The Secret Sisters - Hold You Dear

LCM Song Of The Day - ‘Hold You Dear’ - The Secret Sisters

The reflective ‘Hold You Dear’ is taken from their excellent upcoming album ‘Saturn’s Return’ set for release on February 28th. Alabama sister duo Lydia and Laura Rogers will be coming to London for the AMA UK showcases in Hackney on January 29th and be on a UK tour in June with their London date at the Union Chapel on June 18th. They are wonderful live don’t miss them.

Lydia and Laura comment about the new album “As we age, we face obstacles that are beyond our control. Some forces are internal: insecurity, anxiety, fear. Some are external: the loss of loved ones, an unjust system and the fragility of time. Yet the mark of maturity is how you respond when you realize you’re not in control. Where do you find your resilience?

This album is a reflection of us coming to terms with how to find our power in the face of an unfair world. These songs lead listeners past “where happy man searches, to a place only mad women know.” We question our purpose, our relationships, our faith. Trading the fears of our youth for the dread that rages within us as mature women.

With Saturn Return, our hope is that women can feel less alone in their journey through the modern world. We need each other more than we ever have; the less competition and the more inclusiveness and understanding, the better. We are southern women in the 21st century, convicted by our beliefs.”

https://www.secretsistersband.com/

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Firefly - Smith and McClennan

LCM Song Of The Day: ‘Firefly’ - Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan

We love this one from Emily and Jamie taken from their new duo album ‘Small Town Stories', recently released on 15th November. The song was written by Jamie.

‘Small Town Stories’, the stunning debut album by husband-and-wife roots duo Smith & McClennan, features ten songs cultivated in the fertile earth of the couple’s shared life in rural south-west Scotland. The result is an intimate, accessible and ultimately uplifting exploration of the universal themes of love, loss, hope, struggle and joy.

Performed with heart and consummate craft, ‘Small Town Stories’ reflects the pair’s deep-seated affiliation with American roots music. ‘It’s a style we’ve always listened to and loved,’ says Emily . ‘As you get a little older, you identify more with the life experiences in the music.’

Influenced by classic American harmony duos such as The Civil Wars and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, as well as stalwart Nashville singer-songwriters like Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Darrell Scott and Kacey Musgraves, ‘Small Town Stories’ is a deeply personal work. In many ways it is a natural extension of the pair’s own relationship, making music and raising their two young children in a small village in Dumfries and Galloway. ‘A lot of the songs have got family connections,’ says Emily, who was born and brought up in the area. ‘It’s definitely something we chat about during our live shows.’

Multi award-winning Scottish singer Emily Smith and New Zealand born songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jamie McClennan have been making music together for over fifteen years. Having toured worldwide and released seven albums together under Emily’s name, their new album, ‘Small Town Stories’ is their first as Smith & McClennan and is due for release in summer 2019. The album features originals from Jamie and is produced by Ross Hamilton (Bad Mannequins, Texas, Wolfstone).

The duo’s new sound draws on influences from the folk tradition, Americana and beyond. With rich double vocals, guitars, accordion and fiddle they are one of the most vibrant duos on the UK folk scene today.

Emily’s accolades include BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the year, two BBC Radio 2 folk awards nominations and twice winner of Scots Singer of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards.

Alongside their solo careers they have performed with many musical greats including Richard Thompson, Barbara Dickson, Jerry Douglas and Mary Chapin Carpenter. TV and Radio appearances include Transatlantic Sessions, BBC Songs of Praise, BBC Radio 2's Good Morning Sunday, Bob Harris Show & The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe. Emily's original song 'Find Hope' was also chosen as part of BBC Radio 2's official playlist in December 2016.

https://smithandmcclennan.com/

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