sHop ta lk
interview tHeir conference crusHes.
W
e asked a few locals playing at the Folk Alliance Inter-
national showcase to phone their favorite out-of-town musicians headed to KC for the conference. Here are some of the exchanges they shared with us.
G a l l a G h e r
Courtesy of the artist
N a t a l i e
Courtesy of the artist
B y
Hometown musicians
Betse e l lis If you’re attending the FAI’s Winter Music Camp this week, you might find yourself under Betse Ellis’ tutelage. Or you might run into the violinist at one of the panels she’s either coordinating or participating in. Or you’re trying to get down front for her not-to-be-missed set at the showcase. She’s everywhere, is what we’re saying. Derbyshire native Bella Hardy is a damnfine fellow fiddler. Since 2007, the singersongwriter has concentrated on bridging the gap between traditional folk and contemporary arrangements. Hardy’s latest fulllength, last April’s Battleplan, is a stunner: a collection of moody stories old and new, knit together by a sirenlike voice. It’s no wonder Hardy is a four-time nominee (and 2012 winner) of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
in tervie ws
Ellis: Hi, Bella! How are you feeling about the upcoming Folk Alliance conference? Hardy: It’s my first trip to America. I’m a bit giddy. I’m literally just coming over for Folk Alliance because I’m right in the middle of two different tours. I’m away for five weeks, and conference is a week in the middle of it. Will you play another instrument? It’ll all be fiddle and singing. I pluck the fiddle a lot when I’m writing songs. I travel with two fiddles: one that’s always tuned [for] plucking, one that’s a nicer sound to be plucked; and one that I sing against — it’s a smaller body and easier to play. When I tour solo in the U.K., I sometimes take a harmonium and do a few songs more droney. This will all be fiddle-singing.
Be l l a H a r dy
How do you describe your own folk music? Well, I think the way I describe all folk music reflects on how I describe my own, because I really think — and we all have this argument all the time — what is folk music? And for me, folk music is choosing whatever I want to do. That is what folk music is. It’s a choice. I like to do traditional songs. I like to do my own songs. I like to do covers. Folk music itself is having that root point which is trying to come from an honest place, trying to come from a place which is intimate, and getting to the root of something. We’ll actually have a panel this year that’s called “Folk Music: Creation or Evolution.” Is there something that really stood out to you [in the conference] that you’re looking forward to?
pitch.com
The first person on the list who jumped out at me is Sam Baker. Somebody gave me one of his albums, Pretty World, a few years ago, and I’ve been so absolutely in love with it ever since. There’s a couple of boys who’ve been coming over to Scotland quite a lot — Cahalen Morrison and Eli West — who are just brilliant and are slowly building up a reputation on our side of the pond as well, so I’m really looking forward to seeing them again. And Sarah Jarosz, of course. I’ve never seen her live. Betse Ellis plays at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, February 22, on the Pershing West Stage. Bella Hardy plays at 7 p.m. Saturday on the Union Hill Stage. continued on page 12 FEBRUARY 20 -26, 2014
the pitch
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