Play It Again Steve Lamacq! Let’s Hear It For Mary Epworth and The Jubilee Band

BBC Radio 2’s Steve Lamacq has taken a shine to new artist Mary Epworth , and her Jubilee Band, playing her single The Saddle Song on his Music This Week programme.

The artist and her fans are hoping that Steve will play the tune again – in the meantime, you can view the YouTube video of her new single here.  and check out other tracks on her MySpace page.

I caught up for a Quick Peeks conversation with Mary Epworth, who is represented by the Hand of Glory record label, to find out more about her singing and songwriting ambitions.

oOOo Tell me about The Jubliee Band.

The Jubilee Band is the second generation of what originated as The Jubilee Band in 1887, when my Great-Great Grandfather Pumpata/Pompadour Chilvers was a featured artist. They were popular in the Middleton/Blakborough End area, near King’s Lynn in Norfolk. My Great-Great Grandfather was called Pompadour because he used to practice the songs while he was working, going “pom pom pom” to imitate the brass parts. I founded my Jubilee Band in the honour of him.

My band includes Will Twynham, Mark "Horse" Phillips, and Andy Zammit.

oOOo How long have you been singing?

I've been singing in bands for approximately 17 years, I can't count my non-inspiring school choir days really, boring as they were.

oOOo What are your earliest experiences with music that you can remember?

My brother and I used to listen to a couple of children's records when we were small. I particularly loved "I'm a Gnu" and "Mud Glorious Mud" by Flanders and Swann, "Morningtown ride" and "Puff The Magic Dragon". I also was really fascinated by "Oh My Darlin' Clementine".

The last two are interesting to me because I was always really haunted by the sadness of the stories. Now I'm fully grown I really love sad songs, so maybe that's innate.

Other than that, my Dad used to listen to CSNY, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, and Yes, which all seeped in somewhere for me to revisit later. Plus he used to play Jeff Wayne's "War Of The Worlds" on long journeys, to which I would have strange car nightmares. Love it now though, thanks Dad.

oOOo You are in a quirky new folk rock genre, what is it about this type of music that appeals to you?

Am I? Am I fully immersed by this thing? Or are there limbs sticking out?
I write what I write, and as soon as I think I am one type of music, my contrary nature conspires against me by making me write something totally unlike. I would say my music has roots in folk-rock, but doesn't quite fit snug in that box. You'll have to hear my album to see what I mean.

I do love folk music, I started off liking American folk, and then had an awakening of a kind, when I first heard Shirley Collins. That was around the time I found out about the old Jubilee band, so these things came together and I suddenly felt a connection to English music and Englishness that I never had previously. Shirley Collins is really wonderful.

oOOo You play the autoharp, an unusual instrument, can you tell me why you picked up this instrument?

An Autoharp is a type of Zither, not a harp at all, and is a distant cousin of the Dulcimer, Cymbalom etc.

I picked it up at first because I was resisting learning guitar, and wanted to find an alternative. That was when I was about 15. I then forgot about it until I got into Country music, and then realised it could be useful. 

oOOo How did you learn how to play the autoharp?

I’m self taught, and have never seen anyone else do it in person, so I may be doing it all wrong. I am aware that I am not fully doing justice to all the possibilities of the lovely beast, but I am, as I said, contrary. I play it like a rhythm guitar, and frequently break strings. I also play Banjo like a rhythm guitar, and according to one guy, play guitar like a drummer.

oOOo What does new folk mean to you?

Hmm. I don't know. It makes me think of New Country, which is a bad thing. I would probably say Psych-folk is more what I'm keen on personally. That said, there are loads of fantastic new artists who fall loosely under the folk umbrella, so It's a good time for people like me who into that stuff.

oOOo Who are your top music influences?

I have worked with a fantastic woman called Ida Kelarova for a long time. She teaches a way of singing, (not a technique, but an approach) that is something like gospel. She showed me how it's possible to put real feeling into what you are singing, and that way you never sing things the same way twice and It can be a really beautiful experience.

She comes from a background of Roma (Gypsy) culture, and I've been really deeply influenced by Roma music, and my experiences performing that music as part of a choir. I don't perform those songs myself, but I always feel them running through me, like the lettering in a stick of rock.

oOOo What's your ambition?   

Um, happiness and health for me, my family and loved ones, to earn a living doing what I love, and to meet Van *** Parks and shake his hand. That would do. Of course, raking in millions as a behind the scenes songwriter for teen popstars would also be nice. 

Good luck to the quite contrary, psych-rocking Mary Epworth and her Jubilee Band,

-Lisa