PATCH AND THE GIANT
Genre: Indie, Alt-Folk
Band Members: Luke Owen, Angie Rance. Gabriel Merryfield, Nick Edward Harris and Derek Yau
Location: London, UK
Discography: Boatswain Refuge EP (2013)
Record Label: Folkroom Records
Website: http://www.patchandthegiant.com/
Tucked somewhere between the music of Balkan enthusiasts Beirut and the rustic elegance of modern DIY folk' (Folk Radio UK), Patch & The Giant are a dynamic troupe of musicians and an ever growing force within the UK alt-folk scene. Together they craft a sound which is rustic, beguiling and 'wholly immersing' (Brum Notes); its foundation built on a rich union of vocals with instruments including cello, flugelhorn, violin, accordion and more.
They made their festival debut in 2012 at Watchet Festival and Festibelly (playing both on the same day) and have spent the latter part of 2013-15 making their name on the independent circuit, including Green Man Festival, Secret Garden Party, LeeFest, Cambridge Folk Festival, Larmer Tree Festival, How The Light Gets In, Wilderness, Hop Farm, The End Festival, Standon Calling, London FolkFest and many more. They’ve supported artists including The Twilight Sad, Roo Panes, Matthew & The Atlas, John Spiers (Bellowhead), To Kill A King and Elephant Revival. In 2014 they toured the UK with Keston Cobblers’ Club and have since played many successful headline tour dates around the country alongside performances at some of London’s most iconic venues, including Cecil Sharp House, Bush Hall and Scala.
For their first three years, the band also curated and hosted their own thriving residency at The Boogaloo in North London. TimeOut magazine featured them as one of the defining acts of the London music scene and, as part of the capital’s Folkroom Collective, PATG’s members can frequently be found collaborating and recording with other musicians in this circle. They are also perhaps one of the only groups in history to have successfully hosted a live ceilidh at Camden Barfly.
In 2013 they released The Boatswain’s Refuge EP on Folkroom Records, produced by BBC Folk Award winner Ben Walker and recorded at the historic Crypt Studios in north London. Later the same year, their own unique arrangement of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen was featured on For Folk’s Sake’s annual Christmas album, alongside others including Stornoway and Dark Dark Dark. National radio airplay includes BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 and Amazing Radio. In August 2014, For Gabriel was released online – a song written to lament the accidental loss of fiddle player Gabriel’s violin. Online plays soon surpassed 20,000 and all profits from the song have gone towards buying the real Gabriel a new violin; its story has been shared far and wide, including on home turf by The Telegraph and by bloggers around the world. Since their beginnings, they’ve had loyal support from the blog community and have recently recorded live sessions for the BBC’s legendary ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris, Bandstand Busking, Songs From The Shed and many more
True to their reputation, they’ve played no fewer than 14 festivals in 2015, having also spent most of the year working on their debut album with producer Nick Trepka (whose recent credits include Emmy The Great and Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle), due for release in 2016. 2016 also sees their debut in mainland European debut with a headline tour of Italy, with further UK dates to be announced shortly.