Double BBC Folk Award nominees Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker infuse ageless stories of love and loss with their exquisite command of many instruments.

Whether interpreting words centuries old or singing her own authentic lyrics, Josienne's jewel-like voice finds the nuance in the simplest phrase and sends it, effortlessly, straight to your heart. Ben's musical tact and flair for arrangement provide the perfect setting, allowing the song centre-stage.

Their new album ‘Nothing Can Bring Back The Hour’ is released on October 13th:

The adage that you should live each day as if it’s your last is terrible advice; you’d never get the washing-up done. But as an approach to making music it’s a sound philosophy.

Nothing Can Bring Back The Hour by the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominated Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker was conceived as a whole — written and recorded with the flourish and fatalism of artists who don’t expect to make another record like it.

“The idea behind this album is something I’ve been preoccupied with for my entire adult life,” explains Josienne. “Everyone reaches a point, be it at 21 or 70, when you realise there are some things in life that you’re never going to do or become.”

Although their multi-award winning album Fire & Fortune was only released in 2013, Josienne and Ben (from Sompting, West Sussex and Evesham, Worcestershire) have been working towards Nothing Can Bring Back The Hour since they met five years ago.

“Ben and I wanted to create something beautiful and refined with our music. We didn’t go to a conservatoire; we had a standard comprehensive school education, so we began without knowing all the rules. To make a record this ambitious we’ve had to rigorously hone our craft and figure this out for ourselves.”

The album was produced and arranged by the duo but the lyrical chamber ensemble orchestrations are Ben’s work. While his intricate and expressive guitar style remains at the heart of their songs, the addition of an expanded string section and multi-layered vocals make this a far bolder record than its predecessor. Guest musicians include members of Emily Barker’s Red Clay Halo, violinist Basia Bartz, piano from Jim Moray, shanty singers The Ballina Whalers and vocalists Samantha Whates and Sam Brookes.

Ben Walker studied classical guitar from childhood, took an MA in Maths and was headed for a solid career in IT. But discovering maverick folk guitarists Nic Jones, Martin Simpson and Pierre Bensusan changed that.

Josienne Clarke dropped out of a degree in classical music aged 22 when the course didn’t offer the traditional English songs she wanted to perform. Her love of folk music is evident on this record but she’s also a songwriter of rare precision and poetry.

“I write songs because my reality is boring. But actually there's such a rich and varied emotional depth to everybody's life, no matter how ordinary, and that's what I'm always drawn to."

The record’s title Nothing Can Bring Back The Hour is taken from Wordsworth’s Intimations Of Immortality. It sums up the recurring themes in each of these songs — regret and loss but also of reverie and fearlessness.

Cheer up, it might never happen.

Plus support  fromChris Cleverley

Chris Cleverley is a Birmingham based folk singer, penning his own songs and playing a few traditional numbers. His hypnotising folk style is accompanied with lyrics of  dry, scathing irony and realism and has been described ‘as folk as they come’.

Details:
Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker + support Chris Cleverley appears at Kingskerswell Parish Church (St Marys) Kingskerswell TQ12 5LD on October 12th Tickets £8 adv.

Tickets from www.seetickets.com - 0871 220 0260 - www.theticketsellers.co.uk or 07815 620402 

Doors 7pm.