While thinking about how I want each individual track to sound and what types of harmonies etc. to add, I have been going through lots of my favourite artists and music. My tastes are (very) broad, so not all of them influenced the songs on Adélie directly but they have formed the way I listen to, enjoy and make my music. So while I record my temp tracks for my album, here are four of the biggest influences on the pieces included in Adélie.
Nic Jones
Website: www.nicjones.net
Nic Jones’ unique and beautiful guitar playing has inspired so many guitar players in so many different styles and genres. Along with Jessie Reid, his playing inspired me to start using DADGAD tuning on my guitar, which is now the main tuning I use. His style uses a combination of chords and melody while singing, which has greatly influenced my newer music.
Phil Beer
Phil Beer was one of my earliest musical influences, seeing his Fiddle playing from a young age at Folk festivals such as Bridgnorth/Shrewsbury, Bromyard and Sidmouth. His adaptability of playing style was something in particular that I really loved, playing a slow, beautiful tune for a song, such as Innocents’ Song / Gwithian, then the next switching to a high-energy reel, like The Falmouth Packet. Much of my Fiddle style has much to thank Beer for – I still live in hope that one day I will be able to sing whilst playing the Fiddle as well as he does!
Website: www.philbeer.co.uk
Jessie Reid
Website: jessiereidmusic.bandcamp.com
During lockdown, I used to listen to the BBC Introducing Shropshire radio programme every week, enjoying listening to new music from local artists that I hadn’t heard of before. I was listening one week and on came a song called Time Goes By from fellow Salopian Jessie Reid and I was hooked! Her amazing DADGAD guitar playing, featuring lap Guitar and so many different techniques, as well as with her beautiful songwriting lyrics and melodies really inspired me to try a different guitar tuning and helped me try new ways of writing.
The Haar
I remember seeing The Haar at Shrewsbury Folk Festival in 2022 and thinking that their mix of driving, beautiful vocals with the harmony of the instruments worked so, so well. The way they were able to get the stories of the songs across while also making a beautiful piece of music was very inspirational to me, showing that you did not have to compromise on the music to get a song’s message across.
