the hand

Bio:

We met a coupla years ago, down Bristol harbour working on the ferry-boats, where we would sing songs on sunny days, and then suddenly it occured to us we should make some new songs and started to write together from scratch using banjo, kora, ukelele, piano, harmonium, autoharp and clarinet.

A lot of what we do is instrumental, and when we sing it is usually together and usually in harmony.

We spent two rainy weeks this summer recording in the Self-Build-Project (where our friends have built their own house) and our new album 'Berries From The Rubble' is now ready and available to buy here.

It includes a beautiful animation by Rachael's sister Betsy Dadd and also has been released on Japanese Indie Label Angel's Egg. In Japan you can buy it in at least two record shops (the best ones we reckon)- Disc shop zero in Tokyo and Pastel Records in Nara.





It plays in a CD player like a normal CD but if you stick it in your computer, it's got an animation by Rachael's sister Betsy Dadd to our song 'dove come rain'.

Buy it now for £10 (that includes postage to anywhere...) .. .. .. .. ..
These are some words people have written about our music -

The hand do some indescribable things with their fingers: the double plucking breakdown on one such number causes me to scribble 'rubber bands and chickens' as the best auditory comparison I can muster under their spell. Her banjo and his guitar nimbly spin yarns, conversing about closing gaps in the music staff, and how romantic everything seems up close, by the light of the candle
(kristen grayewski, venue magazine, september '08)

The Cascade Steps were treated Saturday afternoon to the absorbing, intrinsically brilliant sounds of Rachael Dadd and her banjo and Wig Smith on the kora as they poked around in their folk back-catalogue for every maritime song they could remember. They were never short of material being two workers on the Bristol ferries, and it was a nice touch and deliciously heart-warming to hear that most of these fantastic songs were inspired by the harbour behind them as they played.
(Suit yourself magazine, Bristol Harbour Festival review, August 2008) ..realeditorbest profile tools..realeditorbest profile tools


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Member Since:

August 07, 2007

Members:

The Hand and Ichi will go on tour again together in Europe in May





Wig Smith on kora, guitar, ukulele, piano and autoharp
Rachael Dadd on banjo, guitar, ukelele, harmonium and clarinet


END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL 2009


THE HAND AND ICHI UK AND EUROPE TOUR 2009 ..

This is a video of us playing 'and fold' in the lovely Tchai Ovna in Glasgow.




Below is a new animation by Betsy Dadd to our song 'Dove Come Rain' - it comes with our new album and you can buy it over there ----->



And here is an animation to an old recording of our song 'little feet running',
also made by the brilliant Betsy Dadd.

Influences:

Music like Diane Cluck, Peter and the wolf, Jolie Holland, the poetry of Jo Shapcott and others, picking flowers and berries from building sites, Betsy's animation, music by other people in this city, apocalypse, hovering wasps, nice sounding mistakes...

Sounds Like:

A four-handed harmonious he-she.

Record Label:

Unsigned