Shirley Collins shares new song "Barbara Allen"
22nd July 2020
Praise for Shirley Collins:
“There are voices. And then there are Voices. Shirley Collins definitely belongs in the latter category.” – Aquarium Drunkard
“One of the year’s best records.” – Maggot Brain Magazine on Heart’s Ease
“Collins makes it sound both old and new” –Stereogum on “Wondrous Love”
“Fueled by some gorgeous acoustic guitar and fiddle, it's an absolutely lovely song.” – Brooklyn Vegan on “Sweet Greens and Blues”
“There is the sense that she has stood still, and folk has revolved around her.” – Pitchfork
Ahead of the release of her new album Heart’s Ease this Friday, July 24, Shirley Collins is pleased to share “Barbara Allen,” the third single from the record. The ballad “Barbara Allen” has been loved for centuries; Collins first heard it in school and has recorded it twice before: one Appalachian version, and one English version, for which she wrote a new tune. On Heart’s Ease, Collins returns to the traditional English arrangement.
On the track, Shirley said, “I watched the 1951 black and white film Scrooge and found myself in tears at the scene towards the end of the film where a changed and contrite Scrooge visits his nephew Fred on Boxing Day to beg forgiveness for his past behavior. Fred welcomes him in, and as Scrooge enters the room, Fred’s wife is sitting at the keyboard singing Barbara Allen to the tune I learned at school…. It was utterly simple, utterly lovely. I knew if I ever recorded the song again, I would use that one”
Shirley Collins has previously shared “Wondrous Love” and “Sweet Greens and Blues” from Heart’s Ease.
Whereas her previous album, 2016’s Lodestar, was recorded at home, Shirley regained confidence to record Heart’s Ease at Metway in Brighton, with The Lodestar Band. The album is a glorious reminder that Shirley Collins is still in a class of her own, both as a folk singer with a distinctive no-nonsense style that is all her own, and as an innovator. She certainly doesn’t intend Heart’s Ease to be her last album: “I have such a huge memory of songs, so many of which I still want to sing. And I wasted all those years not singing, so now I’ve got to catch up a bit!”
Heart’s Ease is available to pre-order on limited edition Domino Mart exclusive colored LP (with gold foil detail sleeve, 4 page booklet, and 7" featuring a never-before-released 1964 recording of “Sweet Greens and Blues” with Davy Graham, plus a corn dolly design by Cathy Ward on the B-side), deluxe LP (with gold foil detail sleeve), standard LP, CD and digitally.
Upcoming live dates31st July 2021 - Charleston Trust, East Sussex Tickets
1st August 2021 - Charleston Trust, East Sussex Tickets
Shirley Collins Heart's Ease
Album | 24th July 2020
On Heart’s Ease, Shirley delivers a record even stronger than Lodestar having completely regained her confidence, and singing so well that you can’t believe she was away for so long. As Shirley put it, “Lodestar wasn’t too bad, was it? But when I listen to it, it does sometimes sound rather tentative. I had to record it at home because I was just too nervous to sing in front of somebody I didn’t know. This time I was far more relaxed – even though I went into a studio.” Recorded at Metway in Brighton, Heart’s Ease is as compelling and original as Shirley’s great albums from the Sixties and Seventies. There are traditional songs, of course, from England and the USA, but there are also more new songs than in the past (four non-traditional tracks) and there’s even a burst of experimentation that hints at possible new directions to come.
Shirley Collins Heart's Ease
Album | 24th July 2020
On Heart’s Ease, Shirley delivers a record even stronger than Lodestar having completely regained her confidence, and singing so well that you can’t believe she was away for so long. As Shirley put it, “Lodestar wasn’t too bad, was it? But when I listen to it, it does sometimes sound rather tentative. I had to record it at home because I was just too nervous to sing in front of somebody I didn’t know. This time I was far more relaxed – even though I went into a studio.” Recorded at Metway in Brighton, Heart’s Ease is as compelling and original as Shirley’s great albums from the Sixties and Seventies. There are traditional songs, of course, from England and the USA, but there are also more new songs than in the past (four non-traditional tracks) and there’s even a burst of experimentation that hints at possible new directions to come.
