LISTEN: Rachel Sermanni - 'Aquarium Kisses'

How about some folk-y heaven for your midweek (ish) listening pleasure? Rachel Sermanni is back, and she's got an EP on the way, with some of her "silliest" songs to date. Cannot wait! For now, here is Aquarium Kisses, the first track from Every Swimming Pool Runs to the Sea, due June 16th. While the previous EP was written whilst pregnant, made up of four darker tracks which explored the anxieties of balancing motherhood with her career, the new EP is "the light to the previous EP's shadow." Let the new track wash over you... it's a stunner. 

Talking about the track, Rachel shares: "I woke from a dream where an old school friend had led me into a huge aquarium. More like a building with glass, water, and tropical fish for walls. In the glow, we kissed. It was a lovely, playful, sensual dream. This is where the song begins. As is obvious. Each verse that follows is an ode to a past lover. The reasons I loved them, little moments and memories. It has a nostalgic feeling for me which then comes to the present moment with the chorus words (written by Richard Walters) where I hold the hand of my now love. I believe that the chorus and the presence of another's hand in mind is more symbolic." 

Follow Rachel Sermanni - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

WATCH: Rachel Sermanni - 'Travelled'

Life feels all kinds of overwhelming at the moment. Everything seems to be happening at once and there are definitely not enough hours in the day. The blog turns 6 tomorrow (for those who I've bored with the ~origin story~ in the past, it's technically a couple of years older than that, but tomorrow is the anniversary of when I started the site here on Blogger with this URL. I'll probably (when I find some time, or something to procrastinate doing) ramble a little about that soon, but, wow. It's difficult to keep on top of submissions etc at the moment but it is worth it when I stumble across something beautiful in there...

Today, that comes in the form of this utter slice of heaven from Rachel Sermanni. As I type this late on Wednesday night, it's giving my wearied soul some much needed peace. She's a star. It's a really special new tune taken from her upcoming Swallow Me EP, which is due 2nd June. Much of the EP was written while Rachel was pregnant, and this track finds her mourning a particular way of life that she was about to lose to face the unknowns of motherhood - "I've travelled around but I never thought I'd stay."

On the track, Rachel shares: "I was staying with a beautiful family in Portland when I wrote Travelled. This is definitely a depiction of the dark night of the soul situation I was having at that moment in coming to terms with my choices." 

Kicking off in London at Omeara, Rachel tours the UK through to December. Tickets/dates here.

Follow Rachel Sermanni - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

EP NEWS: Rachel Sermanni - 'Swallow Me'

I've said it before... Stay Loose are absolutely smashing it with their PR roster right now (as ever). Latest addition is bonafide folk legend Rachel Sermanni. I've (shamefully) not given her back catalogue much of a listen yet but I caught Rachel playing at a Sofar Sounds show a few years back in a tiny Oxford art gallery and remember being left completely under her spell. Excited to share that she is releasing a new EP entitled Swallow Me - and has today released the title track. Rejoice!

The EP was written predominantly while pregnant on tour in the US, and charts the experiences of pregnancy, and of losing things which had played such a large part in her life for years. Travelling the world, creating without limits, living life on a whim. On the EP she shares "the thread that weaves most clearly throughout this collection is one of letting go. Jellyfish go where the current flows. It takes courage to be passive. If you can accept everything, you can embody the jellyfish."

"This song is me asking for some sort of relief, or maybe release. I'm basically asking that the universe give me a break or, at least, a pat on the back. Some form of divine acknowledgement of the heavy lifting I'd been doing (physically and psychologically) in coming to surrender into the changes - of becoming a Ma - and finding love in what felt like a scary situation. In its entirety, with the chorus woven in, it is a balm in that it accepts that this path is my path."

Rachel's EP Swallow Me is due 4th June.

Follow Rachel Sermanni - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

WATCH: Sofar Sounds at Art Jericho (Feb 2015)

Rewind to last February, and at Sofar Oxford we had a beautiful line up of Monument Valley, Benedict Benjamin, Twin Hidden, Tom Terrell and Rachel Sermanni in the stunning surroundings of Art Jericho. The editing team seem to have been pretty busy lately and a flurry of videos from Sofar Oxford shows have been surfacing on the Sofar Youtube, including three from that night. The videos of Twin Hidden and Benedict Benjamin aren't up yet but you can check out this great video from a Sofar Benedict played in Bristol last year.

Rachel Sermanni (pic by me)

First up is Monument Valley performing the track When I Go Clear. He's supporting Bryde tonight at her sold out Slaughtered Lamb show!

Next up is Tom Terrell playing The River on what seems to be a pretty big banjo, and which a quick Google search suggest is a 'cello banjo', but perhaps in more friendly terms, Gretta, as Tom named it/her in his FB post about the video. I can remember being pretty mesmerised by Tom's set on the night and you can certainly see why!

Last up is Rachel Sermanni, joined by Tom (they were touring together at the time) to perform a track called Tractor which Rachel explains has nothing to do with tractors... They were a beautiful pairing, both joining each other during the other's set, and those who go to see them playing full live shows together were lucky indeed, though their sets in the intimate art gallery venue were both pretty special.

You can find out more about Sofar Sounds in Oxford here, and apply for tickets for the upcoming show on 24th May which is in association with the Common People festival. Also if these videos left you wanting more, check out the main Sofar Sounds Youtube page here, which is constantly updated with new sessions from the shows around the world!

LIVE: Sofar Sounds at Art Jericho (21/2/15)

Source: Megan Seekings

I recently started taking photos for Sofar Sounds shows in Oxford, and went to one last month at Art Jericho gallery. It was a brilliant evening with sets from Monument Valley, Benedict Benjamin (who wins on name alone..), Twin Hidden, Tom Terrell and Rachel Sermanni. What I love about Sofar is the interesting and unique choices of venues, having been to three of their shows now in an art gallery, a museum, and a university common room. It mimics no other live experience out there and the audience are always particualrly respectful to the performers, even if the music might not all be their cup of tea. On the evening I was particularly impressed by Tom and Rachel who performed together for a few songs and had beautiful harmonies! I definitely reccommend having a look at the Sofar website to see if they have shows in your city!