New Single ‘Poor People We’
Here is a link for you to add it to your favourite streaming service https://ditto.fm/poor-people-we
Enjoy the video
Simon’s new solo album “How Things Work” available now.
Follow this link simonjohnjones.bandcamp.com to find out more
Royal Mail: from the album “How Things Work”
The Ballad of Wisbech Museum
click on the image below to watch
Latest commissions
We were fortunate during the past 18 months to receive a number of creative commissions. As well as writing a song in celebration of the Wisbech Museum in Cambridgeshire (see short film above), we also undertook an art project (including sound-tracked documentary) for a former mining community in Warwickshire, and an ambitious sound project (culminating in an impressive art film) in the Peak District. You can view these works on our ‘Original Commissions’ page on the drop-down menu. In addition to all of this, we have done soundtrack work for Sky Arts, including a film about Ewan MacColl (in which we are also interviewed and perform), and about The East End Group of early 20th century artists, and particularly the work of the Steggles brothers.
Acclaim for new album
Our new album, The Victorians, has made too many album of the year lists to mention, but here are some highlights of the praise heaped upon it:
“Interesting sounds and great stories,” (Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 Folk Show)
“An album of the year,” (Ian Anderson Podwireless fRoots *****)
10th Anniversary
To mark the 10th anniversary of Harp and a Monkey first going public in April 2008, we are rereleasing a digital version of the song we put out, Old Wives’ Tales. We are hoping to generate a bit of publicity around the release on April 29 so please share links to the video of the song, which you will find on here on our Sound and Vision page. There are loads of new shows being added all the time on the Gigs page and we promise new material (including a new album) before the year is out. Busy, busy. Thanks for the ongoing support, and do consider signing up for our mailing list..
Winners of Best Band
And the winner of the annual folking.com awards for best folk group is – Harp and a (bloody) Monkey! Aye, you and your votes have only gone and done it. To be honest, we were just flattered to be short-listed by the site’s writers and to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Afro Celt, Fairport, Nancy Kerr and Merry Hell. We didn’t expect you lot to take the story further! Check out the full list of winners and what is a great independent website here: http://folking.com/folking-awards/
Albums of the Year
We are a top 20 album. of the year for 2016 – “utterly, bloody wonderful” – on the ever-brilliant Mike Harding Folk Show (listen here: http://www.mikehardingfolkshow.com/category/podcasts/) and were a runner-up for albums of the year in the influential fRoots (folk and roots) magazine.
War Stories in unusual venues
A rural parish church in Cumbria that was home to the churchman who became one of the most decorated non-combatants of WW1 (Aug 21); a community centre in Norfolk that remembers Florence Green, the former member of the WRAF who had been the last surviving veteran of the war (Aug 27); a remote railway station in East Sussex and the carriage that brought home the bodies of the nurse and ‘spy’ Edith Cavell and the Unknown Warrior (Sept 4); and a winding room in a disused pithead in Sunderland that carries the memorials of fallen miners (Sept 11). It is time for part two of The Great War: New Songs and Stories in the Landscape. Full times and venues on the ‘Tour Dates page. The project is once again being supported by….
Great reviews for War Stories
Free WW1 shows in landscape
A remote hillside on Holcombe Moor that bore witness to a rogue Zeppelin attack is one of the remarkable venues that will host a series of shows by Harp and a Monkey in August 2015 to mark the ongoing centenary of the First World War. Further performances will take place in a village created in 1919 for disabled veterans of the conflict and their families and in a prison that housed hundreds of conscientious objectors. The shows will be supported by the Arts Council and Western Front Association.
Top album for 2014
All Life Is Here has been named among the top albums of 2014 by Folk Radio UK. It has also been named among the Top 20 folk albums of 2014 by Mike Harding. “I have a huge amount of time for this band…a really fresh and engaging approach. They are deeply seeped in the folk traditions of the North West and yet have created a whole new genre of songs of their own.”
Live act of the year
The Globe in Glossop, Derbyshire, (one of the oldest and most respected folk, acoustic and world music clubs in England) has this week announced Harp and a Monkey as the most impressive act to have passed through its doors in 2014. The calibre of act it has hosted this year includes the likes of Dave Swarbrick, 4Square, Hannah James & Sam Sweeney, Gavin Davenport, Sarah McQuaid etal. We are thrilled!
Mark Radcliffe BBC RADIO 2 Folk Show
Steve Lamacq BBC RADIO 2 Tips For The Top:
“Another rising talent… as shiny as a new button.”
Mike Harding RADIO TWO folk show:
“Absolutely top stuff… very, very interesting and unusual song-writing. ”
Really enjoyed your evening at the Browfoot Room, Ulpha the other week and at the end I suggested that if you might be looking to do some venues ‘down south’ I thought the Ashcroft Arts Centre in Fareham would be good. Here is a link: ashcroft.org.uk.
(You said that you were going to Brighton/Shoreham a week after Ulpha and on to play gig in Selsey(?) – hope that went well).
Not seen you for a while but listened to you lots. Free to roam again
Best wishes x
Fantastic show at Heron Theatre, Beetham last week, great to see you all again and hear your amazing songs and stories. The new album sounds fantastic….love the story of the moth.
Hi gents, would love to join your mailing list.
Also, please more gigs in the deep south.
Haven’t heard you guys since Broadstairs a few years back.
Fabulous evening on September 20th at Shrigley Hall. Not heard much of your music before but we loved it. Very interesting snippets of information regarding the war too. We’re looking forward to seeing you all again soon. Wonderful.
When you next in or around Bury/Manchester?
Stil remember Sunday lunch with you before your WFA Othery gig last year and seeing you again a week later.. Hope you are all well looking forward to the new album and seeing you again… Regards Pat and Paulojv
Guys,
Two very fine sets last night at Dartford Folk Club to open its 48th year. The combination of instruments works so well and Galiipoli Oak as the opener for the second set was stunningly good. Safe travels and any promoters / folk club organisers reading this BOOK THEM !!!!!
Hi lads. Dave Howard here, doing sound for you at Edgworth Festival. Can you let me know your tech reqs are. I’m using the house system, with my own mics etc. Usually works fine. Got up to 10 stage lines, should be ok, stage monitors too.
Cheers, Dave on. tinkerdave77@gmail.com