mike Dennis and his loop pedal work.
At the end of May we performed at the launch of Pride In The Port at the Corn Exchange. It was a really fun and exciting evening filled with a range of performances -upbeat pop, indie, metal and folk along with a drag/comedy act that got the whole room laughing. The audience were warm and welcoming and the atmosphere backstage was incredibly friendly and encouraging. Jon Baines was a brilliant host for the event and it felt like a very special evening filled with love and hope. I'm sure the Pride In the Port event in September will be fantastic.
Before Christmas we recorded the first single for our upcoming album with producer and singer/songwriter, Tobias Robertson. This summer we have started working on another song with him. We are really enjoying the process of building atmospheric layers and experimenting with different recording techniques. Tobias is a fantastic producer and we love working with him. We are really excited for you to hear the recordings as they have a very different feel to the music we have previously released.
Speaking of music releases - we finally released our second EP ‘Stained In Red’. It was recorded back in November 2023 at Cobra Music Studios and we had intended to release it sooner, but got caught up with gigs and writing new music. The full EP is now available on all major streaming platforms. We are now on Band Camp, which we know is a preferred platform for a lot of our listeners. Our first EP ‘Acoustic Sessions’ is currently available, and we will be adding the new release very shortly.
The final update we have for the first half of 2025 is the outcome of the Newport City Radio Love Live Music Awards. We were over the moon to win Best Duo and we had an amazing evening celebrating the local music scene. We enjoyed live performances from artists such as Frankie Wesson, Josh Hicks, The Rogues and The Honest Poet. It was also a great chance to catch up with people we have met at various events over the last few years.
We want to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for us for the awards, who listened to our music, and who made it to one of our gigs. Your support means so much to us and we are always grateful.
So…what do we have in store for the rest of the year? We have our first gig at Bourton's on the 13th June- a venue we are really excited to play. We are also going on Newport City Radio with Kym on the 14th of June so keep an ear out for that. We will be playing Rebel Fest and Caerleon Arts Festival this summer, and may be returning to the Caerphilly Cheese Festival in August. We have also booked some performances at the Phyllis Maud Performance Space which is a lovely up and coming venue in Newport.
We will be organising a charity fundraiser gig for the autumn so keep and eye out for announcements. We will also be planning the release of the first single from the upcoming album. Make sure you are following us on your favourite streaming platform for updates on this.
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