9Bach at Folk Alliance Toronto

We are soon heading off  to Toronto to the 25th Folk Alliance conference. We’ve never been before, but it sounds like fun, and we have 5 shows to play in 3 days, as well as hoping to catch some other great artists. As well as our Official conference showcase, we are playing in some of the many private showcases that go on late into the night, in various hotel suites at the conference, one of which is a joint presentation by  British Underground, and Folk Music Canada, which will be showcasing the best in British and Canadian Folk.

9Bach Folk Alliance Official showcase

Friday February 22nd: 9pm Rossetti Room

Private acoustic showcases

February 21st

Recording!

At the end of January, after Martin and Lisa had finished recording demo’s of the new songs in Llanddewi Brefi, we went to Bryn Derwen Studios in Bethesda, to start rehearsing and recording for the 2nd album, with producer and engineer, Krissy Jenkins, and Sir Doufus Styles.

Drums 1stNice Hat

With 9 songs ready to record, and another written and recorded in the studio, 10 songs were recorded in all.

Time for a Remix

Where's Martin?

Nice Piano

Song Writing

Song writing has started for the 9Bach 2nd album, and Lisa and Martin have been going to some interesting places for inspiration. Starting off at home trying out a few ideas on the electric piano, while looking at the dramatic storms outside the window, the song writing sessions had to suddenly stop twice. The first time was when a desperate neighbour called for help as the streams of water that were coming down the mountain in Gerlan, Bethesda were taking a turn past her front door, and she needed as may hands as she could to bucket the water away, and stop it from rising, and coming in her house.

The second time was when Martin and Lisa’s house nearly got flooded in the middle of a storm, due to a blocked drain outside of their back door,  the water could be seen rising to door level very fast, and plectrums and slippers had to be swapped for wellingtons, and rubber gloves to save the situation !

After deciding to write elsewhere, not on a mountain liable to flooding, Lisa spent some time in Capel Jerusalem in Bethesda, which has a lovely piano, and rooms that are filled with history. The storms were still raging outside, and the eerie scene was completed when the Capel had a full power cut, and Lisa was left to work in the dark.

The Capel was a great place to work, and inspired some of the songs that will be on the 2nd album, but unfortunately when Lisa and Martin came to record some demo versions of the songs, they realised that although the piano was in tune with itself, it was completely out of tune with other instruments!

Womex 12

With 9Bach shows over for the year, and attention turning to song writing for the next album, what better thing to do for inspiration thaN head off to WOMEX World  Music Conference and showcase event, in sunny Thessaloniki Greece. We saw some fantastic bands, and can thoroughly recommend DhakaBrakha , stunning they were, have a look on You Tube, or something tells us they’ll be coming to these shore’s soon. As well as seeing some great bands, we were also on the look out for some shows for 9Bach, and there is one particular exciting possibility, watch this space !!

We also joined forces with the other Welsh delegates, headed by Cerys Matthews, and made sure that everyone was aware, and coming to WOMEX 13 in Cardiff. It will be a great WOMEX next October, with extra showcase spots for Welsh, Scottish, Irish, and English artists to play, and tickets available for the public to come and see great artists from here, all over the world.

New songs, new songs, new songs!

That’s it 9Bach live shows are over for the year, thanks to everyone who came! We have now got our heads down, and are writing songs for our 2nd album, which we hope to have recorded by the end of the year .

Help!