Those who have been following the folk revival movement will already know about Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker. Both classically trained, Josienne's voice and style has been compared to June Tabor, and Ben's vintage guitar and mandolin lends the perfect musical tact. Leading lights of the emerging folk scene, reviewers for the NME were already talking about their ‘exceptional talent’ before they won the 2012 Isambard Folk Award and the wider world started to take notice.
Josienne was raised in Sussex. While at university in London she began to perform regularly on the circuit, honing her song writing talent. The result is sincere and succinct songwriting, distilled through traditional folk and executed with skill and dexterity. When Josienne released her debut album, One Light Is Gone, in late 2010, reviewers made comparisons to Sandy Denny.
For Folk's Sake said: Josienne's songs are traditional and sound like they could be from the sixties or seventies, or long, long before - which really means they are classic and absolutely means you should listen to them. Josienne's voice, which is mesmerising live, is similarly hypnotic on this album, it's full of texture and emotion but never falters and never sounds frail.
Ben's guitar is all over that first album, and creatively, they are now inseparable. Described by fellow musicians as chronically modest as well as a musician that you are in awe of, Ben Walker studied classical guitar and played electric before finally coming home to fingerstyle, performing on both steel and nylon string acoustic guitar, and mandolin. Influenced by the likes of Martin Simpson, Bert Jansch, Pierre Bensusan and Richard Thompson, Ben's playing and arrangement add magic to Josienne's already sculpted sound.
And there really is something very special about Josienne and Ben together. Combining traditional folk credentials with honest and original songwriting and a profound musicality which leaves other musicians agape, seeing them play is an unrivalled experience; they hold the most crowded room breathless. Josienne looks very young until she opens her mouth to sing - and then her wisdom and her expressive, nuanced performance make you wonder. Ben simply plays things no-one else could play. They have performed alongside many greats including Martin Simpson, Ric Sanders of the Fairport Convention, Kami Thompson, Emily Portman, Mary Hampton and Emily Barker. Having just seen them live, Folk Radio UK said their magic laid in their enduring presence that will bring a silence and solemnity to any crowd. But, we think Emma Hartley's Glamour Cave really captures it best:
Ben and Josienne are a delicate, winding and unwinding proposition that requires close attention... She has this voice that's like a precision tool for making golden, ringing shapes in the air ... It's as if they pull in all the energy in the room, concentrate it in some kind of musical alchemy and then spin it into shimmering cathedrals of sound.
You can see them doing just that in the Union Chapel here:
Their new album, The Seas are Deep, is getting great reviews like this from Bright Young Folk.
The next EP, Homemade Heartache, will be out in the summer, and you can see them on tour across the UK this year, including at Bristol Folk Festival in May 2012.
One Light Is Gone (2010)
“A single candle is relit on the British folk front... a stunning debut ripe with promise and enchanting in its impassioned delivery.”
“One Light Is Gone more than holds its own among other British folk records and deserves to attract due recognition”
“An audible treat with fantastic musicianship... reminded me of June Tabor and Sandy Denny at her best”
“A remarkable debut album, alive and accomplished, one that draws on a musical heritage and adds a new chapter to the canon.”
“ A young fresh talent with a matured production”
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