The Monday Morning Brew #79 (Exclusive)

The latest Monday Morning Brew Playlist, Kate Bush (a brief ramble around Folk Music) and more.

Just a reminder that The Monday Morning Brew is now exclusive to our Premium Newsletter Subscribers.

The listen links for the latest brew are further down this page.

This week’s brew kicks off with Echolalia’s debut single, featuring friends Spencer Cullum, Andrew Combs, Jordan Lehning, and Dominic Billett. Some may recall that the London-born, now Nashville-based, in-demand pedal steel guitar player Spencer Cullum released his debut album Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection in 2021 (in the UK…2020 in the US). Like his debut album, this new single has some nice psych-prog influences, channelling that Canterbury vibe of Robert Wyatt. Although it wasn’t Cullum who had the initial idea for the album, they headed back to Cullum’s home turf to record it.

“It was Jordan Lehning that decided to put it together,” says songwriter and pedal steel wizard Spencer Cullum. “I told Jordan about this studio in a really desolate area on the Isle of Wight that a friend of mine runs called Chale Abbey. It’s a beautiful old building from 1160 where monks used to live. The studio owners completely renovated it. Jordan had this idea – the four songwriters would have three songs and we’d work together to make a record of it”. Multi-instrumentalist Jordan Lehning: “Going out to the middle of nowhere, where the coast is a seven minute walk, and in the wintertime, it’s cold and foggy and beautiful… there’s really nothing like it”.

London-based five-piece band Tapir! is another band I’ve enjoyed since first hearing their Act 1 EP in 2022. Their varied influences include Harry Nilsson, Richard Dawson, and Little Wings. They’re usually masked—rarely seen to the human eye…purveyors of wizened earthy indie-folk.

Also included are new releases from Hands of the Heron, Letitia VanSant & David McKindley-Ward, Evolution of Fishermen, Jim Ghedi, The Gentle Good, Jennifer Castle, CIAO MALZ, and Syrian American guitarist and teacher Rami Atassi who is based in Chicago, plus some older favourites.

Below, alongside a brief exploration of some of those featured in the playlist, we take a look at Kate Bush’s love of folk music.

The Monday Morning Brew #79

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