Maerlock - Sofa

The Maerlock features five of the country's top young musicians - all graduates of, or current students at, the Royal Northern College of Music - and includes one former finalist if the BBC Young Musician of the Year. They present a fresh take on the songs of the British Isles as well as repertoire drawn from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Showcasing a 5-piece line-up of fiddle, flute/vocals, piano, guitar and percussion, the band has forged itself a unique sound characterised by driving rhythms and adventurous harmonies. Together they combine wide-ranging influences and experiences to create the original sound that folk has been waiting for. This is their debut album on the Fellside label and includes a bonus track by the jazz/folk crossover project, The Maerlock Big Band. Augmented by brass, saxes, bass and drums this unit merges folk tunes with jazz tunes - by composers such as Chick Corea (and the occasional quote from Kool & The Gang) - to produce a huge sound.