Patsy Matheson's MySpace Blog |

Patsy has really enjoyed the first few shows of the tour, and was particularly pleased to welcome Clive Gregson to the show put on by the Classic Rock Society in Rotherham on October 29^th. Clive joined Patsy on guitar for the entire gig, which was a real unexpected treat for everyone who attended. For further info on Clive see - www.clivegregson.com/

Remembrance Day – The song 'Precious Little Soldier', which is one of the songs on 'A Little Piece of England' was featured as one of three contemporary songs for Remembrance Day on Spiral Earth Website, alongside songs by world class singer/songwriters Steve Knightley and Martyn Joseph. You can see the feature and listen to the three songs on http://www.spiralearth.co.uk/music/PoppyDay.asp

1st November 2008, will see the release of "Bandstand", the third in the "Fatea Showcase Sessions" from Fatea Magazine/From Cambridge & Beyond.
The 4th release scheduled 1st February 2009, is intended for solo artists and will be called "Aces". We're delighted to announce that Patsy has been invited to be a part of the project and a track from 'A Little Piece of England' will be included. Watch this space for more details, and see Fatea Showcase Sessions on Myspace.

The opening song from 'Little Piece of England' "Addiction to You" has been chosen as part of the current playlist on Womens Radio Independent Channel on Live365. You can listen in by clicking here:

http://www.live365.com/stations/womens_radio?site=pro or

http://www.live365.com/profiles/womens_radio

Patsy was recently interviewed by Tim Moon as part of his BCB Folk Show. The interview was broadcast on October 27^th, but a full transcript of the interview will appear in the next edition of Yorkshire Folk Mag, Tykes News. Here's what Tim said about her new album… it is 'as wonderful as, well, a very wonderful thing. 'A Little Piece of England', the CD of which I speak, is a pleasure to share time with…'

In the latest edition of the excellent Rock n Reel magazine, Steve Caseman reviews 'A Little Piece of England' and discusses 'the strength of her songwriting…particularly on the haunting 'Precious Little Soldier' and in the neo-Folk influence of her passionate ballad 'Ulverston Gypsy' Further information on Rock n Reel is available at www.rock-n-reel.co.uk.

Patsy's next live radio appearance is as guest of Chorley Folk Radio on Tuesday 18^th November – see their Myspace page at www.myspace.com/jamieblatchley

"Little Piece of England" is now universally available for download. Try http://payplay.fm/patsymatheson

and you can buy the CD in all the usual retail outlets or follow the link to AMAZON below

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Piece-England-Patsy-Matheson/dp/B001EWOKYU

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

FDM review of ’A Little Piece of England’

Patsy Matheson - A Little Piece Of England

Having been a cornerstone of cult all-female quartet Waking the Witch for 5 years, Patsy Matheson certainly knows her way around the British folk circuit. With her warm, generous voice and a lyrical complexity that has made great strides since her earlier career (pre-Waking The Witch) as a solo artist, Matheson has used her time in the band to hone her love for rich melodic folk and 'A Little Piece of England' is the first fruits of her labour.

An intentionally subtle and intimate affair, this record finds Matheson freed from the shackles of female-only harmonies and (rather than opting to multi-track her own vocals) calling on the services of Sam Bartholomew to add some strong male textures. The results are a delightful contrast to Matheson's work with Waking The Witch.

As you'd expect from such a practised songwriter there are eight accomplished cuts of UK acoustica on this record. Yet it's the lyrics and stories, which sit at the heart of 'A Little Piece of England', that remain the album's calling card. From strong and intelligent protest songs (aimed at Brown's dysfunctional government) through vibrant tales of freewheeling gypsy girls and love letters to her Yorkshire homelands, this record sparkles with the wit and perspective of a remarkably erudite singer/songwriter.

And it's the latter - when Matheson settles down to talk through personal snapshots of England - that remain with you long after the record has finished. On the album closer 'Row Down to Wroxham' Matheson tells a story of 1920's Norfolk life that is hugely evocative and undeniably touching. It's a fitting climax to a fine record that adds further evidence to support Matheson's position as one of the UK's great contemporary female folk musicians.

A little piece of England she may be, but she should be treasured in whatever capacity she chooses to release her music.

'A Little Piece Of England' is available now through Witch Records

Stephen Jasper www.freshdeermeat.com Oct 08

4:39 PM

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Americana-UK Review

Patsy Matheson "A Little Piece Of England" (Witch, 2008)

The quiet joys of sisterhood

Late of the now defunct Waking the Witch, Patsy Matheson's first solo album for a decade is a quiet joy and a real grower. Sonically it falls slap bang into the rather overcrowded "female acoustic singer-songwriter" slot but lyrically it's head and shoulders above it. Opening with "Addiction To You", a pared-down haiku of a song that encapsulates the "I know I shouldn't but I can't help it" feeling so common to so many fractured relationships, it takes in cutting comment on contemporary Britain ("Play the Game" and "Treading Water Town") and Iraq ("Precious Little Soldier") as well as the perhaps more expected relationship songs ("This New Song" and "Sunday Morning Song"). The latter is particular interesting as it was apparently conceived as a positive celebration of family life, yet contains the couplet "And I think of the boy that I married/And I look at the man in my bed"), which could at the very least be read in an entirely different way.

The only accompaniment to Matheson's wistful, often elegiac vocals are a muted acoustic guitar and occasional hints of percussion and this all comes together best .. Down To Wroxham", a perfect pastoral encapsulation of a languid summer's day with a lover. Overall this is a very English album, littered with geographic and cultural references, most notably on contemporary folk tale "Ulverston Gypsy", and Matheson brings it all back home on the final title track, both love letter and statement of personal place. All in all, a triumph.

Jeremy Searle, www.americana-uk.com

Album available to order now from Amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Piece-England-Patsy-Matheson/dp/B001EWOKYU

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Friday, September 19, 2008

Patsy Matheson - new CD available to preorder now, read reviews here
Current mood:

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Just a quick reminder!

WITCH RECORDS is delighted to announce that 'A Little Piece of England', the new solo CD from Waking the Witch's Patsy Matheson will be released on Monday 6th October.

You can preorder it today from Play.com, Amazon, HMV etc on the link below

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Piece-England-Patsy-Matheson/dp/B001EWOKYU

Here's a quick update on what people are saying about it:

''Patsy writes skilfully and intelligently…this could have a profound effect on you if you allow it to'' – Allan Wilkinson www.folkandroots.co.uk

"This is not only a musically glorious album – it's also a statement that Patsy Matheson, solo performer, is back and better than ever" – www.womensradio.com

"Beautiful and haunting – a real poet and musician at work" - Halifax Courier

"Patsy has a vocal range that can melt the heart" – www.womensradio.com

"One quarter of now defunct acoustic darlings Waking the Witch, Matheson's new collection of songs; distinctive, often plaintive guitar sound and honeycomb vocals single her out as a talent demanding to be heard in her own right" – Halifax Courier

"A bunch of great new songs in a gently intricate sound world – experiences and feelings common to all of us are rarely voiced with such percipient sensitivity and powerful honesty as here" – Netrhythms

Check out this review from Spiral Earth "Fans of Waking the Witch won't be disappointed – it's a bold move away from what's gone before and she has the skill to carry it off wonderfully" – Spiral Earth http://www.spiralearth.co.uk/news/story.asp?nid=1680

and Fatea "Rising phoenix like from the ashes of the much-missed Waking the Witch, Patsy Matheson returns with a hugely powerful album that absorbs love, life and politics" – FATEA (Cambridge & Beyond) Magazine http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/releases

''A very classy album with just that little touch of grit in it'' – Steve Wilcock, Triste Magazine

''Picking out the highlights is hard as all the songs on here are strong both musically and lyrically'' - ****1/2 Jason Ritchie, Get Ready To Rock, Classic Rock Newswire

For more info, see Patsy's website www.patsymatheson.co.uk

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Thursday, September 04, 2008

Patsy Matheson’s new solo CD available to preorder now - read reviews here...
Current mood:

excited

Hi Everyone!

We are delighted to announce that Patsy Matheson's new solo CD 'A Little Piece of England' will be released on October 6th and already rave reviews are coming in thick and fast...

Be first to get your copy by preordering through Play.com - see link below

http://www.play.com/Music/CD/-/10/34/-/6433475/A-Little-Piece-Of-England/Product.html?searchtype=genre

Here's some examples of what reviewers are saying about it:

From the Halifax Courier:

LEEDS-based singer-songwriter Patsy Matheson has pulled off one of music's most difficult tricks – and with some aplomb.
That is, to step outside the framework of a well-known, and well-loved band and produce a solo recording that, while not denying what has gone before, marks a significant leap forward in terms of style and maturity.
Matheson has given her distinctive, often plaintive, guitar sound and honeycomb vocals over to a collection of 10 songs that are close enough to identify with her previous work as one quarter of the now defunct indie/folk/acoustic darlings Waking The Witch, yet different enough to single her out as a talent demanding to be listened to in her own right.
She has also played a blinder in surrounding herself with sympathetic cohorts who bring added clout and delicacy to the mix from multi-talented musician and producer Sam Bartholomew, former Chumbawamba percussionist Harry Hamer and vocalist Gina Dootson, all of whom compliment Matheson's style perfectly.
This is stripped back, close up and personal material of the highest order and showcases perfectly what Matheson is all about.
She had released two solo albums before her critically-acclaimed work with the Witches and this latest offering shows just how much her songwriting skills have matured over time.
A Little Piece of England, her first solo work for 11 years, ranges from the all out folk vibe of Ulverston Gypsy to the haunting anti-war ballad Precious Little Soldier, the reflection on soiled celebrity, Lamb to Slaughter as well as the perfect summer Sunday afternoon memory jerker Row Down To Wroxham.
It is a potent mix and all the better for dispensing with any flashy production tricks. Songs have to stand on their own merits and, without exception, they do just that.
Matheson has worked hard to build on the promise she showed back in 1991 when Maddy Prior and Clive Gregson lauded her songwriting skills in a music competition.
And, on this evidence, it is clear that Matheson's will to succeed and to entertain has continued to carry her on a journey that will surely yield more riches along the way.

From Classic VFN Radio and currently up on Bob Harris's 'Whispers':

Ok let's cut to the chase here! When your successful band comes to what, many people felt, was a very premature end you would be faced with some difficult choices. You could try and rebuild a new band from scratch and carry on the name. Another option is to sit and sulk. Or you can head straight back into the studio and begin work on a new solo album, your first since 1997. Patsy decided that the latter was the best option for her and this delightful album is the result. Eschewing the possibly obvious choice of using multi-tracking on vocals that would inevitably draw comparisons with the beautiful trademark four-part harmonies associated with Waking The Witch, Patsy has opted for simplicity. I want to say that the results work really well. The sparse 'Addicted To You' is the opening cut telling the tail of a doomed relationship when the lady in question gives in to the constant lies and promises of her lover while she still craves the physical desires burning inside. 'Treading Water Town' is a perfect blend of a bleak song and plaintive vocals. Constantly knocked back by the music industry, destroyed by yet more broken promises, the poor lass in the song is heading off to commit suicide where, if successful, she will attain a brief few lines of fame. You might get the idea that this is a depressing album and that is not the case. True some tracks are definitely on the sad side however the lovely 'Sunday Morning Song', for example, counter balances the mood. 'Ulverston Gypsy' is pure, and quintessentially, English Folk weaving aural pictures of a life of a musical traveller. Painting by song is a good way to sum up this album. We are allowed a wee peak into the lives of the characters that populate this descriptive collection of songs. Mourn by all means the past but celebrate a new beginning for Patsy.

From www.womensradio.com:

Mention the name Patsy Matheson and a warm musical glow envelops the discerning music lover. As part of the driving force of the all-female band, Waking the Witch, Patsy received critical acclaim throughout the music-industry, however it is as a solo performer that Patsy's song-writing talent and pure voice comes to the fore..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The release of her latest album "A Little Piece of ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />England" will enhance her reputation even further, as she takes the listener through the full range of human strengths, weaknesses, feelings and emotions.

Patsy has a vocal range that can melt the heart through "Sunday Morning Song" and "Little Piece of England", convey the fragility of hope and dashed ambitions in "Treading Water Town" and "This New Song", inspire social, political and economic questioning on "Play the Game" and "Precious Little Soldier", be stinging on "Lamb to Slaughter", narrate through the story of a travelling female musician on "Ulverston Gypsy" and finally romantic via "Row Down to Wroxham". Whatever your mood, there will be a song on this album which will ignite a nerve or emotion as only a very special talent can achieve.

This is not only a musically glorious album; it is also a statement that Patsy Matheson, the solo performer, is back and better than ever!

From Net Rhythms:

It's only a few months since the brilliant female quartet Waking The Witch "quit while they were ahead", but founder member Patsy has wasted no time in getting back to making music, returning to the studio with a bunch of great new songs that she's assembled to form her first solo release since 1997's Breathe Me. Her brace of late-90s albums was always going to be a hard act to follow (I still play tracks from them regularly), and more especially now after the heightened expectations of WTW, but A Little Piece Of England is an admirably assured offering that both consolidates Patsy's proven songwriting talent and takes her into an arguably more considered musical direction – albeit still rooted in the contemporary-acoustic-with-folk-sensibilities mode. The actual title of this new CD might however perhaps mislead some of the more folky-inclined listeners into expecting either a fairly hard-hitting commentary on the state of our nation (à-la-Maggie Holland or Steve Knightley) or a more idyllic celebration of pastoral pursuits. All of which would be too simplistic an expectation, for although several of Patsy's songs undeniably incorporate an element of protest, they also form quite personal accounts of, or observations on, universal relationship conundrums and romantic dilemmas. These are self-evidently related or discussed from the angle of direct experience (rather than just being rehashed second-hand), but there's never any sense of intrusion on Patsy's privacy, instead more a feeling of somehow being included within the difficult thought processes and the situation, its history and its consequences. As for the "little piece of England" in Patsy's songs: well, although it occurs in a literal sense through her referencing of specific locations for three of the songs here, Englishness is probably more of an undercurrent, in the sense that the imagery used, together with the often quite wistful tone and acute sense of place, are elements that seem quintessentially English in songwriting terms. Patsy cements our involvement with her songs through her ability to recount – with an enviable economy of expression – experiences and feelings common to all of us, which may have formed the basis of countless songs over time, but which are rarely voiced with such percipient sensitivity and simple, painful (yet in some ways almost detached) honesty as here. The consciously stripped-down musical settings employed reflect the intimacy of the lyrics too: Patsy's solo (mostly acoustic, sometimes electric) guitar is sparingly and tellingly augmented by that of her producer Sam Bartholomew, with only a very occasional accordion or percussion part to mildly thicken the texture. All of which produces a gently intricate sound-world which is (perhaps surprisingly) very direct in its impact. There are some really imaginative touches too, including an eerie electronic treatment to the electric guitar part on This New Song, excitingly reflecting the unearthly, even scary synergy of personal connection between two musicians that's expressed through the lyric – you feel the pull of the magnet as you're drawn in. The character of Patsy's own singing ranges entirely believably, from world-weary and knowing – as in Addiction To Love – to emotionally vulnerable – as in Precious Little Soldier. The writing of the latter, a deceptively simple anti-war song, one of the album's standout tracks, was inspired by Martyn Joseph's impressive gift for combining political issues with personal feelings in song; it features some delicate chiming electric guitar figures counterpointing both Patsy's own delivery and Gina Dootson's precise and heartfelt backing vocal, and shares a certain kinship with Dylan's Visions Of Johanna in terms of structure. While each of the album's ten songs is distinctive, they're also unified by virtue of Patsy's writing having a keen sense of structure and good use of hooks both musical and lyrical (note the latter especially in Play The Game, Precious Little Soldier, Ulverston Gypsy and Sunday Morning Song – it's intelligence rather than contrivance that's on display here). Patsy's trademark guitar figure provides the signature hesitant, ominous riff for Lamb To Slaughter, a powerful commentary on the paparazzi culture (with some seriously tasty, edgy electric guitar from Sam setting off Patsy's unsettling, bluesy vocal). At the other end of the scale, the full-toned modal-folk-guitar backdrop for Ulverston Gypsy complements both the song's nods to the tradition of Gypsy Davey and the inevitable resonances of contemporary parables by Bob Pegg (The Gypsy) and Richard Thompson (Bee's Wing). Whereas the desperation and comparative monotony of the melody of Treading Water Town mirrors the rut which the song's creative protagonist is stuck in. But there are so many incidental delights in these songs, and I'll leave you to discover the rest yourself (I'm still finding extra nuances after several plays). I need additionally to praise the clear-toned recording, and the artful (in both senses!) presentation of the whole package, with its provision of full lyrics and credits and its attractive nu-folk design and graphics that really complement the music within – another persuasive selling-point. Well done Pats – so here's to the next project!

www.patsymatheson.co.uk

David Kidman

9:57 AM

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