Iona Lane and Katie Spencer In Concert

2023 European Tour Launch Concert

Presented by: Karona Sessions

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0	ORMSKIRK: The Chapel Arts Centre
P	Wednesday 27th September, 2023
N	7:00pm

Event information

We are thrilled to be hosting the only UK concert featuring the double bill of Iona and Katie, before they head off for their 15-date European tour in November. They will each perform a solo set, and join each other for some dazzling collaboration songs. There is no support act, and capacity is limited to 50 for a fabulous intimate performance, so make sure you book early to avoid disappointment!

The Chapel is a fabulous arts venue in the centre of Ormskirk, Lancashire with great access via public transport; bus station is 1-minute away and train station is 10 minutes walk away. It is fully wheelchair accessible and a bar is available. If you are driving, all Ormskirk public car parks are free after 5.30pm.

Doors open 7pm for a prompt start at 7.30pm. The bar will be available before the concert and during the 30-minute interval.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Aligned by a shared approach to songwriting that nurtures and celebrates their individual connections to the people and the landscapes of Northern England and Scotland, two of the leading lights of the UK folk scene come together for their first co-headline tour.

KATIE SPENCER

Raised in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull, Katie Spencer's landscape has always been that of open skies and widening rivers. Industry still shapes the city here. The people, as with the land, are moulded by tides and stark horizons. Stand in the same place for long enough and you can watch the sun rise over the North Sea and then sink into crop fields, glowing auburn in late-summer sun. It is this sense of space and movement that flows through Katie Spencer's music.

The songwriting, and most notably her guitar playing stems from a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, flow into her sound, carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70's folk and songwriter movements.

Katie Spencer's widely celebrated new album, The Edge of the Land (2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019) which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding musicianship and crystal sonic clarity, as she brought together fans of music from all backgrounds and walks of life. Delicate and un-rushed, the ten songs on The Edge of the Land drift by like ships on the horizon, yet intimacy and introspection still remain.

'Her articulate picking, with suggestions of folk and jazz, frames intelligently written songs and is the backbone to her music.' (Guitarist Magazine)

'Imaginative imagery supported by compelling music that summons up the best of early 70s folk, fluently delivered here with its own contemporary power. This is a fine collection of memorable songs by an outstanding writer and musician.' (Record Collector)

'Katie Spencer sits gracefully in a vocal nook between Sandy Denny, Linda Thompson and, to conjure a name we hear less often these days, Bridget St John.' (Prog Magazine)

www.katiespencer.net

IONA LANE

Driven by awe and wonder of the natural world, Iona Lane delivers poetic songs, with subtle musical touches and contemplative melodies that link unheard stories with the world we find ourselves in today.

Iona's debut album 'Hallival' received critical acclaim, reaching number 36 in the Folk Album Charts. Iona draws from landscapes and stories found within nature and has been described by Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 2) as "a real talent!".

'Iona's lyrics and musical arrangements crackle with wide-eyed curiosity.' (Jude Rogers, The Guardian)

'Iona feels like a kindred spirit with her gorgeous evocations of landscape and geeky scientific references.' (Karine Polwart)

'An ethereal voice, poetic phrase and storytelling that sets the album apart' (BBC Countryfile Magazine, 2022)

'Iona's mesmerising, lyrical exploration of the UK's wilderness through song lifts the spirits.' (WALK Magazine, Ramblers' Association, 2022)

www.ionalane.com