Folk in a Box

The Brand new Folk in a Box is almost ready!

folkinabox — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:59:14 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, their is a hiatus of excitement down at folk in a box HQ. The brand new state of the art, world class, knock your socks off Folk in a Box is almost finished. It’s being put together by artisan carpenters Aldworth James and Bond in their workshop in Greenwhich. They are doing incredible work. The new box will be a one on one masterpiece. Here’s a very sneaky peak behind the scenes with the whole tam, including the wonderful architects who designed the whole thing – Cristina Monteiro and David Knight.

A brand new box!

folkinabox — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:51:21 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, the brand new, state of the art new folk in a box is going into construction this week! It has been designed by architects David Knight and Cristina Monteiro and is being built by artisan carpenters. It’s going to be spectacular. We are very, very, very EXCITED! We will be showing off our brand new box in London and Stroud in January. We’llkeep you posted on that one…..Oh, and the new box is going to double up as a WHISKEY BAR!

Dialogue Festival

folkinabox — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:37:30 +0000

On November 3rd, Folk in a Box will be back in London at dialogue festival, a four day festival of conversation and the spoken word. We can’t wait! We will be involved in an event called Technobable.

This night will challenge a selection of comedy’s finest to rant and muse on technical jargon, take part in a live tweet-off and tell us what they really think of technology past and present. Hosted by Richard Herring and showcasing the talents of Aisle 16 and Josie Long.

Folk in a Box will be hosting a different kind of performance than usual, something mystical, mysterious, but we’re not going to tell you anymore than that, it’s a secret!

Tickets are available here.

Stroud meets Folk in a Box

folkinabox — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:18:54 +0000

We had an incredible weekend introducing Folk in a Box to Stroud.

On Saturday we set up at the crack of 8am amidst the morning hustle and bustle of The Shambles market and opened up shop to those daring enough to see a one-on-one performance in a box (in actual fact it ended up being more than one audience member at a time due to families with kiddies.) Performers over the day included Johnny Barlow, Herons!, Edwin Von Zschock, Tom Jacob, Pink Sniper and I also did my time inside.

Johnny Barlow in a box.

Anna and Ben of Herons!

Then on Sunday we relocated to Cornhill right outside of Iceland (which was a funny juxtaposition.) We had the pleasure of many acts returning having enjoyed their Folk in a Box experience the day before, as well as the addition of Ceilidh-Jo and one of Stroud’s finest poets: Adam Horovitz. So all in all, the weekend was a complete success and I look forward to the next time Folk in a Box visits Stroud.

Stroud Fringe Festival

folkinabox — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:04:04 +0000

Hello people!

Sorry it’s been such a long time since we updated you on FiaB happenings.

We’re very pleased to announce Folk in a Box will be appearing on the streets of Stroud, Gloucestershire this weekend as a part of the Stroud Fringe Festival.

On Saturday 3rd September you can find the box on Shambles Market right by the cheese merchants (yes!) We’ll be there from 10am until 3pm.

Then on Sunday 4th Sept we’ll be set up on Cornhill right near The Bird’s Nest stage from 1pm until 5pm.

This weekend we have enlisted the help and fine musicianship of Herons! and Johnny Barlow. Also playing is Tom Jacob of Hermes, Emily Barker and a menagerie of other brilliant musicians.

We’re also very pleased to say that Anna and Ben of Herons! have made special badges for the occasion.

See you in the box in Stroud.

Folk in a Box at Secret Garden Party 2011!!

folkinabox — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:59:52 +0000

Folk in A box members are flying!!

folkinabox — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:43:54 +0000

Over the winter months, members of Folk in a box have been writing, recording, releasing and promoting our exciting individual projects.

First up, is the fantastic Emily Barker, with her brand new album, ‘Almanac’, which is released on Monday 7th February!

‘Almanac’ is the third studio album by Anglo-Australian quartet Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo. The album weaves a compelling musical tapestry balancing contemporary influences with classic, folk-rooted songwriting.

In this almanac appear stories of love, renewal, the importance of community and our relationship to the earth. Shadowing these lighter themes are darker truths of untold atrocities committed by settlers on indigenous Australians during colonisation (Bones), the mass hysteria regarding a Scottish witch-hunt (Witch of Pittenweem) and good old-fashioned heartbreak.

Emily is a compelling songwriter with a gift for melody and words. Her talent is perfectly complimented by the magnificent arrangements of The Red Clay Halo. Throughout the album, the interplay between the band’s rootsy ensemble playing, and Barker’s agile vocal blend of strength and fragility, is effortlessly engaging. In moments when the four female voices combine to deliver arresting harmonies, it is simply blissful.

In the song ‘Pause,’ a grand pipe organ and lonely electric guitar provide stark arrangement to the group’s mesmerizing vocal chorus, whilst in ‘Ropes,’ as we are taken on a month by month account of the disintegration of a relationship, the quartet, backed by drums and double bass, stir up a rebellious storm before reforming peacefully with the determination to move on and the hope of a positive outcome: “And I can afford no hope but I do wish that you find yourself through losing me.”

The first single, ‘Little Deaths’ received enthusiastic radio support at 6 Music, with afternoon presenter Nemone making it her Single of the Week and plays from Tom Robinson, Gideon Coe and Steve Lamacq on Radio 2.
A session with 6 Music’s Cerys Matthews is scheduled for Sunday 23 Jan, ahead of the second single release ‘Calendar’ on Jan 31 and a UK tour in February.

The album will be released in CD and digital format on the band’s own imprint ‘Everyone Sang.’ The project is entirely self-financed, through funding from a www.pledgemusic.com campaign and through support from the fanbase, in particular the owners of www.spareroom.co.uk. The band consists of Emily Barker (acoustic & electric guitar, lead vocals), Jo Silverston (cello, saw), Anna Jenkins (violin) and Gill Sandell (accordion, flute, piano, pipe organ). The album is co-produced by Ted Barnes with captivating illustrations by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini.

Emily Barker interview in Folk in a Box

folkinabox — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:32:08 +0000

Folk in a Box member and BAFTA award winning songwriter Emily Barker was interviewed inside the box by our good friend Ben Eschmade for the fantastic Arctic Circle Radio on resonance FM. Here’s the podcast.

Folk In A Box (Arctic Circle Radio) by Arctic Circle Radio

Folk in a Box went missing on the mean streets of London…….We had to build a new one…..AND IT WAS BRILLIANT!!!

folkinabox — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:42:37 +0000

We were distraught when we discovered that our two fantastic boxes had disappeared from our lock up. What a shocker. Especially as we had a gig in a week’s time at the Southbank Centre for National Poetry Day, with poets from throughout the land performing in the box!

But we all came together and sorted it out. We made a brand new box and it is a corker! We covered the box in pages from old books and made the room into a little study, with a wooden desk, an 80′s tape player and a reading lamp. A horde of strange and lovely poets gathered around us like highly articulate bumble bees. They read their poems to eager poetry lovers and all went swimmingly. Everyone got a bit over excited when Simon Armitage went in the box and we even had a monstrous paparazzi beast taking snaps of our souped up shed of Folk! What a fantastic day.

We did it! Folk in a Box was at Tate Britain!!

folkinabox — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 13:51:25 +0000

Well good gracious, we had queues round the block, people blooming love it!! Our dodgy little box looked fantastic next to the epic architecture of Tate Britain. Here’s badman Adeel setting up. Thanks to all who got the special treatment! Thanks to the incredible Arctic Circle for having us.

Tate in a Box