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https://squareandcompasspub.co.uk/what-s-on/1672Showman & Coole (2/3rds of The Lonesome Ace Stringband) bring grit, skill and abandon to Americana music, bridging old-time, bluegrass and folk traditions into a seamless hybrid of original material that is at once fresh and timeless.
The trio’s sound is anchored in the fiddle and clawhammer banjo of John Showman and Chris Coole. They are joined by a rotating cast of extraordinary upright bassists (including founding member Max Malone, James Mceleney, and Lotus Wight). The band moves freely between a sound so commanding it doesn’t seem like it should be coming from a stringband, to a sparse fragility that draws the listener closer. Whether singing about climate change, modern love, BBQ techniques or life's inevitable existential crises, the band cuts to the core. They can also turn and churn out a tune with so much verve that it will make your heart spin and set the dance floor swirling.
There’s a reason why they are a smokin’ hot outfit - they’ve put in their time. In 2007, Lonesome Ace Stringband took up residency in Toronto’s legendary Dakota Tavern, routinely playing 10 sets of music every weekend. They went on to spend seven years as the house band before ever taking the show on the road or recording a note. Those years of musical percolation honed them into a group that thinks and plays as one - something that comes from clocking thousands of on-stage hours together. Outside of their trio work, each musician is a veteran of the Canadian music scene, sought after for teaching camps, recording sessions and touring with some of the best artists in North America.
The band’s recording journey mirrors the arc of their on-stage evolution. Their early catalogue is anchored in inventive and engaging versions of traditional repertoire punctuated by original compositions. Now with more than a decade of group music-making under their belts, they’re releasing their fifth album, a feisty and mighty collection of all-original material titled ‘Try To Make It Fly’ (October 13, 2023). And much like their seamless live performances where they trade-off lead vocals, each member has brought their songwriting voice to the album.
Their touring has taken them well beyond their Toronto origin. They’ve become festival favourites at Rockygrass, Celtic Connections, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Merlefest and regularly tour the USA, UK, Germany and, of course, Canada.
Links:
lonesomeace.com
facebook.com/lonesomeacestringband
instagram.com/lonesomeacestringband/?hl=en
music.apple.com/ca/artist/the-lonesome-ace-stringband/901883438
open.spotify.com/artist/504JYVhTf3TWNWUEiV5gcb
Press:
"these are three powerful musicians playing and singing some powerful music" - Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine
"This is 21st century acoustic music at it’s stripped-down, sharply-rendered best!" - Songlines Magazine (UK)
"it's not only a beautiful performance, but a fascinating arrangement - which could describe any selection on this excellent album" - The Old Time Herald
"three of the most accomplished Old-Time musicians on the planet, the Lonesome Ace Stringband does a masterful job melding their talents" - Brad Kolodner (WAMU Washington, DC)
"a great old-time band" - The Banjo Newsletter
"Fresh” and “old-time” are not concepts that, perhaps, we’d readily associate, though that’s what Lonesome Ace is really bringing to the table" - Penguin Eggs Magazine
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Worth Matravers, BH19 3LF Worth Matravers, United Kingdom, Worth Matravers, Swanage, BH19 3, United Kingdom, Wareham
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
