Our new single ‘Johnny’s on the Water’ is out now. Check it out on Bandcamp below, or an all streaming/download sites.
Johnny’s on the Water was learned from the singing of Appalachian folk singer Jean Ritchie (1922 – 2015). It twists the archetypal story of a woman left behind by a sailor, the singer rejecting grief and finding empowerment: ‘if he can live without me, I can live without him’. This line became the heart of our arrangement.
We created this arrangement in residence at Snape Maltings in 2022. In slowing down the tempo, destabilising the rhythm, and replacing Ritchie’s sparse dulcimer accompaniment with an ensemble of modular synths, guitars and affected strings, we explore the way that the open sea warps our understanding of time and distance. The trumpet solo was played by Lissie Daly, a tireless campaigner for women in brass.
Lyrics
Johnny’s on the water,
let him sink or let him swim
If he can live without me,
I can live without him
Johnny is a young boy,
but younger am I
It’s often he’s told me
he’d wed me or die
If I am foresaken
I’ll not be foresworn
and he’s surely mistaken
if he thinks that I’ll mourn
I’ll take off this black dress
and flourish in green
I’ll pass as light by him
as he does by me
If he can live without me,
I can live without him
If he can live without me,
I can live without him…
credits
released March 20, 2024
Musicians:
Lauren Spiceley – vocals and fiddle
Joseph Woods – guitar and vocals
Martha Wiltshire – cello and vocals
Denis Wouters – electronics and vocals
Lissie Daly – trumpet
Tom O’Connor – fretless bass
Florence Brady – vocals
Trad. arr. by Lauren Spiceley, Martha Wiltshire, Joe Woods, Denis Wouters, Lissie Daly, Tom O’Connor and Hannah Jacobs
Recorded at Pony Studios by Upcycled Sounds
Mixed by Denis Wouters
Mastered by Felix Davis
Artwork by Floortje Kattemölle, photographed by Martijn Petrus