Clare Hines, Pete Coleman, Mike Gulston, Blanche Rowen
Influences
Gilles Chabenat, Blowzabella, Jethro Tull,French Dance Music, Wendigo, Leo Kottke, Angel Brothers, Eel Grinders..and we both find the CDs "Tramé" and "Movements Clos" an inspiration (both are Gilles Chabenat)
Sounds Like
Medieval undertones (both are Medieval musical instruments!)
But with a modern twist!!
The music is a fusion of traditional french dance and more contemporary
dance rhythms, with drones and percussion providing the driving force to the sound!
Metheglin are: Clare Hines (ElectroAcoustic Hurdy-Gurdy); Mike Gulston (Octave Mandola/Acoustic DAGDAD Guitar) Blanche Rowen (Percussion) and Pete Coleman (English Border Bagpipes).
They play a repertoire of mainly original compositions, sometimes featuring samples/percussion and noises!.
The music is progressive folk music ~ a blend of dance, contemporary and experimental sounds and rhythms. Metheglin hope to bring the sounds of the bizarre, medieval instruments they play to a wider, modern audience. So be prepared for music unlike anything you have ever heard before from their debut album "Raining in Paradise" released in June 2008.
"An absolutely brilliant debut album" ~ Frank Hennessy BBC Radio Wales
"Oh, super stuff! Really lovely" ~ Genevieve Tudor - "Sunday Folk" BBC Radio Shropshire
"A Very Talented Band" ~ Johnny Coppin BBC Radio Gloucester
The English bagpipes are Jon Swayne "G" and "D" pipes.... the gurdies are both French - Denis Siorat electro-acoustic and a traditional lute backed Boudet.
About the name Metheglin:
Metheglin is type of mead drink - along with Melomel, Cyser, Hydromel, Pyment and probably others too. In French Melomel is known as Chouchenn. Anyone who has been involved in the French dance scene in the UK for any length of time will recognise at least two of these as band names - and we decided to go with the trend! The name Metheglin has a further significance, it is derived from the Welsh word meddyglyn, meaning "medicinal liquor" but was a very common Cornish mead. Until recently, Pete lived in Wales and Clare lived for many years in Cornwall - so the name brings these two influences together.
Pete is also one of the country's leading engineer/producers of rock music,
having worked with bands like AC/DC, Paradise Lost,etc in his long industrious career!
The background graphic to this site is based on the drawing on the front cover of Making Mead by Bryan Acton and Peter Duncan.
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Clare and Pete with Chris Evans for his "Drivetime" Show on BBC Radio 2
(only 5 million listeners...no pressure!!)
Hello lovelies .. have recovered (well almost) from the dreaded flu lurgy (not the swine variety) .. Erin and Kathryn not affected .. just poor Bryony .. but otherwise well, busy and happy as pigs in pooh. Must come see us soon .. our turn to do the tea and cake .. Lots love xxx
Hi Pete, Clare and Mike ... sending huge luv to our Metheglin chums. Your support at Faery Fest made me nearly cry my face paint off.. it was so lovely of you. We thoroughly enjoyed your set .. and yes, it'd be really good to do some gigs tog. Let's talk about that. Swap phone numbers ? X
Thank you so much for your great great music, and for your music workshop as well. Hope to meet you all somewhere, either in the UK or in Portugal! Luísa
Hi Clare, Pete and Mike. Thank you for your kindness and inspiring music. You will always be on our hearts for all the great moments in Kinnersley. Hope to see you soon again. We already miss England and everybody we met.
Un placer encontraros aqui y disfrutar de vuestro magnifico trabajo. Un fuerte abrazo desde Extremadura, España, de vuestros amigos de Aulaga Folk. Juan Carlos
