With summer drawing to a close, we are saying farewell to our floral shirts and sun-brushed beer gardens, raking out our giant comfy sweaters from the backs of our wardrobes. Alas, although the cold weather is slowly creeping up on us, I have a gorgeous track from the indie-folk scene to keep our smiles warm and our spirits high.
Enter The Lost Trades: a Wiltshire-based triumvirate of insanely talented musicians, tied together by an unwavering passion for root music. Comprised by Jamie R Hawkins, Phil Cooper and Tamsin Quin, the trio invite their listeners into a romantically constructed dreamscape titled ‘Keep My Feet Dry’.
Spun ever so delicately, The Lost Trades flourish a web of ember-soft basslines and guitar riffs, including the lightest shimmer of percussive elements to adorn them.
Immediately, from the initial instrumentation alone, this intro establishes the style of The Lost Trades as timeless. Emblematic of the indie-folk scene, they effortlessly implement layers of a coquettish dalliance with the classical sound of folk; ineffably stitched together by the tranquil, yet lofty, harmonies amongst the three.
The melodic structures that the three concoct are transcendent with every buttery note, sending the listener into a miniature world of peace, where you can only envision yourself walking through a quaint forest draped in morn light, not a worry from your life can follow.
The soothing texture of the track is mellifluous amongst the head-swaying adagio tempos and dainty dynamics; especially as the track progresses. You hear hints of angelic, chime-like embellishments that sound as if The Lost Trades had studded their single with the vocals of stars.
After the emergence of a tender, toasty bridge, you feel ebbed into a tide of raw emotion. Tantalising your skin like the spumes caught on a sea breeze, the listener is awash with poetic imagery that soaks the melody in a beautiful contrast of realism and abstraction, audible in the gorgeous lyricism.
It was breath-taking to hear the instrumental experimentation in this song. Alongside the gorgeous dichotomy of Quin’s brightly pure vocals and the smooth, mellow vocals of Hawkins and Cooper, every element seemed as if in a marriage that were destined to perform together.
Their mastery of their craft is stemmed within a journey of resilience, a journey which has led them to create authentically emotive works such as ‘Keep My Feet Dry’. Having their debut tour cut short in 2020 by the pandemic, The Lost Trades did not lose sight of their virtuosic dreams. Getting to work on writing an album immediately, they wanted to share their epic talent with the world as soon as they could.
It’s an inspiration to all musicians that are faced with any obstacle that seems too hard to overcome. That very album ‘The Bird, The Book and The Barrel’ was released in June of 2021 and spent many months in the Top 40 Official Folk Album Charts. Peaking at #29 in April of this year, I don’t need to tell you that this ensemble are clearly not slowing down anytime soon, releasing banger after banger.
I could only imagine the experience of seeing The Lost Trades perform live…and thankfully I don’t have to!
The Lost Trades are gracing the UK with a multitude of live shows. Having already performed across Swindon, Camden and Gloucester over the past month, the trio has six upcoming events to showcase their excellent latest releases. Ending their tour in March of 2023 in the Chapel Arts Centre in Bath, I am looking to book tickets as I write this article!
‘Keep My Feet Dry’ is available to stream and download now!
So…what are you waiting for?
The Lost Trade’s Spotify:
The Lost Trade’s Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thelosttrades/
The Lost Trade’s Tour Dates:
https://www.songkick.com/artists/10111777-lost-trades/calendar
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