Smoke Fairies

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Smoke Fairies
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Jessica Davies (left) Katherine Blamire (right)
Background information
Origin Chichester, England
Genres Alternative, indie rock, folk rock
Years active 2006–present
Associated acts Jack White, Laura Marling, Mark Lanegan, Richard Hawley, Brian Ferry, PJ Harvey, Dawes, Blitzen Trapper, Rasputina. Public Service Broadcasting (band)
Website smokefairies.com
Members Katherine Blamire
Jessica Davies

Smoke Fairies is a British dream pop duo comprising Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies.[1]

History

Blamire and Davies met at school in Sussex during the late 1990s. They spent 2002 in New Orleans, where they absorbed American blues music.[2] When they returned to England they discovered British folk music at the Sidmouth Folk Week Festival while working as car park attendants.[3] They later settled in Vancouver, Canada, for a year before returning to London to start performing.[4]

In 2007, Smoke Fairies toured the UK in support of Bryan Ferry and the following year they released their debut single, "Living with Ghosts", on Music for Heroes.[5] Richard Hawley was an early supporter of the act, saying they were "frankly the best thing I have heard in years".[6] They supported Hawley on his True Love’s Gutter Tour of the UK in October 2009.[7]

In December 2009, Smoke Fairies became the first UK act to release a single on Jack White's label Third Man Records.[8] The double A-side single, "Gastown" / "River Song", was produced by Jack White who also played guitar and drums. Smoke Fairies performed at the 2010 South by South West (SXSW) festival in Texas[9] and supported Laura Marling on a month-long tour of the United States.[10]

They signed to V2 Records/Cooperative Music and released their debut album Through Low Light and Trees in September 2010,[11] latterly self-released in the United States in June 2011 via Year Seven Records.[12] The album was produced by long-term PJ Harvey collaborator Head and recorded at Sawmills Studio in Cornwall, United Kingdom.[12]

To promote the album the band was invited to record a live session for Marc Riley on BBC Radio 6.[13] And invited back for another session a few months later.[14] The duo also recorded a live session with their band for John Kennedy’s "X-Posure" on XFM.[15] In November 2010, Smoke Fairies’ recording of Neil Young's "Alabama" appeared on a special Mojo album to mark the approaching fortieth anniversary of Young's Harvest LP.[16]

The band embarked on its first headline tour of the UK – a sell-out – in January–February 2011[17] and performed at several festivals that summer, including Primavera Sound in Barcelona.[18] Before heading to the United States in June 2011 to perform at North by Northeast Festival and their own headline shows, returning again in August 2011 Jessica & Katherine toured the U.S. with Rasputina.[19] Smoke Fairies again returned to the US in October to play support for Blitzen Trapper and Dawes making their second coast-to-coast tour of the year.[20]

Smoke Fairies' follow-up album, Blood Speaks, was released on 21 May 2012,[21] again with a delayed release in the US of 23 April 2013.[22] Again produced by Head Blood Speaks was this time recorded in West London’s Eastcote Studio and is inspired by London and by travelling.[23]

They also contributed vocals to the track Valentina, a tribute to Valentina Tereshkova - the first woman and the first civilian into space - on "The Race For Space", the second album by Public Service Broadcasting (band).

Discography

Albums

  • Strange the Things (Concentrated / Concentrated People, 6 August 2007)[24]
  • Through Low Light and Trees (UK: V2 / Cooperative Music, 6 September 2010. U.S.: Year Seven Records, June 2011)
Also pressed as a limited edition on clear vinyl, available on the bands' US tour and via website. Initial edition of 250 followed by subsequent repress.
  • Blood Speaks (V2 records, 21 May 2012)[21]
  • Smoke Fairies (Full Time Hobby, 14 April 2014)[25]
  • Wild Winter (Full Time Hobby, 12 December 2014)

Compilations

  • Ghosts: A Compilation of A Sides, B Sides and an EP from the Recent Past – marbled-vinyl and CD (UK, 453 Music, 2010); 12" marbled-vinyl special edition of 500 (U.S., 453 Music, March 2010) colour special addition Record Store Day pressing copies.

Singles and EPs

  • "Living with Ghosts" / "Troubles" – 7" (Music for Heros, August 2008)
  • Frozen Heart – 7" EP ("Frozen Heart", "Fences", "Morning Light", "We Had Lost Our Minds", "He's Moving On") (Music for Heros, July 2009)
  • "Sunshine" / "When you Grow Old" – 7" (October 2009)
  • "Gastown" / "River Song" – 7" limited edition of 150 on tri-colored vinyl; Texas-sized 8" limited edition (Third Man Records, September 2009)
  • "Hotel Room" / "Human Concerns" – 7" limited edition of 300 (V2 / Cooperative Music) (2010)
  • "Strange Moon Rising" / "Requiem" – 7" limited edition of 500 (V2 / Cooperative Music, 24 January 2011)
  • "Strange Moon Rising" / "Alabama" – 7" limited UK tour edition (V2 / Cooperative Music) (24 Jan 2011)
  • "Hotel Room" / "Strange Moon Rising" – 7" limited edition of 500 on blue-marbled vinyl (453 Music, 16 April 2011, World Record Store Day)
  • "Storm Song" / "Storm Song Demo" – 7" limited edition of 500 (V2 / Cooperative Music, 16 May 2011)

Contributions to anthologies

  • "Good Man" on Live at the Electroacoustic Club, Vol. 2 (Running Jump Records, 13 November 2006)
  • "Troubles" on What's Kickin'?, Vol. 2 (Stove Pony, 14 May 2007)
  • "Troubles" on Shivering Sands and Scavenging Birds (Thames Delta Recording Co., 14 October 2009)
  • "Alabama" on Harvest Revisited (Promotional CD issued with Mojo Magazine, February 2011)

Guest appearances

  • Backing vocals on Richard Hawley's False Lights from the Land EP (Mute Records, 7 June 2010)
  • Backing vocals on Public Service Broadcasting's track Valentina off their "The Race for Space" album (2015)

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Helen Martin, "Interview with the Smoke Fairies", Amelia’s Magazine, 15 March 2011.
  3. ↑ Phil Udell, "The Smoke Fairies in Conversation", Heineken.
  4. ↑ Ben Umstead, "Interview with the Smoke Fairies", Slant Magazine, 18 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Moff Gimmers "Review: Smoke Fairies", Electric Roulette, 23 June 2008.
  6. ↑ Valerio Berdini, "Smoke Fairies", Live on 35mm. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Matt Hopkinson, "Hawley and Smoke Fairies at the Lyceum, Sheffield", SoundsXP, 10 October 2009.
  8. ↑ Chris Mugan, "Folk Heroines' Long Odyssey". The Independent, 20 August 2010.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ David Sheppard, "Review: Through Low Light and Trees", BBC, 8 September 2010
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Kevin O’Donnell, " Jack White Faves Smoke Fairies" Spin, 14 June 2011.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Peter Robinson "This Week's New Live Music", The Guardian, 15 January 2011.
  18. ↑ [1] Archived 24 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ Brooklyn Vegan, " Smoke Fairies released an LP in the US, playing NXNE, NYC & shows w/ Rasputina (dates)" Brooklyn Vegan, 14 June 2011.
  20. ↑ Riley Ubben,Blitzen Trapper and Dawes Announce Tour, Paste (magazine), August 2011.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Piccadilly Records, " Blood Speaks - Smoke Fairies" Piccadilly Records, 21 May 2012.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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