The Magpie Arc have released “The Mantle,” a new single from their forthcoming album Gil Brenton. The track includes guest backing vocals from Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span and a flute feature by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.
The band draws members from Sheffield, Arran and Edinburgh, and brings together Nancy Kerr, Findlay Napier, Tom A. Wright, Alex Hunter and guitarist Martin Simpson. The project was conceived as an electric folk-rock outfit, updating the classic 1960s and 1970s British folk-rock sound with new writing and arrangements.
The Magpie Arc focus mainly on original material from their three principal writers, alongside selected covers and reworkings of traditional songs. Their live sets move between folk, rock, country, and progressive rock-influenced passages, built on close vocal harmonies, electric guitar, fiddle, bass, and drums.
the band’s festival appearances in 2022 and 2023 included a main-stage slot at Cambridge Folk Festival, a live session on Mark Radcliffe’s 10th Anniversary BBC Radio 2 Folk Show, and performances at Costa del Folk in Ibiza, Sidmouth Festival and FolkEast, where they headlined on Friday night.
The group’s debut full-length album Glamour In The Grey arrived in November 2022 and spent fourteen consecutive months in the UK Official Folk Chart, debuting at number 9.
The Magpie Arc also curate The Indoor Festival of Folk, an annual February event at Cecil Sharp House in London. The festival presents five artists and an interview segment that has featured guests such as Maddy Prior, Ashley Hutchings, Peter Knight, Joe Boyd and John Wood.
Musicians: Nancy Kerr on vocals; Findlay Napier on acoustic guitar; Alex Hunter on electric bass; Tom A. Wright on vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, programming, electric, high-strung, lap steel and pedal steel guitars
Author: World Music Central News Room
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