Acclaimed singer/songwriter/guitarist CARRIE MARTIN returns with a new album, Evergreen. Two events to launch the album are planned – 21st April in Hull followed by 28th April in Birmingham.
Friday 21st April at the Wrecking Ball in Hull
Friday 28th April in the Atum Café, Hockley Social Club, Birmingham
The CD release has been available for a month but the launch celebrates the vinyl release, in conjunction with Psychotron Records, an independent shop and label based in Birmingham.
Supporting the release Carrie is in session with Radio York and her tracks are being played across radio stations in the north and online. She is available for interview and often appears on Radio Humberside amongst others.
On returning to a music career she had put on extended hold for over two decades while raising a family, Hull native Carrie was originally inspired by a meeting with legendary guitarist Gordon Giltrap – an encounter which led to a lasting friendship and Gordon becoming a mentor for her return to the stage. Since that time, she has gone from strength to strength, with this latest release following on the heels of the Seductive Sky and Entity albums, both of which received widespread critical praise.
Never one to be pigeonholed as a mere ‘folkie’, Evergreen manages to be Carrie’s most eclectic and varied collection yet, featuring tracks ranging from the delicate folk of ‘Lost In The Right Time’, through the soul-blues of ‘Deep Blue Heaven’ and the poppier ‘Girl With A Feather’, all the way to the prog-rock influences displayed on the ambitious eight-minute ‘Keep In The Light’. Followers of Carrie’s career will be well aware of her classic ‘Maria And The Moon’, a haunting piece based on a remarkable book by author Louise Beech, and will no doubt be delighted to see that she has turned her inspiration to the work of Beech once again with ‘End Of Story’, which ties in with another one of her books.
Illustrating the respect in which Carrie Martin is held is the line-up of guest musicians on the album. Oliver Wakeman (son, of course, of Rick, and like him a former member of Yes) plays on Keep In The Light as well as End Of Story, while guitarist Roger Fisher, formerly a key member of Heart, also appears on Keep In The Light, along with Jeremy Richardson and Wayne Proctor on bass and drums. Elsewhere ex-Argent guitarist John Verity provides some bluesy guitar on Deep Blue Heaven, and Karl Cassidy (brother of the late singer Eva Cassidy) contributes violin on She Doesn’t Know. There are also appearances from Sarah Dean (aka ‘The Incredible String Blonde’) on harp, Andy Banfield on percussion and Jamie Mallender and Jim Waltham on bass. Finally, making it a ‘family affair’ of sorts, Carrie’s son Ben Martin chips in with recording guitar, vocal and harp, as well as sharing production duties. The CD release features one extra bonus track not included on the vinyl; a version of Gordon Giltrap’s piece ‘Loren’, from his album The Last Of England. The vinyl, not to be outdone, features ‘Luna’, a re-recording of the title track from one of Carrie’s earlier releases.
The cover design for Carrie’s new album is a beautiful original piece of artwork by Celtic artist Clare Roper-Paris, commissioned by Psychotron Records, graphics by Gavin Morrow – April promises to be a busy month for Carrie as, together with the vinyl release of Evergreen, she is due to head over to Los Angeles for an engagement with her sponsors Vintage Guitars. Her UK followers may be assured that she will be planning plenty of live work on home soil to build on the album’s release.
Watch the video for the song ‘Beside The Evergreen’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpruqmmLNJc
Pre-order the album at: https://psychotronrecords.co.uk/product/carrie-martin-evergreen-lp-cd-special-offer/
Read the interview with Carrie and Psychotron Records here https://psychotronrecords.co.uk/carrie-martin-talks-all-things-evergreen/
Evergreen CD Tracklisting:
Beside The Evergreen
Wynter *
Earth Angel
Keep In The Light
Deep Blue Heaven
End Of Story
She Doesn’t Know*
Girl With A Feather*
Boxes Of Nothing
The Tempest
Lost In The Right Time
Loren *
Tracks marked * are not on vinyl release
Vinyl release includes track Luna
QUOTES
” I have watched Carrie Martin’s musical gifts grow with each consecutive album. Her new album Evergreen is in my opinion the pinnacle of her songwriting and creative abilities”
Gordon Giltrap MBE
Had your new track ‘Keep In The Light’ on repeat for the last 40 mins.
It’s absolutely fantastic……just love it.
Garry Foster ‘The Prog Rock Files’
Atrium Cafe at Hockley Social Club
60 Hampton St, Birmingham B19 3LU
FRIDAY 28th APRIL from 6:30 – 8:30