Critical Reaction To Northumbria

‘Intensely rewarding … captivating guitar playing … musically evocative … great harmonies … [Northumbria is] truly authentic, it both connects and communicates with a brutal honesty.’

(Folk Roots Radio UK)

‘Earthy … hypnotic … vivid … brave … a stellar piece of work.’

(Alt-Pulse)

‘A great listen […] Beautiful tunes … The lyrics are stunning … a clear ring to the playing … [Northumbria] takes you on a journey from the dark to the light … it’s a rather good album.’

(Folking)

Album Title:

Northumbria

Track Listing:

Endings

No Sailor Leaves the Sea

Peter’s Fields

In Sunshine’s Shadow

Love Song To ... (The Sense of an Ending)

I Know What You Are

Beginning

This Green and Pleasant Land

Release Date:


May 1st 2020


Availability:

Download from The Landing Stage website. Limited edition CD run (25 units. Sold out).

What is Northumbria?:

The debut album by musician ConChie.

Who is ConChie?:

Dr. A.I. Jackson, Northumbria's author; and a nom-de-plume adopted to give a degree of creative flexibility going forward.

How was Northumbria recorded?:

In an old barn in the North-east of England on a 1970's TEAC quarter-inch reel-to-reel four track, using one Rode NT1 microphone and an OM-28 guitar sourced by Mark de Neys of Westside Distribution. An old Cooper's tea-chest, which was used for percussion.

All musical sounds made on the album were made using these instruments. Altered tunings were extensively explored to address the challenge of having to learn to play the guitar again after nearly a decade unable to. These explorations contributed significantly to the unique sounds of each composition.

The recording process also involved a 'found sound' approach, using live environment recordings drawn from Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle and the Northumbrian landscape.

Along with the album's thematic cohesiveness, these approaches helped create Northumbria's immersive soundscapes and cinematic and evocative atmospheres.

What Are The Main Themes of Northumbria?:

Northumbria’s eight-song cycle of interrelated themes and layers explores the ways people, places, past histories and previous identities come together in our lives to form present realities and future stories.


Fierce, redemptive and joyous, drawing from personal experiences, the relationship of the author and his family to Northumbria and the interrelation of their histories with that of the UK's most evocative, wild and storied region Northumbria reclaims family, home and love to reinvest each as central to our capacity to endure, survive and live.

Where is the album art from?:

The cover image is from Mark Bradshaw. Mark is a world-class photographer with a unique eye. His image of the Northumbrian landscape caught in winter as it gives way to spring was the only choice for the album cover. His website is www.markbradshawphotography.com

Does ConChie play live?:

Yes. He's also available for weddings and bar mitzvahs - just not during lockdown.

©℗ A. I. Jackson

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The Origin(al) Stories Journal was launched to track the writing and recording of the Northumbria album. You can read about the thought processes behind decision here. It has continued as a collection of posts drawn from my personal diaries, project journals, and process notes. Showing how I’ve found a path to doing something, often via experimentation, missteps, false trails and blind alleys, these posts do not offer definitive insights into any of the projects on The Landing Stage. They are just postcards from the ongoing journey.

Have a great day, be a positive force, and tell those you love that you love them.