It is heartening when a thing of beauty emerges following an existential threat… this dark and arresting album ‘Calling’ was born… an almost numinous feel leavened by flashes of high energy and joie-de-vivre.
Songlines * * * *
Debut EP Bright Shadows
An inventive and enticing debut ep from a new (to me, at least) singer and songwriter who, on the strength of this release, holds the promise of a lot more to come. Thewes has a beguiling charm that draws you in to her self-penned material; add to that intriguing lyrics, melodies that creep up and catch you unawares and some subtle arrangements and you have songs that hold the interest through repeated listenings.This is a talent that sits in that strand slightly apart from the folk mainstream, recognising the tradition but adding her own distinctive individual quality. Expect to hear more of her as her reputation grows.
Jim Welsh – East Coast FM
Bio
Jemima grew up in the Scottish highlands in a dramatic landscape which continues to provide the bones of her music. A lover of ballads, but too shy to sing in front of anyone, it wasn’t until a brush with death in 2013 which gave her the thirst to write, sing and play songs.
Encouraged by partner and producer Tim Lane (a drummer of Hidden Orchestra) to record in his studio, they created her debut EP ‘Bright Shadows’ in 2016 with Jemima on voice and tenor ukulele, Tim on a chromatic tongue drum, Susan Appelbe on cello and David Boyter on guitar and mandolin. Bright Shadows is a mixture of self-penned songs and traditional ballads and was released independently to great acclaim.
The EP was well received with radio plays on stations such as Travelling Folk on BBC Radio Scotland and Late Junction on BBC Radio 3.
Jemima’s debut album ‘Calling’ was recorded in-house by Tim over the following several years and features a multitude of talented pals. It was released in July 2022 through Last Night From Glasgow’s sub label – the Hive. The album stands as a complete journey in itself and takes the listener through themes of mortality, transformation and the ultimate appreciation and gratitude of life. Songlines gave a 4-star review…
Continuously fuelled by the preciousness of human life and also the tragicomedy of human existence, Jemima’s songwriting and live set-up has progressed to include more strings, live effects, and various strange sounding percussion, with Tim extending his percussive time-lines to include full drum-kit, sample pads and backing vocals. In small venues, this equates to otherworldly intimacy, yet can also fill a festival main stage. A surprisingly big and beautiful sound from such a small team.
Together, Jemima and Tim create an enveloping and deeply textured fusion of dark songs and bright, deep rhythms. Rooted in the folk ballad tradition yet with inspiration coming from many genres, Jemima’s songs are layered with grit, tenderness, mischief, humour and wisdom. These cloud-hopping tales are told by warm, powerful vocals with lyrics and melodies that creep up and catch you unawares, all carried on a bed of strings and playful percussion. There is an ability to hold the audience with pin-drop effect, but also get them up and dancing.
The duo can extend to include other pals, such as bass from Jem Le Lievre, cello from Susan Appelbe and fiddle from Anna O’Neill, which all bring forth extra richness and dimensions to the songs.
Whether as a duo or a bigger band, the result is a banging live show not to be missed. A world-music feel but with the folk ballad at it’s heart, the effect of this music stays with you long after you’ve heard it.
Musical pals along with Jemima and Tim featured on the album ‘Calling’ are (in order of appearance and occasionally joining for gigs, if you’re lucky!):
Morag Brown on fiddle
Misha Somerville on whistle
David Boyter on mandolin & guitar
Susan Appelbe on cello
Jem Le Lievre on bass
Kate Young on fiddle
