Wildwood Kin live @ The Phoenix, Exeter – 13/05/2016
Having been invited to attend
this gig by the guys behind BBC Introducing Devon, there were four bands on
offer to check out but having dragged myself through a tough week I was
flagging before I even got there. However, I’ve wanted to catch Exeter trio
Wildwood Kin live for a while so I dragged myself up the A38 and as the crowd
began to swell in the excellent Exeter Phoenix there was palpable anticipation
in the air.
For the uninitiated, Wildwood Kin
are two sisters (Emilie and Beth) and their cousin Meghann who
 |
| Willdwood Kin @ Exeter Phoenix |
plough a furrow
not a million miles away from Laura Marling jamming with First Aid Kit in an Appalachian
log cabin. So when three nervous looking and slightly shy musicians shuffle on
to the stage hiding behind a beanie hat and/or long straight hair I wasn’t
expecting the live version to live up to the beautiful recordings I had heard.
I was wrong. What this trio do is let the music do the talking and from the
first intricately interwoven guitar and mandolin notes it’s obvious that this
is a massively talented group of musicians and songwriters.
Old and new songs blend together
smoothly and, despite a couple of technical hitches, Wildwood Kin hold the
audience under their spell for the entire set. The key to the bewitching sound
of these three sirens, however, is there unnervingly pitch perfect vocal
harmonies that have a power all of their own. The likes of local peers Sound Of
The Sirens and LWM favourites Indigo Girls have always moved me with the rich,
blended vocal tones but Wildwood Kin take this skill to a whole new level which
I’m not remotely ashamed to say moved me to tears. This family band have got
talent to spare, a clutch of beautiful songs and a work ethic that surely makes
their parents proud. If I was a hard-nosed music executive, I would say that
they need to work on their stage personas a bit but actually I quite like their
timid and gentle approach to audience communication which suits the music
perfectly.
Apologies to the other bands
performing on the night but after the week I’d had and the emotional ringer I’d
been through with the Wildwood Kin experience I was in no fit state to take any
more music in. Next time…..
More information: https://www.facebook.com/wildwoodkin/?fref=ts
Live Dates:
19th May – The Dolphin, Wellington
21st May – The Watering Hole, Perranporth
29th May – Exmouth Festival, Exmouth
3rd June – How The Light Gets In Festival, Hay On
Wye
4th June – LemonFest, Newton Abbot
19th June – Moreton Music Day, Newton Abbot
23rd June – Glastonbury Festival, Glastonbury
30th June – Tileyard Studios, London
2nd July – The Big Mix Festival, Lyme Regis
3rd July – Smoked & Uncut Festival, Studland
5th July – Islington Academy 2, London
8th July – Chichester Festival, Chichester
9th July – The Ship Inn, Padstow
10th July – The Dolphin, Wellington
17th July – Larmer Tree Festival, Salisbury
22nd July – Chagstock, Chagford
24th July – Tonefest, Lyme Regis
30th July – Cambridge Folk Festival, Cambridge
3rd August – Sidmouth Folk Festival, Sidmouth
10th August – Creation Fest, Wadebridge
19th August – Beautiful Days Festival, Ottery St.
Mary
26th August – The Plough Arts Centre, Torrington
18th September – Lostwithiel Festival,
Lostwithiel
28th September – Looe Festival, Looe
10th November – Bridport Electric Parade,
Bridport w/ Seth Lakeman
1st December – St George’s Church, Brighton w/
Seth Lakeman
4th December – Oxford Town Hall, Oxford w/Seth
Lakeman