KATE WILLIAMS & GEORGIA MANCIO - Finding Home & Touching Hearts
Photograph by Carl Hyde
Every now and again there is a recording that comes along that presses all the right buttons, catching two artists at the pinnacle of their career, performing superbly crafted songs that appeal to the head and heart, and also perfectly capture the times in which we live. And this is just such a recording.
It is quite possible that there will be no finer album than released this year than Finding Home by Kate Williams and Georgia Mancio. A project that has been carefully planned and nurtured over a two year period, the hard work has certainly paid off.
Music of this calibre is rare indeed, but with their new album and tour, Kate and Georgia have certainly delivered. This is a beautifully arranged and orchestrated set that not only acknowledges some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century, yet also contains some original material that tackles some of the difficult issues within the society in which we currently live.
At the time of writing, Kate and Georgia are touring Finding Home around the UK, and it was a real pleasure to catch up with them both to talk about this wonderful project.
It is quite possible that there will be no finer album than released this year than Finding Home by Kate Williams and Georgia Mancio. A project that has been carefully planned and nurtured over a two year period, the hard work has certainly paid off.
Music of this calibre is rare indeed, but with their new album and tour, Kate and Georgia have certainly delivered. This is a beautifully arranged and orchestrated set that not only acknowledges some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century, yet also contains some original material that tackles some of the difficult issues within the society in which we currently live.
At the time of writing, Kate and Georgia are touring Finding Home around the UK, and it was a real pleasure to catch up with them both to talk about this wonderful project.
You have worked together over the last 10 years in a variety of settings, but this is a very different and original proposition for both of you. How did the idea for such a bold and adventuress collaboration originate?
Kate Williams: : It was the coinciding of two previous/existing musical threads. Firstly, Georgia had already put lyrics to one of my tunes (the title track for her 2010 album Silhouette) which planted the seed for the idea of one day collaborating more fully. Secondly, when I formed Four Plus Three (my trio with string quartet) in 2016, it was always my intention to ask various guests to occasionally expand the line-up. For Georgia to join us seemed the most natural evolution to me.
Can you tell us abut your new album, Finding Home?
Georgia Mancio: It's a collection of songs, old and newly written/arranged for voice, trio, and string quartet plus guitar on two tracks. Each song is connected to the concept of 'home' in a different way - whether a person or a place, in a local or global context. It was recorded in September 2018 by Andrew Cleyndert at Livingston Studios, London. We also worked closely with the artist and designer, Alban Low, who has created some stunning bespoke artwork for us.
It could be said that each of you with the last recordings, Songbook and Four Plus Three made career defining statements, so it is incredible that you have been able to follow these with such a wonderful album in Finding Home. How did you approach writing the material for the album, and arranging it for this unique ensemble?
KW: We decided on the theme of 'home' quite early on, and I think that helped both in the choosing of the non-original songs, and in the writing of the original ones. To make choices without any parameters would have been nearly impossible - having some kind of theme focussed our minds. We've varied the instrumental combinations throughout the album and everyone gets featured at some point: as well as the full line-up, we've got a solo violin piece, a vocal/piano duo, a vocal/viola/cello trio, and two pieces with our guest guitarist.
I often compose with specific musicians in mind, so with all the original songs, I always imagined Georgia's voice and that really helped the process along.
GM: I remember that we discussed early on pushing our own expectations and writing boundaries. It was important for Finding Home to generate its own identity - new to us both and still linear to the work we’d done before.
Kate Williams: : It was the coinciding of two previous/existing musical threads. Firstly, Georgia had already put lyrics to one of my tunes (the title track for her 2010 album Silhouette) which planted the seed for the idea of one day collaborating more fully. Secondly, when I formed Four Plus Three (my trio with string quartet) in 2016, it was always my intention to ask various guests to occasionally expand the line-up. For Georgia to join us seemed the most natural evolution to me.
Can you tell us abut your new album, Finding Home?
Georgia Mancio: It's a collection of songs, old and newly written/arranged for voice, trio, and string quartet plus guitar on two tracks. Each song is connected to the concept of 'home' in a different way - whether a person or a place, in a local or global context. It was recorded in September 2018 by Andrew Cleyndert at Livingston Studios, London. We also worked closely with the artist and designer, Alban Low, who has created some stunning bespoke artwork for us.
It could be said that each of you with the last recordings, Songbook and Four Plus Three made career defining statements, so it is incredible that you have been able to follow these with such a wonderful album in Finding Home. How did you approach writing the material for the album, and arranging it for this unique ensemble?
KW: We decided on the theme of 'home' quite early on, and I think that helped both in the choosing of the non-original songs, and in the writing of the original ones. To make choices without any parameters would have been nearly impossible - having some kind of theme focussed our minds. We've varied the instrumental combinations throughout the album and everyone gets featured at some point: as well as the full line-up, we've got a solo violin piece, a vocal/piano duo, a vocal/viola/cello trio, and two pieces with our guest guitarist.
I often compose with specific musicians in mind, so with all the original songs, I always imagined Georgia's voice and that really helped the process along.
GM: I remember that we discussed early on pushing our own expectations and writing boundaries. It was important for Finding Home to generate its own identity - new to us both and still linear to the work we’d done before.
Photograph courtesy of Michael Valentine Studio
There is also a trilogy of songs inspired by the by stories and events seen through the eyes of children. Can you tell us more about these songs?
GM: In 2015 my good friend, Ian Shaw, started volunteering in the unofficial refugee camp in Calais, known as ‘The Jungle’. He asked me to join him on one of his trips and it was a life-changing experience. I made several visits until the camp was closed in late 2016 and tried to spread the word on gigs and social media about what I saw there, which certainly didn’t match what was being reported in the news. Most shockingly at the time of eviction and demolition there were nearly 2000 unaccompanied minors left in sparsely adapted shipping containers without any legal representation or clue as to what their future would bring. As the camp burnt they were forced to take their life into their own hands and flee or wait to the very end, while the French and UK governments used them as political pawns. I was in touch with a boy who had been stuck in France for 9 months, trying to reunite with his Uncle in the UK - as was his legal right. The trauma of his experience in those days and weeks stayed with me and became ‘The Last Boy On Earth’ and the catalyst for our trilogy. The other songs ‘Halfway’ and ‘We Walk’ are also true stories and celebrate the resilience, courage and strength of these children in their astonishing journeys to and across Europe. I hope we have done them justice and that in presenting them we can prompt more compassion towards anyone forced into these terrifying situations. We are proudly partnering with Safe Passage on our tour - a charity working to help unaccompanied child refugees access their right to travel to a place of safety.
In total there six original compositions jointly written by you both, how do approach writing together, and what comes first words or music?
KW: It's not really either/or in terms of words or music. The exception was We Walk, which was originally an instrumental, Slow Dawn, written in 2017 for my dad to play with Four Plus Three (See below). That was the tune which really started Finding Home because Georgia was at the premiere of it and asked if she could write lyrics to it. The funny thing now is that I can't imagine it as an instrumental anymore - the lyrics are so well written that they sound like they've always been part of the song. For the other originals, the process varied from song to song, but often I'd come up with a snippet of melodic idea with chords which I'd send to Georgia. She'd reply with some words, then I'd add some more or re-jig things and we'd to and fro for a while until we had something complete.
GM: In 2015 my good friend, Ian Shaw, started volunteering in the unofficial refugee camp in Calais, known as ‘The Jungle’. He asked me to join him on one of his trips and it was a life-changing experience. I made several visits until the camp was closed in late 2016 and tried to spread the word on gigs and social media about what I saw there, which certainly didn’t match what was being reported in the news. Most shockingly at the time of eviction and demolition there were nearly 2000 unaccompanied minors left in sparsely adapted shipping containers without any legal representation or clue as to what their future would bring. As the camp burnt they were forced to take their life into their own hands and flee or wait to the very end, while the French and UK governments used them as political pawns. I was in touch with a boy who had been stuck in France for 9 months, trying to reunite with his Uncle in the UK - as was his legal right. The trauma of his experience in those days and weeks stayed with me and became ‘The Last Boy On Earth’ and the catalyst for our trilogy. The other songs ‘Halfway’ and ‘We Walk’ are also true stories and celebrate the resilience, courage and strength of these children in their astonishing journeys to and across Europe. I hope we have done them justice and that in presenting them we can prompt more compassion towards anyone forced into these terrifying situations. We are proudly partnering with Safe Passage on our tour - a charity working to help unaccompanied child refugees access their right to travel to a place of safety.
In total there six original compositions jointly written by you both, how do approach writing together, and what comes first words or music?
KW: It's not really either/or in terms of words or music. The exception was We Walk, which was originally an instrumental, Slow Dawn, written in 2017 for my dad to play with Four Plus Three (See below). That was the tune which really started Finding Home because Georgia was at the premiere of it and asked if she could write lyrics to it. The funny thing now is that I can't imagine it as an instrumental anymore - the lyrics are so well written that they sound like they've always been part of the song. For the other originals, the process varied from song to song, but often I'd come up with a snippet of melodic idea with chords which I'd send to Georgia. She'd reply with some words, then I'd add some more or re-jig things and we'd to and fro for a while until we had something complete.
Photograph by Carl Hyde
Georgia - There is also a new song by you and Alan Broadbent, can you tell us about this song?
GM: ‘Tell The River’ is an epic ballad that can be read in various ways but my lyric was initially inspired by the tragic story of Sandra Bland - a Black American woman first assaulted during an unjustified arrest for an alleged traffic offence and later found dead whilst detained. The song is an ode to freedom, a cry for and from those whose lives have been unlawfully curtailed: “When each being can belong, tell them you will find me free.”
There is also a special guest on the album, guitarist John Williams. Can you tell us abut this collaboration and how did it feel adding another voice to the ensemble?
KW: As I mentioned earlier, my dad guested with Four Plus Three back in 2017 at the 606 Club. I wrote and arranged a set of pieces for that gig one of them being 'Slow Dawn'. Once Georgia had put lyrics to it, it seemed the obvious thing to ask John to play that track on the album. He also plays on 'Caminando,Caminando' by Chilean composer Victor Jara. John used to work with the exiled Chilean ensemble Inti-Illimani, so it seemed like the perfect tune on which to feature him.
In addition to writing and recording such a wonderful album, you have also managed to get together a tour that covers much of England. That must have taken some organising with such a large number of musicians?
GM: The answer to that is yes. The tour has taken two years to plan, and we won't pretend that it's not time-consuming - it is - as any musician who's done it will tell you! Having said that, it's much better when there are two of you on the case - teamwork is definitely to be recommended!
GM: ‘Tell The River’ is an epic ballad that can be read in various ways but my lyric was initially inspired by the tragic story of Sandra Bland - a Black American woman first assaulted during an unjustified arrest for an alleged traffic offence and later found dead whilst detained. The song is an ode to freedom, a cry for and from those whose lives have been unlawfully curtailed: “When each being can belong, tell them you will find me free.”
There is also a special guest on the album, guitarist John Williams. Can you tell us abut this collaboration and how did it feel adding another voice to the ensemble?
KW: As I mentioned earlier, my dad guested with Four Plus Three back in 2017 at the 606 Club. I wrote and arranged a set of pieces for that gig one of them being 'Slow Dawn'. Once Georgia had put lyrics to it, it seemed the obvious thing to ask John to play that track on the album. He also plays on 'Caminando,Caminando' by Chilean composer Victor Jara. John used to work with the exiled Chilean ensemble Inti-Illimani, so it seemed like the perfect tune on which to feature him.
In addition to writing and recording such a wonderful album, you have also managed to get together a tour that covers much of England. That must have taken some organising with such a large number of musicians?
GM: The answer to that is yes. The tour has taken two years to plan, and we won't pretend that it's not time-consuming - it is - as any musician who's done it will tell you! Having said that, it's much better when there are two of you on the case - teamwork is definitely to be recommended!
More information about Finding Home can be found at georgiamancio.com & kate-williams-quartet.com
For full tour dates click here.
For full tour dates click here.
Click the image for tour dates
|
Click on the album cover to read our review
|
