Solomon Browne single release

Solomon Browne is out now as a special download EP, alongside four live tracks recorded at the Cambridge Folk Festival 2008: Lady of the Sea, I’ll Haunt You, Race to be King and Solomon Browne itself. The EP is available exclusively on iTunes for one week, and on wider release from Monday 20 October. A percentage of profits will be donated to the RNLI (The Lifeboats).

Download
Buy Solomon Browne EP on iTunes »
Buy Solomon Browne EP on 7Digital (320K MP3) »

About Solomon Browne

‘Solomon Browne’ tells the story of the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster in 1981, in which the entire crew of the lifeboat Solomon Browne lost their lives, along with the crew and passengers of the Union Star they had set out to save.

Launching the RNLI’s SOS Day on 24 September, Seth said:

‘When I was working on my album in December 2006 it was the 25th anniversary of the Penlee lifeboat disaster, which inspired Solomon Browne. I was only young at the time of the disaster, but my father (journalist, Geoff) covered the story. The song is about the bravery and courage of those eight volunteer lifeboatmen who went to sea and lost their lives. I hope we are able to raise some funds for this fantastic charity.’

Make your own donation to the Lifeboats:
https://www.rnlipdd.org.uk/donations

Seth interview with Martyn Joseph at Greenbelt 2008

Good long interview by Martyn Joseph at the Greenbelt Festival in August 2008. The interviews roams over Seth roots in the Devon folk scene, future directions and growing Seth’s audience – Seth ‘keeping it real’ against EMI pressures for no. 1 singles – his forthcoming trip to Malawi for the Lake of Stars festival, and being Greenbelt what part, if any, faith and religion has played in Seth’s upbringing.

(Thanks for ceakayone from The Mire for the find)

Video: backstage at Moseley Folk Festival

A new video shot backstage at Moseley Folk Festival is available on MySpace and on the official website. Quite short, it features general messing about and thoughts on the upcoming Autumn Tour, which will be Seth’s biggest yet. “A few surprises” are planned, apparently. It’s not clear whether these are surprises for us, or surprises for Seth.

Video: Catch up with Seth backstage at Moseley Folk Festival »

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Seth helps launch RNLI’s 2009 “SOS” fundraising campaign

Seth helped launch the RNLI’s SOS Day in London on Web 24 Sep, performing new single Solomon Browne for RNLI volunteers aboard a Tamar class lifeboat on the River Thames.

SOS Day aims to raise £1 million for the RNLI. The national theme for this year’s campaign is Sound or Silence, and it’s hoped hundreds of RNLI supporters throughout the UK will be holding SOS themed events culminating on SOS Day on Friday 30 January 2009.

The RNLI provides nine out of 10 UK sea rescue launches, and relies on voluntary contributions for its income. Last year alone the RNLI rescued almost 8,000 people, an average of 21 people every day.

More information on how to show your support is available at www.rnli.org.uk/sosday/.

Press release: ‘Devon’s Seth Lakeman supports RNLI’s SOS Day with song in honour of the Solomon Browne‘, RNLI Press Centre, 25 Sep 2008 »

Video: Sadly rather iffy-quality video of the event and Seth’s performance from the RNLI
Vodpod videos no longer available.
http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/press_centre/videos/video_detail?articleid=373951

The Second Great Seth Lakeman Webchat Debacle

Oh yes. Almost a year since the last disastrous attempt at such a thing, a one-to-one (actually, surely one-to-many?) webchat with Seth Lakeman is promised for tomorrow evening – Wed 24 Sep – at 6pm.

There will be a link posted on the official website – www.sethlakeman.co.uk – when it’s good to go. Let’s hope it survives the stampede this time.

According to the same email bulletin:

Seth will be taking part in a very special event tomorrow with the RNLI in London. We can’t tell you much more than this at the moment, but we’re sure Seth will tell you all about it on the webchat, and some news will be posted on the website tomorrow.

Record Company Shock as Folk Star has more than Five Fans
Update Wed 24 Sep @ 7.20pm

Well, that’s it folks. Another year, another failed Seth Lakeman Web Chat.

from the Official Website

24.09.2008 Seth Webchat
Unfortunately due to the high volume of questions tonight the webchat crashed. Our sincere apologies for this technical issue, we tried to resolve this but could not get it fixed in time. Seth would like to send his thanks to everyone that joined in.

We can assure you that the webchat will be rearranged as soon as possible and that all will run smoothly next time.

…

20.09.2007 webchat problems
We apologise for the problems currently being experienced on the webchat site. We are trying to sort it all out so you can all chat easily.

We’ll definitely be holding another soon to make up for today’s problems.

Obviously, as the inevitable stampede brought the web chat predictably to its knees no one had an opportunity to ask about the ‘special RNLI event‘ mysteriously referred to in yesterday’s email, so no news on that front either. Sorry.

Update 26 Sep: All is revealed about the RNLI event »

Seth on Steve Wright, BBC Radio 2, Wed 24 Sep

Seth made a brief appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Steve Wright in the Afternoon on Wed 24 Sep, discussing Steve Wright’s dislike of Folk Music, Seth’s own musical roots and of course new single Solomon Browne (duly played after the interview).

You can Listen Again until 1 Oct 2008 at
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00dkxbn

Seth is on at the 2h 40min mark for around 5 minutes.

Seth Lakeman’s favourite walking songs, The Observer

A catch-up one this, from The Observer’s ‘playlists for the perfect summer‘ published back in August. Seth does ‘walking tunes’, while others cover beach, parties, road trips and family outings.

Seth’s selection of 10 tracks is:

From the Morning, Nick Drake
It’s a lovely song to wake up to, and lyrically very simple but special. It’s one that you’d put on your iPod for a walk in the countryside.

The Lakes of Pontchartrain, Paul Brady
It’s a great story of a guy remembering this girl he met on a distant shore in Ireland. A lot of traditional folk songs are good to walk to because there’s a story or a journey involved. Watch on YouTube.

Solsbury Hill, Peter Gabriel
A good one if you’re trying to clamber up a hill. There’s one called Peak Hill that I live next to – I climb it if I’ve got a moment to get a breath of air and look at the world. This song gets you to the summit if you’re struggling.

Stupidly Happy, XTC
This reminds me of home. It’s a song I was listening to loads in the late Nineties, hanging out camping. You can turn it up loud and listen to it on the moors with a roaring fire.

Look at Granny Run Run, Ry Cooder
I find it quite funny – poppy and tongue-in-cheek. I remember my father playing this record on vinyl loads when we used to get back from our Sunday walks.

Falling Man, DBG
It’s quite a personal song to me and my brother because DBG is such a good friend of ours. It’s a beautiful, thoughtful song about climbing up a mountain and how you feel when you get up there.

Private Universe, Crowded House
I chose this because of the title, my own private universe. I get to travel around quite a lot but I think that makes you appreciate where you come from.

When You’re Falling, Afro Celt Sound System
Peter Gabriel guest sings on this one. I love the production and I love his voice. It’s a summery song, the sort to put on when you’re having a barbecue on the moors.

Daniella, John Butler Trio
This is a great, uplifting song. Its groove is addictive, which makes sense for walking.

Hounds of Love, Kate Bush
The way she sounds is so colourful. The sounds paint pictures and you can tie them together with what’s in front of you.

The Observer, Our Playlist for the Perfect Summer, 10 August 2008 »

Win tickets to Newcastle gig on 4 Nov

Metro Radio in Newcastle have a competition to win a pair of tickets to Seth’s gig at the Carling Academy on 4th November.

Enter competition:
http://www.metroradio.co.uk/Article.asp?id=880571&spid=20431

Closing date is 30 October 2008.

New October release date for Solomon Browne

The Solomon Browne single release has been put back to either 6th or 13th October, depending on your source. More news once there is more news — though my bet’s on the 13th.

Elsewhere the “special exclusive top secret” gig promised on www.sethlakeman.co.uk back in August remains so top secret no one know when it is, let alone how to get tickets.

Just do not get me started …

Update 12 September 2008
Details of the “exclusive… very special” gig are up and are that … er … you can win a pair of tickets to one of the dates on the autumn tour.

?

Around here that’s what we like to refer to as “cancelled”.

Cambridge Folk Festival on BBC4, 9.30pm Fri 29 Aug

Seth appeared on the BBC’s belated coverage of the Cambridge Folk Festival on Friday 29 August at 9.30pm (repeated 2.40am, Sat 30th). The half-hour programme, presented by Mark Radcliffe, also featured Noah and the Whale and is available on iPlayer » until Thu 4 September and in five parts on YouTube.

More from Cambridge in our Cambridge Folk Festival 2008 Roundup »