Folk Roots Radio Episode 290: 100 Mile House Interview & More New Releases

Peter Stone from 100 Mile House joins us on this episode to chat about “Hiraeth”, their fabulous new album of deeply personal and introspective songs about life, love, loss and the meaning of home. Recorded in Edmonton AB, with partner Denise MacKay, and Peter in the producer’s chair, the album features some fine musical arrangements – including some gorgeous use of both violin and cello, alongside some fabulous harmonies. We also take a look at some of the best of the latest new releases.

As an expat Brit, I really enjoyed talking to fellow Brit Peter Stone from 100 Mile House, about their great new album “Hiraeth”. “Hiraeth’ is a Welsh word with no direct English translation but it basically means a sort of yearning or longing or homesickness for something (or someone) that may not exist anymore… or indeed may never really have existed. I completely understand this in relation to my own relationship with the U.K. which I still think of as “home” – even though, now, I am definitely more attached to Canada and the special people here who brighten my day, and make me feel loved. You should definitely check out the beautiful 100 Mile House song “You Feel Like Home”, which we use to wrap the interview. It’s a song about recognizing that as we age, home starts to feel more like being with a special person or people, rather than being in a specific place. Something that feels completely right. (It gives me goosebumps just to write that). For more information about 100 mile House, visit 100milehouse.co.uk. Photo: Byron Christopher.

Montreal based art-folk singer-songwriter Emily Millard (formerly known as Miss Emily Brown) has just released her latest album of haunting ethereal art folk, “By Heron & By Season”. Emily will shortly follow up the album release with an anthology of poetry. Emily played a fabulous late night showcase for us at the recent Folk Music Ontario conference in Ottawa alongside her instrumentalist pals, The Aerialists. She’s definitely worth checking out live if you get the chance. You can check out an interview with Emily we taped at last year’s FMO conference HERE, and guess what, we have another one to bring you in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for that. For more information about Emily’s music, visit emilymillard.ca.

Sarah Beatty, the Hamilton ON songwriter, who describes herself as being both a musician and a scientist – having just completed a Ph D in environmental science, will release her sophomore album “Bandit Queen” in February. On this episode we played the great opening track, “Slaves & Kings”. According to Sarah, Bandit Queen is ‘a modern folk fable with eclectic movie soundtrack stylings like a spaghetti western’. With a description like that, how can we possibly not want an interview? We’ll get on it!

Talking of opening tracks, we also included “Hangnail” from “Call To Arms”, the debut from Harrow Fair in this episode. Harrow Fair feature the fiddle and voice of Miranda Mulholland alongside the guitar, dobro and voice of Andrew Penner and produce a wonderful foot-stomping retro country sound. “Call to Arms” is out now on Miranda’s own label, Roaring Girl Records. Harrow Fair gave a fabulous official showcase at the recent Folk Music Ontario conference. They’re definitely worth catching on your travels next year. You can find them online at harrowfair.ca.

Newfoundland’s The Once – Geraldine Hollett, Phil Churchill and Andrew Dale spent much of 2014 touring worldwide with Mike Rosenberg – who tours a Passenger – an experience that encouraged them to re-evaluate their own career, and experiment more in their music. The result is a new E.P. of seven songs, “We Win Some We Lose”.  “And the Blood Inside Your Heart (for Olive)”, that we played on thsi episode, is a really raw and emotional song that was inspired by Phil Churchill’s Aunt Ollie, and her lifelong battle with schizophrenia. Definitely check out the rest of that E.P. if you get the chance. You can also find an interview we recorded with The Once at the Hillside Festival in 2014 HERE.

Linda Adler & Lindy Hearne from Winnsboro Texas make music as, self-proclaimed “organic song farmers”, Adler & Hearne. This week we played the title track from their great double album “Simpatico”, a song with a wonderful sentiment about connectedness within a relationship, and rather fitting after the great conversation I had with Peter Stone from 100 Mile House concerning the meaning of home.

We wrapped the hour with another track from Southern Ontario singer-songwriter Barry James Payne as String Bone. This is “Feel the Power of Your Love” from his solo album “Love & Highways”. There’s a great musical message in there too. “Feel the power of your love; Let’s go out and change the world!” Quite.

Thanks to all the artists who share their music with us, and thank you for listening. We have a lot of great music to bring you on future shows. I hope you’ll join us!

You can listen to this episode again on Mixcloud by following the link below. You can also listen to episodes of Folk Roots Radio, on demand, via iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Tune-in Radio. (Click on the highlighted link to reach your chosen platform.)

Nicolas & The Iceni (Theme)
Lucy She Rises (Demo)
Roll Right (expected 2016)

Rebekah Long
Here I Am
Here I Am (2016, LUK Records)

Emily Millard
Hourglass
By Heron & By Season (2016, Self) CDN

Sarah Beatty
Slaves And Kings
Bandit Queen (2016, Self) CDN

Harrow Fair
Hangnail
Call To Arms (2016, Roaring Girl Records) CDN

The Once
The Blood Inside Your Heart (For Olive) (Live)
We Win Some We Lose (2016, Self) CDN

Samantha Robichaud
Hand To Hold
Simplicity (2016, Self) CDN

100 Mile House
Hidden Springs
Hiraeth (2016, Self) CDN

Interview: Peter Stone from 100 Mile House discussing new album “Hiraeth”.

100 Mile House
All We Have
Hiraeth (2016, Self) CDN

100 Mile House
Last Branch
Hiraeth (2016, Self) CDN

100 Mile House
You Feel Like Home
Hiraeth (2016, Self) CDN

Adler & Hearne
Simpatico
Simpatico (2016, Spring Hollow Records)

The Savage Hearts
Heaven On Earth
Playing It Forward (2016, Self)

String Bone
Feel The Power Of Love
Love & Highways (2016, Self) CDN