Instar is the brand new album from BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2015 Nancy Kerr. Finding herself increasingly fascinated by the role of the environment as a character in music, literature, art and film, Nancy's new compositions explore the themes of human/ecological interaction that lie just beneath the surface of so many traditional folk songs. The lore and language of nature provide a repertoire of raw, universal images with which to address subjects such as gender identity and sexuality, struggles for human rights, love and consent, colonialism and the effects of austerity on our culture and ourselves. With her Sweet Visitor Band now an established unit, Nancy's writing is also focused on the musical qualities of band mates Rowan Rheingans, James Fagan, Tim Yates, Tom Wright, Greg Russell and guest pedal-steel player C J Hillman. Tom Wright's assured production reveals the scale and drama that the lyrical subjects require. Instar extends some of the themes introduced in both Nancy's Sweet Visitor album and in Murmurs - her collaboration with Martin Simpson and Andy Cutting on Topic Records - and acknowledges the influence of contemporary nature writers Rob Cowen (whose 2015 "edgeland" memoir Common Ground provided great inspiration), Helen Mcdonald (H is for Hawk) and George Monbiot (Feral).
September 2016
