Family alt-folk trio Wildwood Kin made quite the impression with their 2017 debut album ‘Turning Tides’. It set them on course for an enthralling ride which led to majestic performances at Glastonbury, Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park and the Teenage Cancer Trust’s ‘A Beautiful Night Out’ at the Royal Albert Hall – plus extensive support from Radio 2 and BBC Introducing. A growing fanbase fell under their spell in the process, pushing them past the 20 million streams landmark.
Now Wildwood Kin return with their self-titled second album, which will be released on October 4th via Silvertone Records/Sony. Completely fulfilling the band’s artistic vision, it’s as natural as it is accomplished. The trio’s vocals harmonise effortlessly, there are shades of Simon & Garfunkel, Bear’s Den and early Fleet Foxes in the beautifully gentle folk rock melodies, and its lyrics address profound themes like love, loss and spirituality. But above all, there’s a spirit to the record that’s as wild and free as the West Country moors where they grew up.
The album is today launched with the lead single ‘Never Alone’, a beautifully sombre, Fleetwood Mac-like folk rock ballad which radiates with positivity. Produced and co-written with Ed Harcourt, ‘Never Alone’ is deeply personal and a message to anyone feeling as isolated as Meg Loney’s brother – who sadly committed suicide.
“Because Ed’s so raw and heart-on-sleeve it wasn’t long before we were talking about shared experiences of mental health,” says Meg. “We played some riffs and sang harmonies that had been knocking about for years and asked ourselves: how does this make us feel? It all came out from there. ‘Never Alone’ is about walking and loving someone through a dark place. We knew it had to be honest and hard hitting, but uplifting too.”
Alongside the single, Wildwood Kin have also released a video of them recording the track in the studio with Ed. Made by the band’s own Beth Key, the video is available to watch HERE
Completed by Meg’s cousins, the Key sisters Emillie (guitar) and Beth (bouzouki), Wildwood Kin are a band of equals with each member contributing equally. This time around they delved deeper into their sound by experimenting with a variety of co-writers across sessions in in Los Angeles, Nashville and Oxfordshire. These included Gabrielle Aplin on ‘Wake Up Sleeper’, Angelo Petraglia (Taylor Swift, Kings of Leon) on ‘All On Me’ and Alex Davies (Sigrid, Birdy) on ‘Signals’, with Ian Grimble (Bear’s Den, Catfish & The Bottlemen) on production duties.
The songs are all built around messages that Wildwood Kin believe in. The warm-hearted ‘All On Me’ is similar in spirit to ‘The Weight’ by The Band, a song about sharing the load with someone. ‘The Crown’ addresses the rise of political showmen, and asks if any would actually stand up for what they believe if their power was stripped away. The strident ‘Time Has Come’ is both a female empowerment anthem and a reminder to not let yourself be crushed by circumstance, while the intimate acoustic lament ‘Beauty In Your Brokenness’ is about self-acceptance.
Wildwood Kin may have an unusual gift for harmony, and a way with evergreen folk rock melodies, but ultimately they’re three normal, relatable young women finding their way in the world and dealing with the same challenges, triumphs and tragedies as the rest of us. That connection, acceptance and, ultimately, love is captured throughout this beautifully reflective album. It is a tonic for our times.
The album will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital/streaming and is now available to pre-order now, with ‘Never Alone’ provided as an instant download.
Wildwood Kin also today announce details of their first headline tour in support of the album. Fans who pre-order the album from the band’s official store will receive access to an exclusive pre-sale for tour tickets before they go on general sale from 7th June.
The headline tour will follow Wildwood Kin’s busy summer of festivals which include Glastonbury, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, and a main stage performance at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention.
Album tracklisting:
1. ‘Headed For The Water’
2. ‘Time Has Come’
3. ‘Beauty In Your Brokenness’
4. ‘Wake Up Sleeper’
5. ‘All On Me’
6. ‘Never Alone’
7. ‘Breathe’
8. ‘How I Feel’
9. ‘The Crown’
10. ‘Signals’
Full list of live dates for 2019
June
1st Cornwall, The Great Estate Festival
22nd Dorset, Leweston Festival
28th Glastonbury, Croissant Neuf Stage
July
6th Cornbury Festival
13th Dorset, Jurassic Fields Festival
27th Cornwall, Port Eliot Festival
August
2nd Inverness, Belladrum
9th Cropredy, Fairports Cropredy Convention
17th Tilford, Surrey, Weyfest
31st Shebfest
November *NEW HEADLINE TOUR DATES*
6th Norwich, Waterfront Studio
7th Birmingham, O2 Academy 3
8th Manchester, Night & Day Café
11th London, Omeara
12th Bath, Moles
13th Cardiff, Glee Club
14th Bristol, Thekla
15th Bude, Bude Folk Festival
17th Southampton, Joiners
18th Brighton, Komedia
21st Exeter, Lemon Grove
28th Liverpool, Leaf
29th Whitby, Pavilion
December
1st Edinburgh, Caves
2nd Glasgow, Stereo
3rd Newcastle, Cluny
4th Leeds, Brudenell