The Microphones/Mount Eerie, The Dirty Projectors, Björk, Jim O'Rourke, Adrian Orange, Arvo Part, Yoko Ono, Diamanda Galas, Lord Magpie, W-S Burn, Anne Briggs, John Jacob Niles, Shirley Collins, John Fahey, Diane Cluck, Baby Dee, Bob Dylan, Peter and the Wolf, Tlahoun Gèssèssè, Charles Mingus, Yo La Tengo, Henryk Gorecki, Bill Callahan, The Beach Boys, Joanna Newsom, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Serge Gainsbourg, Gurdjieff and de Hartmann, Laurie Anderson, The Red Krayola, buffy sainte marie (in dream), harry partch, judy henske
Rowan Coupland is a musician from Brighton, UK, via the west country.
Having taught himself an array of instruments as a teenager, he creates intricate and heady collections of lullabies, squawks, hollers, violins, bells, guitars, glockenspiels, harps, accordions, clarinets and self-policing gospel choirs. Everything being described as plural here is of course misleading as Rowan usually operates solo.
His live shows began as a one-man effort, recreating his recordings with all his limbs making themselves useful. Three or more instruments would find themselves being played simultaneously, and a harp roadie was sometimes necessary.
The show continued to shift and morph and a focus on duets culminated in a sell out show featuring a different duettist for each song. Nowadays Rowan will stalk his way around the stage letting his singing hug the walls, with cooing and stamping in equal measure.
-Rowan is soon to release his debut EP, 'Thorns, brambles, white water and black oak' on Static Caravan, with an album to follow later in the year-
Aside from performing solo Rowan is a member of Brighton's Willkommen Collective and has been playing with the sons of noel and adrian for 2 years, now part time and special occasions. He also hollers about the devil with The Devil May Cares, and has also in the past played with Mary Hampton and Lord Magpie and the Prince of Cats.
oh, and Rowan has, over a bit of time, shared stages with: Diane Cluck, Viking Moses, Birdengine, Mary Hampton, Vetiver, Castanets, Whalebone Polly, Rozi Plain, Six Day Riot, Peter and the Wolf (US/mellow owl), Clearlake, Drum Eyes, Mariner's Children, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Wig Smith, The Leisure Society, Richard Dawson, and many estimable friends and colleagues
For live videos from my union chapel show in london:
Opening from Rowan Coupland on Vimeo.
Breathing life back (clip) from Rowan Coupland on Vimeo.
Hello Rowan. How are things? We have a few new bits and pieces up, including a couple of videos shot in the Essex countryside. Have a lovely weekend. x
The first Willkommen Records event at Coachwerks in Brighton. Located just off Lewes Road, on Hollingdean Terrace, this is a beautifully converted industrial space and now an inspiring and spacious venue (plus they have a very cheap bar!)
Noiserv is the name given for Portugeuse musical mastermind, David Santos. Compared to Juana Molina, David Thomas Broughton and Jose Gonzalez, he creates a hypnotising and emotionally engaging atmosphere, looping the sounds of the room, xylophone, guitar, melodica, harmonica and keyboards.
Woodpecker Wooliams is a charming one woman experimentalist. With an extraordinary bag of tricks, employing vocals, kora, celtic harp, clarinet, harmonium, glockenspiels and whistles, she conjures bewitching freeform lo-fi chants and sings folk songs of mystery and secrecy.
Redwood Red is Cathy Cardin. She is the feminine touch to Willkommen favourites Sons of Noel and Adrian and Laish Quartet. With her grounded and pure vocal delivery, she interweaves a unique fingerpicking guitar style with double bass and flute. This is a rare live outing for Redwood Red and one not to be missed.
Tickets available from Resident (01273 606312) or online here:
Hey really interesting stuff, shame you could do the gig would have been a good little combination I think, maybe another time. Will try and come see a gig at some point you being in brighton and all. x We are playing on Friday at New Hero with Jeremy Warmsley if you are at all interested.
SoundCurious #1: listen & look : look & listen A weekend of engaging performance and other enthralling activities in sound and moving image: Live scoring and zoetroping, puppets, OHP animation and more and more.
Oct 10th & 11th Workshops 1000 - 1200. Shows 1800 - late. Weekend £14, Day £8 Coachwerks. 19 Hollingdean Terrace, Brighton. More info at www.soundcurious.org.uk
So THIS SATURDAY (Sept 12th) OIB Records will host a VERY special show at Audio in Brighton with three of our favourite alt-folk acts VETIVER (Bella Union) + TINY VIPES (Sub Pop) + ROWAN COUPLAND (Willkommen Records). There's been a lot of interest in this show but there's still some tickets available from the links below, we've also put a select number aside for sale on the night.
See you Saturday!
One Inch Badge Records presents:
VETIVER (Bella Union) Delectable Americana-folk centred around the beautiful vocal and guitar of Andy Cabic alongside his ever-changing and hugely talented group of friends that have included Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom. Now signed to the infamous Bella Union label, Vetiver recently released their most exciting and inspired album to date ‘Tight Knit’. www.myspace.com/vetiverse
TINY VIPERS (Sub Pop) Signed to the cult Sub Pop label, TINY VIPERS is the stage name of Seattle based Jesy Fortino. Transcending the mere folk tag, Tiny Vipers unique style is built around minimal yet complicated guitar melodies upon which she sets alight her dark and mystical stories. www.myspace.com/tinyvipersss
ROWAN COUPLAND (Willkommen Records) Intricate acoustic solo project of Rowan Coupland of Brighton legends 'Sons of Noel and Adrian'. Live Rowan utalises acoustic guitar and harp to construct his sparse folk-noir. www.myspace.com/rowancoupland
Whalebone Polly is a duo made up of Kate Staples of This is the Kit and Rachael Dadd of The Hand and their music has much in common with those groups - rippling banjos, warm harmonies and odd percussive interludes.
Rozi Plain has played with Francois and the Atlas Mountains and has had records released by the Fence Collective. Her songs are sumptuous and charming.
Rowan Coupland amassed a mini-choir for his last Willkommen show at the Sanctuary - who knows what he’s got in store for us next?
Tickets from Resident (01273 606312) or online here:
Ha. Yes it does rather allude to that. Maybe I should just hand out cake and amend the lyrics accordingly, being British n all. Lovely stuff here, will try to catch you play soon (though I notice I'm missing an opportunity as I write)
Thanks for playing for us! It was a really good night. If you're around London at the time and fancy coming down to the next one it would be great to see you again!
Rowan dear, there's just a little bit of light left between wild park's hills and those ever collapsing clouds. I do hope you are well. I just thought I'd leave you with this bit of advice from the people who make roads x
I'm sorry I couldn't come to your pop show Rowan, I trust you blew the kids minds? Today I decided you remind me of Robert Wyatt, but less wheelchairy. So don't fall drunkenly out any windows.
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