Podcast 14 

Luke Leighfield

Our first act this month is Luke Leighfield.  One of the new wave of singer-songwriters, Luke has eschewed the traditional routes of open-mic nights and folk clubs, and the purely online approach of doing it all on MySpace. Instead, Luke’s musical journey has included extended periods of gigging solo in dingy pubs and even living rooms, as well as a stint as the violinist in Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly.

Though classically trained as a violinist from the age of 8, Luke is more commonly found at the piano these days. Depending on the location, this can be solo, or sometimes with his “big” band, which Luke says is the closest he has got to reproducing his recorded sound. As most songwriters and musicians know, it’s sometimes pretty hard to translate the sounds in your head into something everyone else can hear.

2007 was a busy year for him, ending on a massive high with a live Radio 1 session for Huw Stevens on New Year’s Eve, and 2008 has started with a lot more live work and plans to reissue his first two albums, both of which are chock full of his wonderful songs.

Luke’s track is If I Try.

If you’d like to know more visit myspace.com/simplylukeleighfield 

Ranger 3

Our second act, Ranger 3’s music combines electronics with traditional folk instruments. You can hear wispy vocals sitting high in a mix of acoustic guitars and subtle drum machine, swapping the drone of a hurdy gurdy for the buzz of saw-wave synth.

The songs are rhythmically complex and extremely musical, and there’s an overriding enchanting Englishness about the whole thing.  Have a listen to their track Sense of Direction and see what you think.

You can find out more about them at myspace.com/ranger3uk 

Andrew Morris

Andrew Morris spent his early years in Australia, and started piano lessons at 5 years old. A couple of years in Fiji, and eventually on to the UK at the age of 9, taking in deserts and oceans, jungles and palaces on the way, it’s been quite a journey. And it helped Andrew to appreciate the world, which comes across in his songs. He says he has always been a songwriter, a statement many of our listeners will identify with, I’m sure.

Andrew's podcast track is Already Gone.

For more information on Andrew, including gig dates, go to myspace.com/andrewmorrismusic 

Kamila Thompson

Singer songwriter Kamila Thompson is the youngest daughter of folk duo Richard and Linda Thompson. Her folk roots shine through in her music, but this is not solely due to the influence of her parents. 

Boarding school exposed her to the music of PJ Harvey, Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley (one imagines that her parents’ record collection also included such treasures, but remained unexplored as a gesture of teenage rebellion).  Under the influence of her fellow students, and, apparently, booze and fags, she started to write her own songs. Word got around, and in 2006 she was invited to join Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s band for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. 

Her circle of collaborators continues to expand, and now notably includes fellow offspring of famous parents, Rufus and Martha Wainwright and Sean Lennon. Kamila’s debut album was recorded in Brooklyn last year and is due for imminent release.

We are sure you will enjoy Stormy by Kamila Thompson.

For more info, visit myspace.com/kamilathompson