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Eirlys Rhiannon is a songwriter, singer, writer, gardener and self-styled human being who lives in Bristol, UK. She grew up in Cardiff, capital city of Wales, which she still thinks of as her spiritual home. She isn't quite sure why she landed on the wrong side of the Severn, and occasionally returns for rugby matches and to speak Welsh at random innocent passers-by, just to maintain her tenuous grip on the language. With a background of Eisteddfod singing and church choirs, Eirlys branched out with her own material back in the early 1990's on the stage of Meltdown, in Cardiff's Clwb Ifor Bach. A move to London heralded several years of political and environmental activism, which sets the background for some of her later songwriting. She sang with Stuck In Traffic (the Reclaim The Streets House Band), before moving to Bristol and teaming up with Rowan Armes to form The Blue Sequoias. While she mostly performs solo, her long-term collaboration with Rowan is ongoing. Eirlys' debut album, Sleep, is the first installment of songs arranged by the duo. Rowan features on fiddle and piano (sometimes simultaneously, thanks to the marvels of modern recording technology), and also backing vocals. The album was produced, recorded and mixed at home by Eirlys, who describes it wryly as "the sound of someone taking DIY to some ridiculous extremes". It was mastered by Donal Whelan of Hafod Mastering. They are joined by special guest percussionists Simon Leech (East Pole Orchestra), Yasmine Brien (dj blackrainbow) and Jason Cook (Blaggers ITA, Spanner), with haunting accompaniments on harmonica and melodica from Carbon Town Cryer. Sleep is issued by Robb Johnson's Unlabelled Label, distributed by Proper (catalogue UNLaBEL011). |
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Fiddler of fluid virtuosity, piano player of perfect dexterity, harmony singer of heavenly sensitivity... take a notebook, but you still won't be able to keep track of everything Rowan does on stage. The riffs and rhythms in her arrangements take the music to new depths, while her improvisations - never the same twice - insist on exploring new highs. When Eirlys and Rowan play together their harmony specialism comes to the fore, easily afforded by the unusual combination of instruments, and the surprisingly perfect blend of their voices. Rowan Armes performs with Eirlys on selected dates only. See Gigs for further information.
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"...lies somewhere in the space between Natalie Merchant, The Be Good Tanyas and a Reclaim the Streets Demonstration..." "wonderful voice, moving from ethereal to earthy... a powerful presence... one
of the best on the Bristol folk scene." "politically motivated, captivatingly sung, laid back folk" "She was bloody good when I first saw her. She was even better
this time. Fabulous..." "powerful and intimate music... the duo really do create an amazing
harmony. .. Their songs are sometimes funny, sometimes sad and all
were engaging. The harmonies just picked you up with them and carried
you along. Well worth the journey. Superb. " "sharp, sassy songs" "haunting melodies and catchy choruses" "Rowan really takes the music to another level... They can stop you
in mid-conversation with their sheer musicality. ... a blur of song,
fiddles, keyboards and dancing of the enthusiastic audience... Do
see them if you get the chance." =============================== |
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