Hands of the Heron, Loris and the Lion & Beth Calverley

A double headline bill from Hands of the Heron (Vivid choral alt-folk from Bristol) and Loris and the Lion (a patchwork of lyrical alt-folk from Liverpool), with words from Beth Calverley (Bristol/Liverpool). 

Friday 13th October

19:30

£8 Adv // £11 Otd

About the artists:

Hands of the Heron:

Hands of the Heron is a dreamfolk trio from Bristol, UK. Their instantly recognisable vocal harmonies are delivered by three frontwomen - Bec Garthwaite, Bethany M. Roberts & Claire Vine - each of whom brings a signature writing style to the band's mercurial sound. They move effortlessly between sparse choral folk and spellbinding chamber pop, richly layered with an assortment of strings, drones and reeds. Their long-awaited second album 13 Moons was released in February 2021 on their own DIY label Cuculi Records, and has been praised as "a wondrous collection of curious story-songs, choral singing and carefully layered instrumentation" (Joyzine) with "songwriting mastery that perfectly delivers reverberating folk-pop" (Tap The Feed). Esteemed jazz critic Ted Gioia recommended 13 Moons as one of his top recordings for 2021.During 2022, they headlined a sold-out night at Bristol’s Boiling Wells Amphitheatre as part of the prestigious Outlandish Nights gig series, alongside artists such as Lisa O’Neill and Mikey Kenney, and played well-received shows at festivals including Purbeck Folk Festival and Green Man. They also sold out every show on their February 2023 headline tour, including The Barrelhouse in Totnes and Plymouth Aquarium.

https://cuculirecords.com/artists/handsoftheheron/

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Loris and the Lion:

Loris and the Lion weave gentle tales of joy and loss; a patchwork of sonic delights to soothe the soul and feed the heart.

An alt-folk duo from Liverpool, navigating life together accompanied by: fairytales; folktales; lifetales; a piano; a clarinet; a harmonium; a guitar (often bowed); too many effects pedals; sometimes a tenor recorder; some homemade bells; many other instruments they haven’t discovered yet; a shared love of choral music; an insatiable appetite for tea; a general love of nature (especially trees when looked up at from beneath); Joni Mitchell (naturally); Kate Bush (a first love); love (a second one).

Recent notable shows include support slots for artists such as Rozi Plain, Marina Allen and Siv Jakobsen, as well as performing on The Den stage at Cambridge Folk Festival alongside artists like Bess Atwell, Memorial, Katie Spencer and Angeline Morrison in 2022 after being named winners of the emerging talent competition for the festival.Their critically acclaimed debut EP Jorinde and Joringel (2021) received album of the year awards from For Folk Sake, Bido Lito, and Where Are The Girlbands, with their music labelled by Tom Robinson's Fresh on the Net as "contemporary Folk at its best."

www.lorisandthelion.com

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Beth Calverley:

Poet Beth Calverley brings poetry to places of work, care, learning and play, from hospitals to festivals. Poetry has nurtured perspective and purpose in her own working life. She invites us to write in our workplace, explaining how and why workers can benefit from creative writing. Beth Calverley is a poet, performer, facilitator and founder of The Poetry Machine. She is Poet in Residence at University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS FT, and she has been a Poet in Residence for The Poetry House, Bristol Poetry Festival, a Bristol Life Awards Arts Finalist, and a Roundhouse Slam Finalist. She has worked with the BBC, ITV, Sky, and many more. Beth travels across the country to places of work, care, learning and play - from high streets to hospitals to theatres to festivals - performing, facilitating and co-creating poetry. Her debut collection, Brave Faces & Other Smiles explores some of the countless and complex reasons why we smile. Benjamin Zephaniah called it "a great collection with a honest, real theme."

https://www.instagram.com/poetrymachine/