Wednesday 2 August 2023, 7.30pm
Loathly Lady Zine launch - an evening of folk music, feminism, and reframing tradition.
Loathly Lady Vol. 1 -- a new zine made in collaboration with Em-Dash Press and The Lift -- examines the representation and symbolism of gender in six folk tunes through provocative presentations, custom illustrations, and thoughtful analyses. The event will feature discussions and live music from some of the most original and exciting young voices in the contemporary folk scene, including: Marie Bashiru, Bridget and Kitty, Sophie Crawford, Jacken Elswyth, Amy Hollinrake, and Milkweed. The event will be followed by an informal session until late.
Loathly Lady is a folk song cataloguing project and collective, which organises and rethinks received narratives through a feminist lens. Founded by performer and researcher Amy Hollinrake, the project aims to challenge the way we view the stories in our songs, confront their values, and toy with their traditions.
All proceeds from the event and zine sales will be donated to Refuge Charity.
Marie Bashiru is a singer-songwriter, and researcher; where her music resembles a melting pot of folk, soul and indie rock. Though hard to pin down to a single genre, Marie's writing talents paired with her soulful melodies have seen her being selected as one of the Artist Spotlights of 2020 by The Independent, as well as featured in various publications, such as Gigwise, featured on BBC Radio London, BBC Introducing and on BBC Radio 4’s special "Sunday Service” broadcast as musical director. A former Associate Artist with The English Folk and Dance Song Society (EFDSS), her research on Black British folk music culminated in the release of the podcast, British Folk Music: Where Are All The Black People? She writes for publications such as Songlines Magazine and has also been published in Black Ballad.
Bridget and Kitty are sisters from South London who sing in close harmony from the English and Irish folk Canon. They are drawn to songs about love, drinking, and workers. They do not remember when they started singing together, but have shared a passion for traditional music throughout their teenage years that's developed into their own unique shared voice. They run a weekly folk night at Match stick piehouse in Deptford.t and Kitty are sisters from South London who sing in close harmony from the English and Irish folk Canon. They are drawn to songs about love, drinking, and workers. They do not remember when they started singing together, but have shared a passion for traditional music throughout their teenage years that's developed into their own unique shared voice. They run a weekly folk night at Matchstick Piehouse in Deptford.
Sophie Crawford is a folk musician from London. She co-founded Queer Folk which highlights and promotes LGBTQIA+ history and performers in traditional music. Her songs on dulcimer, ukulele and accordion reflect her work with Queer Folk engaging with music sourced from the archives.
Her 2018 album 'Silver Pin' was Mainly Norfolk's album of the year. Her new album is out later this year! Through her work as a musician in theatre she has toured internationally, on the West End and at the Globe. She hosts the monthly radio show 'Queer Folk' for Voices Radio and founded the Harrison Singaround! She runs the dragking band BOYZ and is currently doing an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths focussing on queer folkore.
Social media is @sophiecrawfordmusic
Jacken Elswyth is a London-based folk musician, banjo player, and instrument builder. In her music making she is focused on exploring traditional tunes, developing extrapolations on folk styles and techniques, and investigating drone, ambience, and improvisation within and beyond folk music. Her debut album At Fargrounds (Wrong speed Records, 2024) was described as a ‘folk-thesis for our times’ by The Quietus.
Amy Hollinrake’s work draws on women’s stories within folklore and mythology and fuses them with a contemporary sound placing her at the forefront of the new era of feminist neo-folk, with musical touchstones in Joanna Newsom, Sandy Denny and Adrienne Lenker. She also plays the Appalachian Dulcimer and has a passion for drones.
Amy has performed at Cambridge Folk Festival, and at notable shows at Cambridge Junction, Green Note, Kings Place, and Royal Albert Hall, with her music garnering attention from the likes of BBC 6 Music’s Marc Riley and Tom Robinson, BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour.
Hollinrake is also the founder of project Loathly Lady, a creative feminist cataloguing project exploring gendered narratives in traditional music. She is developing a podcast around gendered archetypes in folk song. She is a former awardee of EFDSS and the Bert Jansch Foundation for her work.
Amy Hollinrake’s upcoming EP ‘sad lady songs vol. 1’ is set to release this October and a UK tour in the works for November 2023.
Milkweed is a UK-based slacker trad project with a current focus on reworking esoteric text.
Their latest album The Mound People consists of using an archeological book to detail the contents of various Danish Bronze Age burial mounds.
Instagram: @mlkwd_
Bandcamp: https://milkweedfolk.bandcamp.com
