Nick Burbridge, the mastermind behind legendary Brighton-based folk-punk-poetry pioneers McDermott’s 2 Hours has announced an extensive partnership with the Levellers and their “On The Fiddle Recordings”. In celebration of this event, the McDermott’s back catalogue will be released digitally via iTunes and Spotify for first time, alongside some new material. Nick has also signed past and future song-writing to the bands On The Fiddle Publishing enterprise.
This marks the climax to a long and fruitful association between Nick, McDermotts and The Levellers dating back over twenty years, from the time the Lev’s put out a CD version of the original 1989 vinyl classic The Enemy Within, through several collaborations and other recordings, to Besieged, the forthcoming Levellers album that award-winning producer Al Scott (June Tabor/ Oysterband) is busy arranging and producing, which will emerge early in 2014.
This pre-existing two decade old musical relationship has previously seen Nick’s songs covered by The Levellers themselves, notably ‘Dirty Davey’ and ‘Prisoner’, as well as All Kinds of Disorder CD, which was a highly original set of compositions that fiddle player Jon Sevink came up with to accompany Nick’s reading of his own poetry.
However, this bit of folking news is all about Anticlockwise, a fourteen-track Best Of compilation hand-picked from McDermotts long musical history.
I’ve been a fan of Nick words and music since first getting my hands on a copy of “Claws and Wings” back in 2003. The whole idea of the McDermotts 2 Hours project has always fascinated me and “Anticlockwise” is 14 tracks of handpicked gems that really makes this statement case in point. Darren Beech folking.com
The selection was made to highlight McDermotts dynamism as a full band whilst also featuring acoustic tracks, to give the first-time listener a powerful and lasting impression of their versatility, and the seasoned enthusiast a single recording that best exemplifies the endeavours of the many different musicians involved over the years.
All those tempted to explore or rediscover the source albums will then be able to find them in digital form, along with the highly acclaimed 2012 acoustic album, Gathered, made with multi-instrumentalist and producer Tim Cotterell.
As the 2013 Spiral Earth Awards Best Songwriter – an award Nick won convincingly, despite obstinately remaining on the fringe of the music industry and, for the most part, eschewing live performances through a combination of ongoing mental disorder and unceasing work in other forms (he has been published or produced as a novelist, playwright, poet, short story writer and journalist) – he continues to compose songs prolifically, and, these will now be part of the ongoing “On The Fiddle” publishing deal.
After so many years crossing paths, this seems a fitting trail to take now, on both sides.
For more details visit Nick’s website http://www.burbridgearts.org/
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