Woodlands are starting off the new year with a new collaboration with the American/Canadian dynamic duo Jocelyn & Ellen (Jocelyn Pettit on fiddle, stepdance and voice and Ellen Gira on cello and voice). They are currently planning a tour in Sweden in August.
Listen to their new recording of Swedish and American music here.
Rekordmånga ensembler sökte årets fortbildningsstipendium i ensemblespel av Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien. Årets stipendier tilldelas åtta ensembler: BrassUnit, Duo Julia & Theo, Skallsjö Sommarorkester, BEQ (Bokros Electric Quartet), Johannes Gammelgaard Kvartett, Mappe3, Klyv-Olle Trio och Woodlands+Bäckafall.
“Det var egentligen bara en spontan engångsgrej, den där gemensamma spelningen med folkmusikduorna Woodlands och Bäckafall på Göteborg Folk Festival 2020. Men de fann varandra på djupet och tar nu ett kliv vidare tillsammans genom att ge ut två singlar under gemensamt flagg.”
"Woodlands" is a damned fine album by any standards and one which I hope really catapults the duo into the public consciousness in the year to come as surely as they have entered mine.
“Traditional music lets you do your own thing, and I really love that freedom”, says Justyna. “I started playing it after hearing Breton music recordings – there aren’t so many Breton trad concerts in Sweden! I loved how the melodies were constructed, and the potential to improvise within it.”
“Såväl de traditionella som de nyskrivna låtarna i keltisk stil är så vackra och framförs säkert och intressant. Fiolen möter harpan på ett mycket fint sätt: de smälter samman och kontrasterar varandra. Lyriskt och samtidigt både nyanserat och storslaget!”
“Atmospheric, reflective, calming and exciting - the music of this duo is just delightful.”
“The album is full of twists and turns, introducing people, places and stories, taking you from one coast to another and evoking Celtic memories”.
“The pair’s playing shows great empathy for each other’s contributions, and the way they shift roles in their interesting arrangements adds to the satisfaction.”
