Button Up, the brand new single from Irish folk singer Heidi Talbot’s latest album ‘Angels Without Wings’, is a beautiful modern day folk song. Co written and sung with King Creosote, AKA Kenny Anderson, ‘Button Up’ was created after the pair discovered a mutual admiration:
“He was asked to pick his fantasy band for The Independent and he picked me and Morten Harket from A-ha on joint lead vocals,” Heidi laughs. She conceived the melody for Button Up with Anderson in mind, and he sent back his own lyrics. The result is a brooding urgent love song.
Heidi is touring the UK in November with multi instrumentalist/Producer John McCusker and Irish Guitarist and singer John Doyle.
‘Angels Without Wings’ is an album of original compositions glowing with special guests from the worlds of folk, pop, rock and bluegrass. Featuring collaborations with Mark Knopfler, King Creosote, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Karine Polwart, Louis Abbott (Admiral Fallow), Julie Fowlis and more.
Subtlety is Talbot’s magic ingredient – from her gossamer voice to the delicate re-working of traditional and contemporary material that earned her rave reviews for her 2008 breakthrough In Love And Light. The girl from Ireland’s Co. Kildare, who spent several years in New York as a member of the Irish-American supergroup Cherish The Ladies, slips effortlessly between musical worlds but retains a personal modesty rooted in traditional folk.
Talbot began writing songs on her 2010 album The Last Star. In just two years she’s become a master of the art, sometimes composing alone, sometimes with McCusker and Boo Hewerdine (who form her touring band). Kenny Anderson (King Creosote) became a new creative foil after the pair discovered a mutual admiration.
When Mark Knopfler and Jerry Douglas offered to play on Heidi Talbot’s new album, they thoughtfully recorded their parts in several different styles – some were instantly recognisable, others more low-key. Talbot’s husband, producer and bandmate John McCusker joked, “you’ve got the best guitar players in the world and we’re blending them in?” But both musicians knew that for Talbot, the song always comes before the name.
And while the timeless language of traditional folk will always be an inspiration, there are traces of Americana in ‘When The Roses Come Again’ (feat. Mark Knopfler), a delicate country-tinged duet with bluegrass legend Tim O’Brien, and Parisian romance in the unforgettable title track by Boo Hewerdine, laced with vintage accordion.
Talbot and McCusker were keen to capture the spontaneity of performance: the album was recorded live in Glasgow’s new Gorbals Sound Studios with her regular team Ian Carr (guitars), Phil Cunningham (accordion), Michael McGoldrick (flutes/whistles), James Mackintosh (percussion), Boo Hewerdine (acoustic guitar) and Ewan Vernal (bass). “If people made mistakes we’d just keep going,” says Heidi. “On some of the tracks you can even hear the harmonium creaking. These guys are friends, they all give their opinion. They’ll say, “that’s it! That’s the take!’”
Talbot’s close-knit creative environment has fostered her confidence as a songwriter while allowing her to welcome in surprising new collaborators. These ever-evolving musical relationships can be heard on this, her most sophisticated and vibrant recording to date.
November:
14th Ropery Hall, Barton Upon Humber – 01652 660380
15th Glee Club, Nottingham – 0871 4720400
16th Arlington Arts Centre, Berkshire – 01635 244246
17th Discovery Centre, Winchester – 01962 873603
19th Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury – 01743 281281
20th St Peters Church, Ely – 07841 881597
21st RNCM Concert Hall, Manchester – 0161 9075555
23rd Playhouse Alnwick – 01665 510785
24th St Andrews in the Square – 0141 2045151
December:
4th The Catstrand, New Galloway – 01644 420374
5th The Queens Hall, Edinburgh – 0131 6682019
The Rocker - The Artist Formerly Known As Zeitgeist. TAFKAZ 
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