Music News - The Folk Today Project gives us The Reason For Living
16 November 2015 - 0 Comments
As
the world continues to turn in a whirlwind of faux folk, one Wellington outfit
is about to knock it off its axis. The
Folk Today Project is reviving the concept of folk music that
comments on society.
The Folk Today Project kicks off their campaign of music with meaning, designed to spark debate, with
the song The Reason For Living.
On first listen, it’s a catchy little ditty that’ll have you humming along with
the chorus. But really tune in, and it’s a cleverly crafted response to a new
age social phenomenon of big city people preferring to live alone. (Almost 50
percent of United States adults are single. And this "living alone"
trend is emerging in New Zealand.)
Dedicated to putting the message back into a genre that once triggered
revolutions and helped to end wars, The
Folk Today Project is made up of a mysterious and talented
bunch of musicians, many of whom prefer to work under the cloak of secrecy. But
it can be revealed that former software writer (now songwriter), Neil Pharazyn is the
scribe behind The Reason
For Living; while Bill
Hickman is the voice that brings the collective’s first single
to life.
Hickman has brought his intensity and grit to everything from hard rock bands to Celtic
folksters. He's worked with artists like The Phoenix
Foundation percussionist Will
Ricketts. His vocals have featured on records by The Shot Band and Eb & Sparrow. He
also has a solo EP, Ghost Of Smoke.
Arranger and bass player, Andrew
Laking, is a formally-trained musician with substantial
international experience in acoustic music. He toured the world for 10 years
with folk group Gráda and has two solo albums and a CD and book of songs about Wellington (The Empire City –
released earlier this year) to his name.
Drawn together by a desire to bring the fundamental principle of folk music,
singing about how we live, right up to the minute, The Folk Today Project says:
“There are issues big and small, that are often in our faces today, such as
school bullying, hanging out versus dating, mobile phone obsession, gay marriage…
you can probably suggest more.”
First single, The
Reason For Living is accompanied by an impressive video,
produced by Waka
Attewell and shot at Avalon
Studios. Attewell is a legend in the New Zealand film industry, winning awards for his cinematography
and direction and with his work on projects of importance to all New Zealanders
– including racial issues, mountain expeditions, the Rainbow Warrior and
Gallipoli.
Watch the video for The
Reason For Living here.
So, have a listen, and most importantly listen closely. Welcome back to folk
music with a message.
LINKS:
Website http://www.thefolktodayproject.com/
Video on YouTube
Buy on iTunes here
Buy on Google Play here
Listen at Apple Music here
Listen at Spotify here
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/thefolktodayproject/
Twitter -https://twitter.com/TheFolkToday
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