I play solo quite a bit. I have been touring quite a lot with as The Hand which is mine and Wig Smith's duo together (we met on the ferry boats that go about Bristol Harbour). And I have been playing with Kate Stables of This is the Kit as Whalebone Polly since we both moved to Bristol in 2003. Also I sometimes sing songs with Rozi Plain. Sometimes when I'm lucky Ichi will play his steel drum with me!
WHALEBONE POLLY (me and Kate Stables of This is the kit) & ROZI PLAIN will be going on tour by train this September
NEW WHALEBONE POLLY EP "TAPROOT & SILL" released on the 15th september on 10" and limited edition (first 200 with a badge and 20 lucky ones get a pouch)....come and get them from our gigs! Or and you can pre-order from www.dreamboatrecords.co.uk
THE HAND IN PARIS MARCH 2009
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THE HAND & ICHI TOUR SPRING/SUMMER 2009
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Sounds Like
Here is the new animation by sister Betsy which comes with the new Hand album availble to buy by clicking that button -->
I had a go at making a live sewing video to my song o-mend-o-darn-o. It took a fair few attempts of swearing and reels of cotton flying before I nailed it
Piano in La Cana, Tokyo
This summer I had a fun time at Truck festival in England with Wig, Rozi and Francois, and after playing on the acoustic stage we met Bob Harris and he filmed us in the sun and the wind singing about those infamous geese
playing in Yoshitomo Nara's cafe in Tokyo
Me and Kate playing as Whalebone Polly in Japan. Can't wait to play with Kate in Paris in March. Don't know how to say that in French I'm afraid - only Japanese seems to come to mind - o where did all the French words go?!
Here is sister Betsy's first animation to Little Feet Running by The Hand
Below is an animation by Elliot Dear to my song 'the wires'
I have spent the last two years touring Japan, the UK and Europe (by train as much as I can). I play solo, and I am half of The Hand (Wig Smith makes it a whole) and I am half of Whalebone Polly (Kate Stables of This Is The Kit being the other half). I also spend lots of time with my sewing machine and lino cuttings and sell textiles and prints at gigs. I sell my textiles (badges, bags, wallets, maybe even T shirts one day) on tour along with all my albums.
In November I will be having an exhibition in Nagoya, Japan. These are the strange friends created this last week out of my reclusive state!
THE JUST GONE: Myself, Wig Smith (The Hand) and Ichi from Japan have just finished touring together in the Uk and Europe (highlights scrolling to the left!)...
THE NOW: Whalebone Polly (myself and Kate Stables of This is the Kit) are releasing an EP on dreamboat records and are touring in September in England, France and Belgium with our very good friend Rozi Plain. Our NEW EP "Taproot and Sill" will be released on the 15TH SEPTEMBER ON LIMITED EDITION 10" (which we are thinking will be nicer in brown then black) AND ON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD WITH EXTRA STUFF Go to www.dreamboatrecords.co.uk to pre book one that'll come with a badge (and a hand-made pouch by me or Kate if you're a lucky one!)
THE JUST AROUND THE CORNER: I will return to Japan in September to tour for 3 months with The Hand and Ichi and then on my return to England I will be releasing a Piano EP (from my album After The Ant Fight) on Broken Sound and will do a piano tour January/Febuary...hoobloodyray!
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AFTER THE ANT FIGHT is my new album released on Japan’s Indie label Angel’s Egg. There are 11 new songs plus a traditional song 'Two Sisters' and I play banjo, piano, guitar, clarinet and harmonium. I spent many intensive days recording and mixing underground at Toy Box Studios in Bristol with Ali Chant. Many of my friends in Bristol added their mark; Ieuan Pearse played drums, Jean Marc de Verteuil played bass, Andi Skellam sang and played banjo, Wig Smith sang and played kora and ukelele, Rozi Plain sang, Francois Marry played trumpet, and Wig’s mum Diana played the bassoon. Together they helped me to develop my music, as well as making it such an enjoyable time. I will hopefully be getting it released sometime next year on Broken Sounds following a Piano EP release scheduled for Jan/Feb 2010
READ REVIEW £12 (incl. postage to anywhere)
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THREE ALBUMS IN A TEXTILE POUCH FASTENED WITH A TEXTILE BADGE
(3 cdrs - The World Outside is in a Cupboard 2007, Songs from the Crypt 2006, Summer/Autumn Recordings 2005)
designs vary
£28 (incl. postage to anywhere)
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THE WORLD OUTSIDE IS IN A CUPBOARD is the album I made in 2007. On it there's quite a lot of banjos and pianos, loops made from cuttlery and ticking clocks, and it stars my grandma. Rob Da Bank played the album piano track 'Caught in the Weight' on his radio show and also on his latest podcast celebrating women in music. Here's where to go for the feed Rob Da Bank Podcast . (and click on Download from itunes)
To read a review of 'The World Outside is in a Cupboard' go here: jumped up pantry boy
Album Track Listing:
1) Finger on the Button
2) The Wires
3) Caught in the Weight
4) Ships
5) Bold Bear
6) o-mend-o-darn-o
7) Grandma's Hands
8) Telephone
9) Iron Out
10) Hawk for a Heart
11) The Party
12) River Swimmers
13) And when I can not Dream.
SOLD OUT !!
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SONGS FROM THE CRYPT 2006 for ¥1800/£8.50 (incl. postage to anywhere)
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SUMMER/AUTUMN RECORDINGS 2005
9 tracks recorded in a back garden
£10 including postage to anywhere
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BERRIES FROM THE RUBBLE is The Hand’s new 10 song album. It too has been released on Angel’s Egg. Wig Smith and I spent two weeks during late summer recording it in a front room at the Self-Build Project in Bristol. On it we sing and play kora, banjo, guitar, ukulele, piano, harmonium, clarinet, autoharp and percussion. Wig is the first person I’ve been able to write from scratch with, and what we create together feels like it has a life of its own. My sister Betsy has made an animation to the last track which you can see just over there to the left! The animation comes too with our album. Berries from the Rubble review
£10 (incl. postage to anywhere)
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Hey Rachael how's it going? I'm loving those freaky lion fish and things, I just drew a bird fish on a poster, I think we're both nutters! Hope the tours going well. Xx
what excellence your 'window' song is. and indeed all the others as well, though i feel foolish about not getting the ep despite temporary lack of record player. hopefully see you before too long x
Rachael Dadd has been played on the It's A Frog's Life Acoustic Podcast Show 89 - The Summer Sizzler - a summer music special, containing a mixture of happy, upbeat summer sunshine songs, and laid-back, mellow, lazy afternoon in the back garden songs. More music, less talking - just how a music special should be!
Follow the link above to this specific show or the link below to the general shownotes page. The show is free to listen to, and you can get it either by using the online player or by downloading the mp3 file. And why not subscribe and get each new episode automatically?
Hope things are good with you. We’ll be playing "Table" and plugging your upcoming Harbour Festival gig on BBC Radio Bristol Introducing this Saturday morning between 1-4am (repeated on Sunday 1-4am). Hear it “live” or online on the i-Player anytime in the 7 days after broadcast, there’s a link on our myspace profile.
Happy Dynamic Living!
Richard Pitt & Gary Smith BBC Radio Bristol Introducing
hello hello, sorry i missed you in the west. ended up dancing to rock and roll and bowling then cycling to bath in the rain. wot fun. i like your town.
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