The Magpies have announced the release of their debut album Tidings on 5th June 2020.
The UK folk quartet began in 2017 when singer-songwriter Bella Gaffney met mandolin virtuoso Polly Bolton. The line-up expanded to include fiddle player Holly Brandon and Sarah Smout on cello, and in early 2019 The Magpies emerged.
Tidings is a rich and varied showcase of the music this band has been performing to rapt audiences at sold-out shows and festivals over the past year. The album draws on a range of influences from the world of traditional British folk and Americana.
It is full of songs which explore uniquely female experiences in unpredictable and surprising ways. From the transformation and sorcery of the traditional ballad The Two Magicians, to lost love, murder and suicide in the original Run River Run. They draw on their experiences as women and the material is deeply rooted in the traditions of their native Yorkshire.
Tidings was recorded by Dave Boothroyd at 6DB Studios in York and mixed by Donald Richard (The East Pointers, The Trials of Cato) in Prince Edward Island, Canada. It was mastered by Jon Astley (Fairport Convention, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones), the album is sleek and cutting edge.
