Esteesee by Ange Hardy

Ange Hardy’s fourth studio album is a folk project inspired by the life and work of the romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The album is called ‘Esteesee’ and is pronounced ‘Ess-Tee-See’ (forming the initials of the poet S.T.C). These 14 new folk songs were written in January 2015 and they include songs inspired by Coleridge’s relationships with friends, family and acquaintances, verses of his poetry set to music, new songs inspired by his characters and stories, and even tales based on fragments of his dinner table conversations.

Ange’s music has always been deeply personal and often autobiographical, this project sees Ange stepping outside the familiar comfort zone of her own experiences and into the life of another.

As well as featuring the talents of Ange Hardy on guitar, traditional whistle, harp, and vocals the album is complemented by a roster of world class folk musicians including Steve Knightley (‘Show of Hands’) providing guest vocals, the spectacular Patsy Reid (founding member of ‘Breabach’) on fiddle, viola and cello, Lukas Drinkwater on double bass, Archie Churchill-Moss on diatonic accordion, Jonny Dyer on the piano, Jo May providing percussion, Andrew Pearce on the drums, Kate Rouse as the damsel with the hammered dulcimer, Steve Pledger on backing vocals, and poetry readings from David Milton (the Watchet town crier) and the wonderful Tamsin Rosewell (broadcaster and artist).

Since winning the FATEA Female Vocalist of the Year award in January 2014 Ange Hardy has established an enviable reputation as one of the fastest emerging folk acts in the UK, a position cemented by her BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nomination this year. Her third studio album ‘The Lament of The Black Sheep” was one of only three folk albums last year to be awarded 5-stars by The Telegraph. Bringing the story full circle it was in January 2015 awarded FATEA’s most prestigious award of all, Album of the Year, in the same week that Mike Harding referred to Ange Hardy as “one of the most interesting, powerful and talented singers and songwriters to come out of the last couple of years”.

The songs for this project were written with the support of public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, who supported Ange with grant funding to write and present 14 nights of music entitled “Along the Coleridge Way” at rural venues that follow the route of the Coleridge Way in Somerset and Devon between October 3rd and October 18th 2015.

The album will be released under the Story Records label on September 24th 2015, with a release concert at Halsway Manor on October 4th as part of that tour.

The next year is already starting to look very busy for Ange Hardy. Having performed this year at Cambridge Folk Festival, Sidmouth Folk Week, Sark Folk Festival and may others. For 2015 Ange has been awarded a creative artist residency by EFDSS, the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

Nominated for the Horizon Award for best emerging talent at the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Ange Hardy is a folk singer, songwriter and recording artist from West Somerset, England. Ange performs original contemporary songs written in a traditional style with an emphasis on vocal harmony.

angehardy.com
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