All about Uiscedwr
Widely acclaimed as one of Britains most exciting new bands, Uiscedwrs freshness, innovation, charm and sheer joy of playing has brought them a long way in an absurdly short time. After winning the BBC Young Folk Award in 2002 theyve barely paused for breath, winning widespread acclaim with prestigious festival appearances, notably informal gigs and a BBC Folk Award nominated debut album, Everywhere. The highly anticipate second album 'Circle' was released to great applause in 2006 and also featured guitarist Kevin Dempsey.2008 sees newcomer James Hickman joining the trio on guitar as Kevin has stepped down to pursue other projects. The awesomely talented Mr Hickman has a history in swing and bluegrass, and has toured with fiddle legend Dan Cassidy in the UK, US and across Europe, as well as supporting Jools Holland with his guitar duo, The Badgers.
Featuring fiddle, guitar, vocals and more expertly played percussion than you could shake a stick at (not to mention the tight knit arrangements and boundless energy) Uiscedwr are quite simply explosive.
Start practising it now...
...ish-ka-dooer.
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Bye Bye Kevin, Hello James
James Hickman Joins UiscedwrBig changes ahead for Uiscedwr, not least the departure of Kevin Dempsey, as he has left the trio to concentrate on other projects. There’s no hard feelings there and we’re just glad we got to play with him for as long as we did. We’ve had the best time playing with Kev over the last few years and want to wish him all the best for the future. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us on Kevin’s last tour with Uiscedwr in December 2007. The exciting news is, we’re very happy to introduce a new face to the folk scene: Please welcome Mr James Hickman, guitarist and singer extraordinaire. James has a background in bluegrass and swing, and having played with the likes of fiddler Dan Cassidy (the late Eva Cassidy’s brother) we knew he’d be able to step up to the mark for Uiscedwr. He’s played gigs all over the UK and Europe, taking in a few support slots for Jools Holland, so he’s definitely pedigree material! James had his first Uiscedwr gigging experience in Basingstoke recently and all were in agreement - he is a FANTASTIC addition to the trio. The on-stage dynamic between the three musicians was electric, and the new arrangements and tunes had the audiences clamouring to chat to our new arrival after the performance.
Please bare with us as we update the Myspace pages and the Uiscedwr website to reflect the change in line-up, we'll get it all sorted as soon as possible!
Circle
release date: 24/07/06The long awaited second album from extraordinary folk trio Uiscedwr is finally here. Circle contains 12 delicious new tracks: funked-up folk tunes, heart wrenching songs, this is one cd we dare you not to love.
After the success of debut album Everywhere which culminated in a cover of fRoots magazine and a BBC Folk Award nomination, the bands leading lady Anna Esslemont was struck down by a major illness making it impossible to work. Esslemont is now back stronger than ever, and with a PRS Foundation award for her music writing under her belt the new self-penned tracks are nothing short of explosive. New addition Kevin Dempsey (Whippersnapper, Swarbs Lazarus) has added a dynamic third dimension to the fiddle/bodhran jousting of Byrne and Esslemont. Dark and delicate solos showcase his skill in Ceol Aine and Uiscedwr introduce his voice in The Music Bringer, one of 4 varied songs on the album. In Tree Cormac Byrne (Seth Lakeman Band) demonstrates his unrivalled percussive talents with a multi-tracked extravaganza guaranteed to get you dancing.
Uiscedwr (meaning water in Irish then Welsh) have delivered an album dripping in Celtic fervour and instrumental virtuosity. It demands your attention.
"Divine eccentricity," - Daily Telegraph
"Smart songs and vivacious sets.... a terrific album," - BBC Radio 2
"Uiscedwr have crafted an album of commendable verve, conviction and daring," - fRoots
'CIRCLE' IS NOW AVAILABLE IN ALL GOOD MUSIC SHOPS
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