Folk Roots Radio Episode 504: feat. Harrow Fair & More New Releases

Miranda Mulholland and Andrew Penner make music together as Harrow Fair, a fabulous Americana roots duo with a huge sound and an exhilarating live show. They join us on Episode 504 of Folk Roots Radio, direct from their Covid-19 emergency self-isolation, for a fun chat about their music and their wonderful sophomore release “Sins We Made”. It’s an excellent interview which reaches far beyond the album, to talk about what it feels like to put everything on hold and stay home while you are supposed to be out touring a great new album. We wrap up the rest of the episode with more great new music from David Shurr, Rob Murphy, David Keenan, David Foley & Jack Smedley and The Rough & Tumble. Stay safe and well everyone! Check out the full playlist below.

Interview

Harrow Fair‘s Miranda Mulholland and Andrew Fair should have been on tour in the US in April, and in the UK in May. Instead they are at home – separate homes in Toronto, waiting out the Covid-19 emergency, as we all stay home to protect out health service from being overburdened during this crisis.

Miranda and Andrew met in the Toronto’s music scene, and reconnected while they were both working at the SoulPepper Theatre. The band is named after Harrow Fair – the oldest agricultural fair in Canada, which takes place in Harrow, Ontario each Labour Day weekend.

Featuring Miranda Mulholland on fiddle, and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Penner on dobro, guitar and more; the duo’s sound revolves around wonderful stomping songs that echo early country and rock n roll, and gritty ballads that sound at the same time both sweet and haunting.

After the excellent response to Harrow Fair’s first recording, Call to Arms, Miranda and Andrew decided to take a bit of time to figure out who they are to each other – as band mates, friends and co-writers, before moving ahead with the new project.

Sins We Made, the follow up to the very well received “Call To Arms” from 2016, was again produced by Andrew Penner with engineering support from James Bunton. The album is due out on Roaring Girl Records on April 17. It’s the perfect recording for the strange times we are living in.

“The title track ‘Sins We Made’ tackles some of the significant news events that shook up our world in the last few years using the framework of a traditional counting song. Each number and the phrase that follows represents a person or an occurrence in metaphor. This was a way that Troubadours in the middle ages used to spread news with songs veiled enough to protect themselves from accusations of treason.”

Their most recent single “Rules Of Engagement” is all about bullying and the power of confronting a bully with allies. “We have seen throughout history that real change can be made when allies unite in a common cause. This has never been more true than right now.”

“The song ‘Dark Gets Close’ recognizes the difficult work any relationship can be but what can happen when you take that leap. Even when the future isn’t clear. Hope starts here. No courage without fear.”

Harrow Fair are on to a winner with this new album. Fingers crossed, they should hopefully be back on tour this fall.

For more information about the music of Harrow Fair, visit harrowfair.ca.

Photo credit: Jen Squires.

Listen

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

Playlist

Nicolas & The Iceni (Theme)
Lucy She Rises
Roll Right (2019, self)

David Shurr
Mysterious Waves
New Mixes (2020, Self)

Rob Murphy
Ghosts
(single) (2020, Self) CDN

David Keenan
Unholy Ghosts
A Beginner’s Guide To Bravery (2020, Rubyworks)

David Foley & Jack Smedley
Wee Bit O’: A. Mick Foley’s Hacksaw / The End Of The Empire)
Time To Fly (2020, Head East Records)

Harrow Fair
Sins We Made
Sins We Made (2020, Roaring Girl Records) CDN

Interview: Harrow Fair (Miranda Mulholland & Andrew Penner) discussing their new album “Sins We Made”.

Harrow Fair
Rules Of Engagement
Sins We Made (2020, Roaring Girl Records) CDN

Harrow Fair
Loved You Enough
Sins We Made (2020, Roaring Girl Records) CDN

Harrow Fair
Dark Gets Close
Sins We Made (2020, Roaring Girl Records) CDN

The Rough & Tumble
Bound To Lose (feat. Piper & Carson)
(single) (2020, Self)