Sam Brookes & Hot Feet - 19th July 2013

Artist's website: Sam Brookes / Hot Feet

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Sam Brookes:

When Ray Davies dubs you, at only 24 years old, “absolutely amazing” you should know you’re onto a good thing. For Sam Brookes who first picked up a guitar at the age of 12 in the workshop where his father renovated old guitars; listening to the likes of Bert Jansch, John Martyn and Nick Drake it was evident a career in music was on the cards. In fact back when he was 18 years old his pop-rock outfit The Volt made appearances at Glastonbury and Brighton’s Great Escape, though Brookes soon traded this in for a return to the capital and a return to a rootsier calling.

In the past year he has toured under this new troubadour guise with the likes of Ray Davies, Newton Faulkner, Scott Matthews, Cherry Ghost and Emmy the Great, while his eponymous LP, produced by Chris Hughes, was recently released.

There are echoes and intonations reminiscent of Tim Buckley and John Martyn, while his intricate finger-picking style is instantly recognisable as his own, standing far above his peers. Brookes’ songs are stream-of-consciousness, wordy and worldly observations, with an immediacy and distinct character. Opener ‘In Weeks’ fleshes out over its four minute course into a toe tapping, homegrown travelling number. While ‘Travelling Man’ exposes a timelessly engaging narrative style, simplistically framed with unobstrustive acoustic guitar and weary strings.

Guitar and vocal gifts aside, the production of the recording is crisp without being overproduced, letting Brookes talents speak for themselves, peppered with touches of jazz tinged percussion, fiddle accompaniment and piano this is certainly an engaging listen from the start, but by no means will Sam Brookes be a short lived talent.

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Hot Feet:

Since their inception just a short while ago, the band have captured the attention of Communion Records (who have hosted them in various UK locations so far) and Chess Club, and played alongside the likes of Lucy Rose, Alessi’s Ark, King Charles and Kyla La Grange.

Hot Feet’s music lives and breathes in the countryside. ‘Wood House’ was written in a small cabin on the northeast coast of Sweden and recorded in a remote studio in the Scottish Highlands, only accessible by boat. The five songs are set, however, in the Cotswolds where Marianne (vocals) tends to goats and sheep when she’s not playing music, and Lachlan (bass) builds dry stone walls.

The band draw together a range of musical influences including delta blues, sixties folk and world rhythms. Clamorous in places, delicate in others; sometimes offering raucous, earthy uproar and a wistful, yearning narrative within the same song. The EP ranges from stomping gallops to tender ballads, and has been lovingly and impressively produced by Pete Roe, longtime sideman of Laura Marling and a gifted songwriter in his own right.

Jack's enigmatic fingerpicking guitar style is a force to be reckoned with, weaving rhythmic countermelodies with intricacy and power, while Marianne's vocal is beautiful, effortless and beguiling. Modern folk tales with delicious rock and pop undertones, this is the breathtaking music of the here and now. The ‘Wood House’ EP was independently released and available here: http://hotfeet.bandcamp.com/

"Truly nothing short of fabulous...really wonderful" Marc Riley 6Music

"I predict great things for Hot Feet" Guy Garvey 6Music

"Lively and enlivening" For Folk's Sake