Fern Knight is guitarist/cellist and singer, Margaret Wienk Ayre; Jim Ayre on Flying V guitar; Jesse Sparhawk, harp, electric bass and drums; James Wolf, violin.
Influences
raga rock, stoner metal, prog, Krautrock, folk-rock, the year 1973
early music, improv, contemporary classical: from Hildegard von Bingen to Arvo Part
Night of the Hunter, In the Dust of the Stars, Children of Men, Kaidan, The White People, medieval castle ruins, ocean cliffs, cloven hooves, The Master and Margarita, His Dark Materials trilogy
Leaves of Life is the essential collection of songs by some of today’s most creative Indie Folk musicians. This record brings together unique and contemporary artistic voices to create an evocative and stunning collaboration; with all proceeds from the sales of this record going to benefit important relief programs in Africa, and other communities in great need around the world.
Curated and produced by Buck Curran of the Alt-folk duo Arborea, Leaves of Life features 19 exclusive songs by artists Alela Diane, Devendra Banhart, Marissa Nadler and Black Hole Infinity, Fern Knight, Shanti Curran (Arborea), Rio en Medio, Larkin Grimm, Mi and L’au, Starless and Bible Black, Silver Summit, Micah Blue Smaldone, David Garland, Citay, Big Blood, Mica Jones, Eric Carbonara, Ora Cogan, Cursillistas, and Magic Leaves…along with the beautiful art work of musician Hanna Tuulikki. This project hopes to further inspire people around the world to join in vital artistic and social efforts to make a better life for all of us.
FK BIO
Introducing Fern Knight's upcoming fourth album Castings, a song cycle exploring the memes and archetypes of the Tarot. Featuring two epic tracks: in the elegant pop song "The Poisoner", the protagonist looks both to the past and the future to try to make sense of her slowly eroding community by following a mysterious dark leader to the truth. The second track "From Zero to Infinity" chronicles the transformation of the Fool archetype into the Magician, and how this template—when played out in our modern-day society—has a dichotomous effect: both good and ill.
With its fourth album Castings, Fern Knight has woven an uncommon sound from far-flung musical roots that's neither freakish folk nor stoner drone. Under classically trained cellist/guitarist/vocalist Margaret Ayre's unwavering direction, this Philadelphian quartet continues to color her tightly arranged, smartly produced songs with such delightfully arcane influences as Eduardo Bort's symphonic art-rock, Sourdeline's progressive folk and old-school metal riffery (horns up!) gracefully. This distinctively elegant sound, coupled with the imagination and integrity of Ayre's songwriting renders Fern Knight peerless in this age.
The recording and touring quartet is rounded out by harp/electric bass (Jesse Sparhawk), Flying V/drums (Jim Ayre) and violin (James Wolf). Guest drummers have included Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls.
Fern Knight has toured mainland EU extensively, recently performing in November 2008 at the renowned Tanned Tin Festival in Castellon, Spain. Besides regular east coast U.S. shows, Fern Knight also enjoyed a successful west coast tour in May 2008. Ayre also co-wrote with Greg Weeks and others a new soundtrack to Valerie and Her Week of Wonders in The Valerie Project (CD/2LP Drag City 2007) and has lent her playing/arranging skills to many recordings such as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Damon and Naomi and Espers.
For Northern EU booking [Benelux], please contact Hans von Seydlitz at Slave Traders: slavetraders@planet.nl
For other EU booking, please contact Jose Luis Cuevas at Born! Booking:
info@bornmusic.org
For all other booking enquiries, please contact us directly at magpie@fernknight.com or through this myspace page. Thank you.
Promo: Howard Wuelfing at howlingwuelf@aol.com / www.howlinwuelfmedia.com
FK unplugged on Naturalismo, May 2008:
FK Live in Castellon, Spain, April 2007:
BBC Planet Earth video featuring "Sundew" by Finnish filmmaker Furmilo:
Send a message to book FK in your town.
Tshirts still available in women's L white! Go to: www.fernknight.com/merch/cfm
Music for Witches and Alchemists on vinyl on Eclipse Records is sold out, but we have a few copies so send us a message to order your copy using Paypal. Hand-printed sleeves by Neil Burke of Monoroid.
Flasks/cozies for sale, each lovingly hand made (can do custom, email me) by Margie. $20 postage-paid anywhere in the U.S. I do Paypal.
Click on the picture to order the compilation album 'Leaves of Life' featuring the song 'Our Mountain the Mother' by Fern Knight. All proceeds from the sales of this record go to benefit important relief programs in Africa, and other communities in great need around the world.
Hey Margie, Matt from wIww here. That's great about Breadmaker--it's one of my favorite all-time albums! How are you re-releasing it? Let us know the details.
How's everything else going? Let me know when you're in town!
Hello, The Hare And The Moon thought you'd like to know we have just released our debut album on www.reverbworship.com 14 tracks of dark, psychedelic folk in a lovely handmade, numbered sleeve. All for £5! How can you resist? x
We are The Chuckies from KBA/GBG, Sweden & we are proud to get to know you!
The Chuckies is an "acoustic" version of The Chuck Norris Experiment which serves brand new Chuckies songs mixed with classic CNE tracks.
Our swell debut album is released on white 12" vinyl by www.myspace.com/tornadoriderecords. The CD version will be released by Nicotine Records this summer! Digital downloads are available everywhere, for example iTunes & Amazon.
We will celebrate these two cool releases with a mini-tour in Italy late september, check our MySpace page for updates on this. Wanna help out? Let us know!
Hi Fern Knight. Thanks for your very kind words. Hope to see and hear you over here. Cheers, The Rowans. P.S. Greenwood is our Valerie and.... inspired song.
Hi Fern Knight. We will be releasing a 10 track pastoral psych folk CD entitled 'midsummers' on 24th June 2009. midsummers is currently available to buy from our website www.millersounds.co.uk . You can hear some tracks from midsummers on our myspace player. Best wishes, The Rowan Amber Mill.
The dark side of the wah.
Online Now!