A fine time to be a musician

Photo by Rich Spencer

I licked the brown manilla envelope, sealing the last CD inside, tasting the faint sweetness of the glue...

it tasted of hope

(there is no way of knowing if they will even read the letter, let alone write a reply)

it tasted like determination

(or if they will run their fingernail down the spine of the CD sleeve, breaking the tight cellophane)

it tasted of ambition

(or if the lyrics and melodies will sink in, or if the disc will even get to spin)


it tasted like fingers crossed...

 

Luckily I managed to write the last letter before the typewriter jammed again

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Our second EP 'High Time' is now available for purchase worldwide!

This week, the track: Cherry Tree was featured on Folk Radio UK's weekly show and we also landed a review from Listen with Monger! 

"Lichfield. Not necessarily the hot bed of musical talent you might expect the sound of delicate genius to come from but then I heard A Different Thread and my perceptions of Lichfield changed".

Click here to read the full review 

Speaking of Lichfield, this weekend we are looking forward to playing at the Lichfield Festival of Folk (L2F) on Saturday at the Guildhall. Other artists include Jon Boden, Sheelanagig and Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin.

Click here for tickets.

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After a roller coaster of a summer, it feels good have had some time to take stock and reflect

It can be challenging when things don't work out exactly how you expected

but then expectation is a dangerous thing

I will finish with this motivational quote from Jane Siberry:

"Since the music industry cracked and fell apart, gasping for the cash flow it had come to expect, much re-thinking has been the order of the day. It is a fine time to be a musician. Like walking through Sodom and Gomorrah while it is still smoking, on your way to the next gig."

Upcoming shows: 

Sat 14th Oct
(1.30pm)
Lichfield Folk Festival (L2F)
Guildhall, Lichfield


Thu 2nd Nov
The Venue, Derby
(With Kerri Watt)

 

Fri 3rd Nov
The Crown, Lichfield

 

Fri 10th Nov
George IV, Lichfield



Fri 17th Nov
The Greyhound, Lichfield



Wed 29th Nov
Sofar sounds concert
London



Thu 30th Nov
Luna Lounge
London

 

Fri 1st Dec
The George Tavern
London



Tue 5th Dec
The Lansdown
Bristol


Your fan,

ADT

Top photo by Rich Spencer

They say there's no place like home (if you have one)

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We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all those who came out to our pre-release show. It was a very special evening and you all really made it feel... well, like home.
We hope you are enjoying the limited edition CD's and if you missed the show, Jamie managed to catch a few clips on his phone, check out the video below!
 

The new EP will go on sale to the rest of the world on the 1st October (look out for the pre-order link coming soon).

Until then you can listen to the 5 tracks online through our Reverb-Nation page or through our Facebook page... or catch one of our upcoming shows.

We would also like to thank Bric-a-brac for putting on a tremendous performance at the start of the evening and what a joy it was to hear your music again!

When I travel, there's nothing quite like like being a stranger, that feeling of anonymity that can make you act on impulse and force you to think outside the box. Often, when Alicia is asked "Where's home for you?" her proud reply is "I don't really have one of those, I've been travelling for two years now".  Isaac will tell you that he has a 'home' and then he has a 'home home'. (His childhood home in Yorkshire) Me, I guess I'm somewhere in between.

When I returned to Lichfield in January after travelling, I felt a bit like a stranger in my hometown.  

I had been welcomed into other people's communities on my travels and it was time to see if I could create a community from my music back on familiar ground.

It is wonderful to see our following grow in Lichfield. It keeps us creating and It keeps us on our toes. Seeing both new and familiar faces come again and again to our shows makes me feel like we could grow from here, like a ripple.

That spontaneous travelling lifestyle can really feed the imagination.

Even so...

"There have never been so many polkadots in my calendar as there are now." Alicia said to me at the start of the summer.

I guess it's all about balance.

We still have a lot of planning to do (so for those of you who are considering booking us for a house concert, now's the time) as well as working on material for the album that's due next year.

For the next few months we will be somewhat scattered about but I endeavour to push and develop this project, thanks to the support of our fans and followers. Thank you <3

 

Your fan,

ADT

ADT wins competition at Shrewsbury Folk Fest 2017

Photo by Rich Spencer&nbsp;

Photo by Rich Spencer 

It's funny how things weave together.

When I started working the Tipis it was something different, some variety to help with developing new skills and to get some fast cash. I never thought it could lead to me playing at Glastonbury 2016 or to ADT winning the open mic competition at Shrewsbury folk festival this year!

Black Dog Tipi's are a 'glamping' company based in Devon and they operate all over the UK.
I remember when I got the phone call from Tom: I had just returned from my spring trip to europe in 2014 and was on a coach to Bristol, contemplating my life options.  
"Rob, it's Tom. Hannah told me that you might be kind of in-between things at the moment and...well we could use an extra pair of hands".

For the next three summers, I got used to living mostly outdoors (or in a tent/van), lifting canvas and hammering pegs, then sitting by the fire in the evenings and enjoying the warmth. It was great fun, not to mention the festivals!


Shrewsbury was the last Tipi gig of this season and just as I was turning my thoughts away from tents and back to my music career, the two things seem to have gone and wound together...

The rope is tight around the wooden pegs as we heave them from the hard dirt ground. It's humbling to feel the rain on the back of our necks and to see the almost pitiful looks from strangers as they leave the festival gates...if only they knew.
(The prestigious festival holds an open mic competition each year and the winner is invited back the following year for an official slot)
See you next year Shrewsbury!

In other news, we have a new record launching on 1st October (officially) but there will be a special Lichfield EP release show on the 1st September (This Friday) where 50 copies of the EP will be for sale in person. First come, first served. We are delighted to announce that 'Bric-a-Brac' will also be performing alongside us (we saw these guys play at Shrewsbury and couldn't get enough of their infectious folk sound).

This month we also did some recording at the new 'Ivy Lane studios' in Dartmouth and thanks to our good friend Alfi Romeo, we now have two new singles waiting to be mixed. They already sound fantastic!

One more day of Tipi's to go and as we fall asleep, we hear the distant sound of fiddles and a hundred voices singing in harmony as the festival gates close for the night.

Upcoming shows:

Friday Sept 1st
Exclusive EP launch show
Lichfield
Brewhouse & Kitchen

Sunday Sept 10th
Balstock Festival
Hertfordshire
The White Lion

Sat October 14th
Lichfield Festival of Folk
Lichfield Guild Hall
(early show 1.30pm)

Your fan,

ADT

New EP + Upcoming shows

Photo by Joni Nelson

Photo by Joni Nelson

Dear reader, 

I am writing to you from the lower cabin of 'Mimosa', a classic boat of nearly 100 years old which is moored in Dartmouth harbour. The boat rocks gently in the wake of the ferry as it passes by, the sound of seagulls and tourists drifts in from the open doorway and the kitchen is full of musical instruments.  
This boat has been our rehearsal space, cabin quarters, office and kitchen for the last few days whilst we have been recording in Ivy Lane studios here in the town. We laid down two new tracks and they are sounding fantastic!
Tonight we are playing a show in Kingsweir before heading back up to the midlands for a Friday show in Lichfield.

We are excited to announce that our next EP is in the final stages of production and we are having an exclusive launch party on 1st September in Lichfield at Brewhouse (more info to come soon).

Upcoming shows:

Friday 18th Aug
The Horse and Jockey
Lichfield

Sunday 20th Aug
Landed Festival
Verbal Melodies stage
Wales

Friday 1st Sept
EP Launch show
Brewhouse Bar & Kitchen
Lichfield

Sunday 10th Sept
Folkstock
The White Lion
Baldock

We hope to see you there,

Your fan,

ADT

Upcoming shows, Ireland recap and House concerts

We have mostly been recovering from our tour of Ireland. The tour was a real adventure, be sure to check out the blog post here.

In other news, we are excited to announce that ADT are taking bookings for house concerts in July and August, click here to visit the page and check out the video below!

Upcoming shows:

15th July
Sofar Sounds, 
London

16th July
The Lexington
London
7.30pm

28th July
The Astor Theatre
Deal
(supporting The Sons of Pitches)

30th July
Y not festival
(Hog and Barrel stage)
2.15pm
Derbyshire

Your fan,

ADT

Folk on the Water

Straight after our gig with Jonathan Byrd last week Alicia and I shot off to Glastonbury Festival where we have been building Yurts and Tipi's in a field. 

The work has been hard and very hot but the combination of good food, great company and all that sunshine and fresh air has done wonders for my soul. 
This morning we left the Tipi field for a quick shower before our show tonight at Folk on the Water festival in Warwickshire.

Catch us at The Cuttle Inn at 9.20pm this evening.

Here's a video from a session we did for the festival organisers last month:

Hope you enjoy the video, we would love for you to catch us at a gig soon!

Next public show :
23rd June
The Greyhound
Lichfield

 

Your fan, 

ADT