Emma Tricca

Event information

Emma Tricca:

Despite Odetta's reputation for reticence, they had a long, long conversation over dinner, and Odetta urged Emma to do what she’d been long considering doing - to move to England and study the craft there.

A childhood fascination with Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’ album and the enigmatic image on its cover led Emma to investigate the luminaries of the ‘60s folk scene: from Dylan to Baez, then on to Joni Mitchell, Carolyn Hester, Phil Ochs and Dave Van Ronk. When she was 14 her cousin got a guitar as a birthday present. He never played it, but wouldn’t lend it to her either. So when she was 16 her scientist grandfather gave her the money and she bought that guitar from the cousin. It was a long journey from there until she first moved to England, but one spent listening, learning and writing.

Based initially in Marlow, Emma learnt traditional songs and played in the clubs of Oxford, where she was noticed by eminences like Roy Harper and Phil Guy. A move to London saw Emma hone her music at open mic nights all over the city, before gathering a band of like-minded musicians . Given both her itchy feet and love of the Greenwich Village folk musicians, it was perhaps inevitable that Emma would make the pilgrimage to New York, living there and in Texas for a while before returning to the folk clubs of London. In the summer of 2006 she was spotted playing at the Green Man festival in Wales by DJ and Finders Keepers/Twisted Nerve record boss Andy Votel and his partner, the singer-songwriter Jane Weaver. The meeting led Emma to be invited by Jane and Andy to play a night they were involved in as part of Jarvis Cocker 2007 Meltdown festival. Both her performance and her contribution to the attendant compilation album were critically acclaimed by the international press, leading to a full UK and European tour and dates supporting John Renbourn. Recorded in Good Time Studios and released on May 4th by Finders Keepers/Bird, Minor White is the perfect summation of Emma’s story so far - a natural product of all those miles travelled and all those songs played. Indeed, the elegance and unvarnished charm of the songs here is only matched by the sense of well-travelled melancholy that reflects Emma’s international upbringing. It’s a truly timeless work, which means that these songs will endure as much as those that inspired Emma to pick up a guitar and start to sing in the first place.

THE RAGGED FLAGS:

The Ragged Flags are a London-based four-piece with their own unique and distinctive sound that incorporates the essential natural juices of rock, pop, and folk with the lovely chunky bits of country and blues.
Three part harmonies, catchy melodies and killer tunes are their
stock in trade. Sure to get your feet tapping and your heartstrings melting, The Ragged Flags are currently preparing their debut release and performing live.

THE JUNIPERS:

The Sun doesn’t shine too much in the English city of Leicester, hometown of ‘The Junipers’, but its warming rays can be felt all over the music of The Junipers. This 5 – piece 'cosmic pop' outfit are a breath of fresh air, that draw inspiration from the past, present & the future, creating a wall of sound by subtly utilising their collection of antique, primitive & modern instruments.

They have been honing their craft since 2000; in that time they have built their own studio, recorded & given away three demo albums & released 2 albums proper, "Cut Your Key" & "Paint the Ground". The band have received much praise & airplay on BBC Radio 2 and BBC6Music , & got a single of the week on Radio 2 in 2008.

Between them all they have a record collection to die for & have managed to draw on that wealth of sonic schooling to create a truly incredible & unique sound. “Honest, Joyful songs with sucrose vocals & chord changes pulled from a broken heart” has been the perspective of reviewers, a perfect summary of what this band are all about.