Interview: The Unthanks | reviews, news & interviews
Interview: The Unthanks
Interview: The Unthanks
Geordie folk gal explains why she won't be cheering up quite yet
Thursday, 10 March 2011
The Unthanks: Glad to be glum
Misery may be folk music’s stock-in-trade but no one does it quite like the British. Maybe it’s part of our heritage. We are a nation, after all, that has not only invented a drink called bitter but have a brand called Doom Bar. And within the UK, there’s one particular volume of folk music that is unparalleled in its bleakness. It’s called the Northumbrian Minstrelsy, and it’s the first place Rachel Unthank, of critically acclaimed folk group The Unthanks, goes to look for new songs to cover.
Misery may be folk music’s stock-in-trade but no one does it quite like the British. Maybe it’s part of our heritage. We are a nation, after all, that has not only invented a drink called bitter but have a brand called Doom Bar. And within the UK, there’s one particular volume of folk music that is unparalleled in its bleakness. It’s called the Northumbrian Minstrelsy, and it’s the first place Rachel Unthank, of critically acclaimed folk group The Unthanks, goes to look for new songs to cover.
After years of relatively anonymous graft, this past year has really been the one where everyone has wanted a part of The Unthanks
Buy
Explore topics
Share this article
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more New music
Album: Hibernacula - Three Cane Whale
Delicate musical miniatures spun from the English landscape
Album: The Innocence Mission - Midwinter Swimmers
Allusive reflections prompted by experience and the commonplace
EFG London Jazz Festival round-up review - youth, age, and the greatness in between
From Xhosa Cole Monking Around to 87-year-old Kirk Lightsey
EFG London Jazz Festival 2024 round-up review - from Korean noise to Carnatic soul
A trio of bands and artists blend world music, cinematic grooves and pure noise at the London Jazz Festival
Album: Alice Ivy - Do What Makes You Happy
Aussie producer's third is half gems and half pap
Music Reissues Weekly: Stefan Gnyś - Horizoning
Folk-inclined Canadian’s brooding album emerges 55 years after it was recorded
Album: Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More
Gems in the rough on the Pixie / Breeder's long-awaited solo debut
Hannah Scott, Worthing Pavilion Theatre Atrium review - filling an arctic venue with human warmth
Singer-songwriter brings moving, autobiographical songs to the freezing south coast
Album: Joan Armatrading - How Did This Happen and What Does It Now Mean
Held in love and affection
Album: FaithNYC - Love is a Wish Away
Wonderfully produced off-piste music
English Teacher, Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow review - Mercury winners step up in size with style
The Leeds quartet's set was varied in genre but thrilling when punchy
Album: Father John Misty - Mahashmashana
The flawless union of style and substance
Add comment