Long overdue and only waiting for me to pull my finger out, I’m glad to announce the second volume of our compilation album series, 4 Julia’s House has been released as a download on Bandcamp. As of volume 1, which is still available, all the proceeds will go to Julia’s House Children’s Hospices in Wiltshire & Dorset.
The second volume is out now, you can download it here. Weighing in 35 tracks, there’s a great deal of acoustic rock and folk greatness, but we don’t stand on convention, you have to have eclectic tastes to run Devizine; all genres are represented here, as the compilation whisks through them, with love.
I hope you’ll support this wonderful cause, and bag some great songs too. As much as the project is fundraising for the hospices, it also exists to promote and highlight all these great artists who’ve so kindly donated a tune to us. Many you’ll have heard of, many have featured on Devizine in the past, but others are new to us, which is of equal delight, and now they’re here we will support them in any way we can, cos I’m so grateful for them sending them in to us.
Thank you to everyone who has helped and contributed to this project. I know everyone will be aching to read the track listings and hear the songs on show. So, without further a’ waffling, here’s the songs, and their creators in the order they appear on the album; we will feature seven each article over the coming weeks, if my maths is correct that’s five articles, which if I listed them all here in one ginormous gert great list, it just gets too long-winded and if you’re anything like me, you’ve the memory of a goldfish!
1 – Sienna Wileman – Petals
2- Nick Harper – Riverside
3- Will Lawton and Ludwig Mack – Atlantic-O (acoustic version)
4 -Paul Elwood & Alice Simmons – Andromeda and Perseus
5 – Amy Fry – Home
6 – Josh Lobley – Glorious Mind
7 – Nigel Mines – Land on Mars
8- N-SH – Elemental Times
9 – Rebsie Fairholm & Marvin B. Naylor – Ark
10 – Sean Amor – Follow Your Own Way
11 – Bob & Amanda Condrey – No Barriers
12 – Lawrence Williams – Love Will Carry On
13 – Fly Yeti Fly – Shine a Light
14 – Daisy Chapman – Generation Next
15– Illingworth – Mockingbird
16 – Onika Venus – Reaper Man
17 – Hooch – Aluna
18 – Aural Candy – Arabella Whitely
19 – 80 Proof Mojo – A New Trick
20 – The Dirty Smooth – Black Jack City
21- The Sarah C. Ryan Band – A Woman in White
22 – Talk in Code – Young Loves Dream
23 – Subharmonic Ensemble – Worm Holes
24 – Brillstereodeck (produced by Robert Ellis) – Sunset
25 – Victims of the New Math – Twilight
26 – Zaia – Can it Be True
27 – Monkey Bizzle – Oi Mate!
28 – The Hotcakes of Wildfire – War of Words
29 –The Birth of Bonoyster – No Love Law
30 – Chloe Glover – Silver Lining
31 – Catfish – Clifton
32 – Salamander, feat Curtis Simmons – No Wrong
33 – Peter Lamb & Cliff Hall (Rob Walden-Woods)- Flying High
34 – Richard Wileman – Butterfly
35- John Wright – Little Nell
1 – Sienna Wileman – Petals
We open with a song which proves talent is hereditary, for Sienna is the daughter of Richard Wileman, a musical alchemist I’ve described in the past as “Swindon’s answer to Mike Oldfield.” His work under the banner Karda Estra is experimental soundscapes, yet he also performs more archetypically under his own name. Richard appeared on volume 1, but this time has sent us three tunes, one from him, another from musical partner Amy Fry, and this wonderful song Petals from Sienna.
This song knocked me for six when I first heard it in February, it’s hauntingly winter, a chilling echo of passion through the eyes of youthful romantic desperation, clinging to a teetering relationship, and Sienna expresses the emotive sentiment sublimely, using her voice as Kate Bush could, to resonance the desolation of the moment. That’s why it’s our opening song….
2- Nick Harper – Riverside
Obviously, I was over the moon when folk legend Nick Harper offered us a song, though he was a smidgen too late for inclusion on volume 1, he suggested adding it as bonus track, but I favoured if we’re going use his song, which we absolutely have to, it must be the start of a second volume. So, here’s the catalyst to volume 2, a handy bit of guitar work, expertly executed. The Times stated once that Nick, “does things to his [guitar] that would have had Segovia weeping into his Rioja.”
Riverside is taken from his 2016 album Instrumental; I was astounded by it’s almost flamenco influence, its drama, and the tension in it. Wow, eternally grateful to you Nick…. and Sienna, here’s the proof of my hereditary comment, Nick has become prominent, especially locally through his dedication to fundraising through Avebury Rocks from 2011 until 2019, but was inspired by his father, the legendary Roy Harper, of whom giants of rock will cite as an influence, from Jimmy Page & Robert Plant to Pete Townshend, Pink Floyd, and the aforementioned Kate Bush.
Website: https://harperspace.com/
3- Will Lawton and Ludwig Mack – Atlantic-O (acoustic version)
Okay, I know I shouldn’t pick a favourite, but let’s just say this track is way up there, this acoustic exquisiteness is an absolute knockout. Like David Gray’s Skellig last year, it rolls like its marine theme, crashes like waves on a moonlit shore, so you could almost taste the salt in the air.
Will met up with Argentinian guitarist Ludwig Mack in October 2020, through Instagram. Mack had travelled to the UK to meet British musicians but arrived just hours before the first national lockdown. Stranded in a cottage in Hullavington, the duo realised they lived only a few miles away from each other and began collaborating before recording and releasing a four track EP called Heroes, recorded and produced by Lucas Drinkwater at Polyphonic Recording in Stroud. This breath-taking song, Atlantic-O is taken from this EP.
Website: https://www.willlawtonmusic.co.uk/
4 -Paul Elwood & Alice Simmons – Andromeda and Perseus
Virtuoso of the five-string banjo, Paul is a composer with a love of the processes and syntax of contemporary writing, from Colorado. Past collaborations with the Callithumpian Consort of the New England Conservatory, bluegrass legend John Hartford, drummer Matt Wilson, Famoudou Don Moye of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, French musicians Jean-Marc Montera, Raphael Imbert, Simon Sieger, Pierre Fenichel, and Thomas Weirich, make up a prolific discography.
If you’re now thinking, wow, big up the Worrow for this campaign reaching out as far as Colorado, or otherwise getting all Royston Vasey on me, this is a local compilation for local people, the connection is with singer Alice Simmons, who lives in Wiltshire.
They teamed up and have been writing a number of winter-themed tunes for the past couple of years. Alice recorded her parts here in Wiltshire, and sent them over to Paul in the US and France.
We are delighted to have this fantastic, dreamy folk song on our compilation album, and thank them both for reaching out.
Website: http://paul-elwood.com/
5 – Amy Fry – Home
Written, produced and performed by Amy Fry.
Drums – Tony Fry
Guitar – Shedric
As promised, the second track Richard Wileman sent from his musical family in Swindon, then, long-time collaborator Amy Fry on vocals, and with her rolling clarinet sound, this is another corker, and Amy’s voice echoes gloriously. Quite exclusive this song, I’m led to believe, and I love songs about home, especially this one, Amy, thank you for sending it.
6 – Josh Lobley – Glorious Mind
Having returning artists and ones known to us is always a pleasure, but what is equally as great of this project is that we at Devizine are introduced to new artists by it too. Unsolicited come thick and fast, I’m beginning to worry I may have missed a few emails attempting to keep up with the influx.
I’m glad to have picked up on brilliant folk-rock singer-songwriter Josh Lobley from the hills of Shropshire. Platformed on Dying Ember Records, Josh’s 2019 EP Chapters can be found on Amazon, here. This song is not on this EP though, seems like quite a newer one, from July, and it rings of Billy Brag at his peak, its selfless prose is simply tantalising. Recorded, mixed and engineered by Andy Lowe of Hope Sounds. Plus, it’s got the most wonderful video accompanying it made by Dirtbox Productions, which I’ll leave here….
7 – Nigel Mines – Land on Mars
I love the honest expression of Trowbridge singer-songwriter Nigel Mines, of self-labelled One Cat Broke. Land on Mars is drifting acoustic, Bowie-esque, perhaps, but assured a beautiful song. Find Nigel on his favouring platform SoundCloud for more.
That’s all for now folks, I’ll be posting all about the next seven songs as fast I can get them sausage fingers typing again; we’re only skimming the tip of the iceberg. Until then, please buy the album anyway, see for yourself. But it is crucial for us if you could share this with your friends, family and even people you’d don’t like that much but put up with anyway! We love feedback, Do let us know what you think of it, thanks!
And oh, musicians who’ve not made it onto this release should note, this is an ongoing venture, we will bring out further volumes as soon as we’ve collected enough tracks, so feel free to send us your tune, but do ensure we’re informed that you wish it to appear on the album, and not just wishing a review. Of course, we could do both if you like! Thanks.
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