Well 2023, that’s a wrap, and boy, it’s been quite a ride!
It’s been the year of making new connections and finding our audience, through fantastic people taking a chance on us. No more ABBA puns, I promise, that’s a different part of our lives….!
We started the year at the Portland Arms in Cambridge with a small but enthusiastic crowd and we saw the five-piece really come together, with the inclusion of Kit Marsden on keyboards for this one.
Other highlights were the Stags Head in Lincoln and the Raising Steam Festival where we really found our feet as a duo too.
In the summer, we made a start on album number two, releasing “Gliding Pt 2” with a video that we had so much fun making! We’re very proud of it, and huge thanks to The Gliderdrome, Boston for helping to make it happen. The rest of the album has been slowly coming together at Trapdoor Studios, Bradford, and we’re on target for a Spring 2024 release.
Later in the year, we ventured north of the border to play at the Lodge Arts Collective where we met our hosts, the wonderful guys from EBB and had an amazing night. Finn declaring us his “new favourite band” in fact! And barely two weeks later we supported I Am The Manic Whale at The Musician in Leicester which we absolutely loved, and so did the audience! More firm friends made, and many Prog Biscuits consumed!
We put on our folky hats for Thank Folk in Sleaford and the Leadenham Folk Festival and we also had great gigs at the Commemoration Hall, Huntingdon and a daytime set at HMV, Lincoln, both of which want to see us return next year.
Lastly, we had the great news that Sharon is still cancer free after three years and ready to take on the world!!
Whats in store for 2024
Firstly, we’ll see the release of our second single “Last Transmission” from our forthcoming album “Lit By Lightning”. We think it’s the best thing we’ve done and we cannot wait to share it with you. keep a lookout for sneak previews soon!
Our gigs start in earnest with Fusion Festival in early March, and then a return journey up to see those crazy cats, EBB, in April for another night of progginess in bonny Scotland!
Later in the year we are playing the Dark Faery Festival and there’s another festival to be officially announced later in the year.
On top of that, we’ll have an online album launch in the spring and announce some dates for our long awaited “hybrid” shows which we’ve started making preparations for. Excited to have Dan McGlade and Matt Dixon on board for these, after making such a great job in the studio with several of our new tracks.
This will be where we devote the second half of our full band shows to music that we love, starting with our own retelling of “Brave” by Marillion, to mark the 30th anniversary of it’s release.
There will be other dates that will appear in due course, and we’ll try and find time to do some interviews and general daftness that you’ve all got accustomed to!
We really feel that 2024 is going to be a momentous year for us and it’s due to the amazing support we’ve had from our friends (especially Tom, Nate and Scott, Jo, Twitch, and Tom Lane) our brilliant fans, and a special shout out to Help Musicians, Steve Gould, Danny Mayo, Jock McLelland and Shaun Gerarty for giving us those first feet on the ladder.
See you all next year, have a good un xx
