There is a lineage in British contemporary music that can be drawn right back to a point at the beginning of the ‘70s when more traditional female folk singers such as Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs and the enigmatic Shenagh MacDonald slowly mutated into confessional singer-songwriters. Enter Bridget St John, Lesley Duncan and Claire Hamill with their reflective narratives of romanticism and heartache.
Kat Healy continues in that grand tradition. With her new EP When You Are Gone – the follow-up to her 2012 début album Be Still Gentle Kind – the Edinburgh singer-songwriter has produced five songs of great emotional depth. Backed by her band, The Kat Healy Music Club, her warm, clear voice soars effortlessly over the songs’ tender melodies and strong arrangements.
A shrewd observer of life, Kat Healy appears to often watch from a distance. It is unclear as to whether or not it is ambivalence, detachment or fear that places her one step removed. This sense of emotional dislocation is most acutely felt in the beautifully crafted title track. Standing somewhere on the outside of love, Healy still manages to capture all those familiar feelings of loss and vulnerability in the cross-hairs of her songwriter’s telescope. It is a compelling portrait of emptiness in a strong collection of songs that otherwise only nod vaguely towards regret.
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The independent release of When You Are Gone is available for download on 11th August 2014.
A signed CD copy of the EP can be bought HERE
2014 live dates:
August 20 – Edinburgh, Sofi’s Bar (Festival show)
August 31 – Glasgow, The Record Factory
Sept. 07 – Dublin, The Sunday Roast Sessions
Sept. 10 – Dublin, The Zodiac Sessions
October 04 – Birmingham, Café Ort
December 23 – Stuttgart, Germany, Sideways Bar
