Shirley Collins shares new video for ‘Death and the Lady’

Having recently announced Lodestar – her first album in 38 years, the legendary folk singer Shirley Collins is pleased to share another song from the record, ‘Death and the Lady’.

Directed by Nick Abrahams (Sigur Ros, Jeremy Deller, Manic Street Preachers), the video is rich with folk imagery. Shirley says of the track: “This is another centuries old song. It reminds me of a wonderful scene in Ingmar Bergman's 'The Seventh Seal' where, on a wild, lonely beach a knight plays a game of chess with Death - which of course he can't win.”

Nick Abrahams adds, “The memory of a robin’s nest from some long ago holiday is what drew me back to film at the ossuary (‘a place made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains’) at St Leonard’s in Hythe in Kent. It seemed like such a unique location, a reminder of the inevitability of death.  The song itself has Kentish roots, and the horseskull creatures are inspired by the Kentish tradition of the Hooden Horse, a horse skull or wooden horse used in an ancient folk custom about death and resurrection.”

Lodestar – to be released on November 4th through Domino Records - is a collection of English, American and Cajun songs dating from the 16th Century to the 1950s, recorded at Shirley’s home in Lewes by Stephen Thrower and Ossian Brown of Cyclobe and produced and musically directed by Ian Kearey.

Collins previously shared ‘Cruel Lincoln’ from the album and you can watch a track by track description of the song by Shirley here.

Additionally, Shirley Collins will be taking part in the Folk Horror Revival at The British Museum, London on 16th October. For more information, click here.

Lodestar will be available on limited edition deluxe vinyl with a 24 page 12” booklet featuring song notes by Shirley Collins and sleeve notes by Stewart Lee and a signed print (signed print is available exclusively via Dom Mart), limited edition deluxe CD with 28 page booklet and standard vinyl. For more details visit Dom Mart.