A TEESSIDE brother and sister band have set up their own recording studio at home.

Cattle and Cane, which is made up of siblings Joe and Helen Hammill, from Stockton, set up the studio to record their newest album despite the lockdown.

They were given £8,000 in funding from Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, from a £300,000 cultural development and innovation fund, which was set up in October.

The duo have had to cancel a number of concerts, which would have helped fund their new album.

Singer-songwriter Joe said: “The last 12 months have been an unprecedented time for the music industry. We had only just released our third album and didn't get the chance to properly tour it. We had some festivals in the diary we were excited to play but obviously they had to be cancelled. We did some live streams to try and keep engaged with our fans and it was a boost for us to know how much people want to support us.

“This funding is an incredible boost for us. We have pretty much finished writing our fourth album and the money is going to go towards recording, producing, and releasing that album. By the time we're ready to release the album we're hopeful the music industry will be back on its feet."

"This will be thanks to the funding provided by the Tees Valley Mayor and combined authority. We've lost a good percentage of our normal income from the cancellation of gigs - and would have struggled to fund a new album so soon. This album is coming at the right time and will give us a shot in the arm and we are so thankful for the opportunity.

“We're hoping to coincide the new album at a similar time with our headline show at the Globe on December 18, 2021. Already, we can see how eager people are for live music by the tickets already sold for the gig. It's going to feel incredible to be playing such an iconic venue after such a long time without live music. We can't wait!

“This funding we’ve received means we're in a position to have new music to share later this year and around the show at the Globe, which is going to be such a boost in our progression as a band and will go some-way to future-proofing Cattle & Cane.”

Mr Houchen said: “The coronavirus pandemic has been difficult on a whole range of industries, but creatives like Cattle and Cane have really suffered, not least because large gatherings aren’t currently allowed, with hospitality and entertainment venues closed to protect the public.

“Cattle and Cane are a brilliant band with a loyal and growing fanbase across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool and further afield and it would be a huge shame if they suffered a setback due to circumstances outside of their control.

“I’m delighted we could support them, and with this funding they can now go on to help other musicians and grow our music scene, making the region an even better place to live and visit.

“Of course, this is just one tranche of funding from a whole host of support that I’ve been introducing throughout the pandemic, to protect our fantastic small and medium-sized businesses of all types, and therefore secure the livelihoods of local people across our area.”