North-East band to record debut album, thanks to songwriter’s bursary

A young Tyneside-based folk band, with strong links to Teesside, is set to record its first album, thanks to a bursary in memory of one of the North- East’s most acclaimed songwriters.

The Rachel Hamer Band has been named as the latest recipient of the award made by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) and the award-winning band The Unthanks in memory of Middlesbrough songwriter Graeme Miles, who died in 2013.

This is the second memorial bursary, worth £1,200, to be given. The scheme is administered by EFDSS and supported by The Unthanks through fundraising concerts.

Two shows to raise bursary funding for future years take place next month. Artists including The Unthanks, The Wilsons, The Young'uns, Martyn Wyndham-Read, The Keelers, Mike Nicholson and Robin Dale will perform at an evening in celebration of Graeme, at Middlesbrough Town Hall, on February 12 and at Band on the Wall, in Manchester, on February 13.

The money raised will be spilt between the Graeme Miles bursary and supporting the Redcar Steelworkers Fund. The Rachel Hamer Band will also perform at both shows.

A contemporary of Ewan MacColl, Graeme wrote his first song at the age of 14 and after hearing the traditional songs of Tyneside, set himself a 20-year task to create a collection for his adopted native Teesside.

Now the Newcastle-based quartet will use the bursary to pay for studio time to record their first album. Fronted by Rachel Hamer, whose family comes from Teesside, the band comprises of fiddle player, vocalist and clog dancer Grace Smith, guitarist and vocalist Graeme Armstrong, and Sam Partridge, a flautist and multi-instrumentalist, and is fast establishing itself as a major force on the traditional UK music scene.

Rachel Hamer, speaking on behalf of The Rachel Hamer Band, said: “We are honoured and thrilled to be awarded the Graeme Miles Bursary. Graeme was a prolific songwriter and champion of North East folk music and we feel privileged to be a small part of his legacy. This award is invaluable to our development and we are excited about the award, our new album, and for what the future holds for us. The bursary is giving us the unique opportunity to pay for studio time to record our debut album.

“Our self-produced EPs have sold well at our gigs but we now feel ready to record our debut album. We are excited to start recording the album and the bursary is giving us an incredible start. We would like to thank everyone at EFDSS, The Unthanks, and the artists who gave their time to raise additional funds for this opportunity.”