The Toy Hearts & Rebecca Pronsky

Event information

Gathered In Song presents...
THE TOY HEARTS & REBECCA PRONSKY
10 Feet Tall, Church St, Cardiff
Sunday 22nd January 2012
Doors 7.00pm

THE TOY HEARTS
The Toy Hearts have been making music together for over ten years, partly because the core trio of the band is made up of family members, and partly because they are old school when it comes to music. They have honed their skills the hard way by gigging across the UK, USA and Europe, the result being that they deliver an exciting, energetic and dynamic live show, packed with just the right amounts of sweetness, sass and style. Hannah sings lead and plays mandolin, accompanied by her sister Sophia on harmony vocals and lead guitar. The girl’s father Stewart backs them on banjo, dobro and steel guitar, while honorary ‘family’ members complete the line up on double bass and fiddle.

In October 2010 The Toy Hearts released their third album Femme Fatale, which was recorded in Nashville TN earlier that year and produced by Grammy nominee David Mayfield. Perhaps their most significant recording to date, Femme Fatale aptly demonstrates their song writing maturity and a further honing of their now identifiable sound that draws influences from bluegrass, gypsy jazz, western swing, country and blues.

Two download singles, ‘Femme Fatale’ and ‘The Captain’ have been released from the album both with accompanying music videos to the delight of an ever increasing online fanbase. The Toy Hearts continue to get great coverage in the specialist press, Guitarist, Acoustic, R2, Country Music People but have also had extensive features in the more mainstream national Press such as, The Independent, The Sunday Express and The Star on Sunday. 2011 sees The Toy Hearts profile going from strength to strength as they are scheduled to perform at major UK festivals, Cornbury, Bestival, Shambala and Moseley Folk. Also in the pipeline is a live BBC session with Bob Harris airing the first weekend of September.

REBECCA PRONSKY
Brooklyn, NY native Rebecca Pronsky continues to impress with a terrific new record and countless live performances across the US and Europe. NPR says Rebecca's music is "personal, anecdotal and emotional [and] her voice conveys the wisdom of experience." All Music Guide says "Pronsky is an allusive, poetic lyricist" and Time Out NY says her songs are "literate, passionate and wry."

Rebecca Pronsky may be Brooklyn born, raised, and based but the twangy folk she creates on her Nine Mile Records sophomore disc 'Viewinder' (release date: April 19, 2011) sounds more at home in the deep woods and green pastures of Parsonsfield, Maine where it was recorded. Rebecca spent two weeks holed up with her band at Great North Sound Society with engineer Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, John Prine, Langhorne Slim) creating the sweeping soundscapes that dominate 'viewfinder'. The songs convincingly range from broodingly ambient to upbeat twang.

Rebecca has been touring heavily for the past five years playing all over the the US and Europe and has shared stages with a varied group of artists including Freedy Johnston, Patty Larkin, Peter Case, Josh Ritter, Erin McKeown, Loudon Wainwright III, Caroline Herring, Sarah Bettens of K's Choice, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Shawn Colvin, The Everybodyfields, Shannon McNally, Catie Curtis, The Bowerbirds, Eilen Jewell, Tracy Grammer, Carrie Rodriguez, Wayne Hancock, Steve Forbert, and many more.