latest news

new album out february 22nd

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:00:00 +0000

"The Quickening"- the most accomplished album of Kathryn's career to date, is due for release in the uk on 22nd february 2010. The album will be kathryn's first release on One Little Indian Records.

The new record was recorded at Bryn Derwen studio in North Wales ‘in four days, all live, three takes maximum’ Kathryn explained to Mojo magazine earlier this year, and contains some of her sharpest, most mesmerising song writing to date, including a couple of co-writes with longstanding collaborator, guitarist David Scott. ‘It has a mood’ she suggests, ‘a slightly sinister palette with lyrics that are raw. I see myself in these songs a lot, whereas before I invented characters.’ It is produced by Kathryn and Kate St. John and mixed by Kathryn and David Wrench.

The recording set-up of ‘The Quickening’ lends the record an urgency and immediacy borne directly out of the musicians playing off each other – none of whom had heard the songs prior to the recording. Says Kathryn ‘When I listen to the songs now, I can see that room in Wales, remember what each take felt like, with my heart in my mouth, wanting to get to the end without a fuck up!’

Of the songs Kathryn says ‘I always wonder if people get the same pictures in their head as me from the lyrics and music. I see the songs as shapes when I sing them, as journeys through pictures or film’. Album opener ‘50 White Lines’ is a great example, Kathryn re-imagining the long journeys on tour as a Bonnie & Clyde style escapade; in the background a male voice ‘counts’ the road markings or lights as they flash by in the protagonist’s flight from city to city, town to town.

‘It’s a little world of rules I couldn’t write down but I work to them and around them, and I know my way around that world,’ says Kathryn of her song writing itself, ‘I’m forever scared that the way of making the songs will leave me. But in the end, that is part of what drives me.’

For sometime Mercury nominee Kathryn, ‘The Quickening’ marks the beginning of a new relationship with One Little Indian records in a deal that will also see the release of archive material, a children’s record made with Anna Critchley, and the debut by Kathryn’s other sideline The Ish Inventors – a work in progress that is being made with Nev Clay, a songwriter and poet Kathryn has worked with as an artist in residence.

tourdates 2010

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:25:00 +0000

kathryn is touring with (pretty much) the full band who appear on "the quickening" in february/march 2010. full details on the tourdates page

newcastle star and shadow...

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:29:00 +0000

a very intimate benefit gig at newcastle's brilliant star and shadow is planned for the night of 17th january.
this was billed as being a kathryn solo show, but neill will be doing a lot of the show with her as well. if you live in the north-east and have never been to the star and shadow cinema, it's so worth going along to; a completely great place to be. they're at starandshadow.org.uk if you want to know more about the place...

italy show

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:06:00 +0000

kathryn and neill are playing a very special show on july 6th in bagna di lucca, italy. should be a great show in a wonderful and intimate setting. details on the tourdates page.

summer festival dates!

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:11:00 +0000

summer festivals are with us again!
kathryn and neill are playing at:
glastonbury (park stage) on sunday 29th june, 2.30pm
belladrum festival, 8th august
summer sundae (leicester) 10th august
beautiful days (devon) 15th august
sound sanctuary (kent) 21st september

full details on the tourdates page

kathryn will also be playing a couple of solo shows at:
stainsby festival (derbyshire) on 20th july and...
stockton georgian theatre on 24th july.

other than those dates, kathryn and neill are doing some new writing together and with other people.

Regent's Park show- August 17th

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:07:00 +0000

we've just confirmed a show in regent's park open air theatre on august 17th. it will be a full band show again... martyn barker on drums and simon edwards on bass- the pair who made the recent Queen Elizabeth Hall show so great!
if you've never been to the open air theatre, it's one of the most amazing venues- an amphitheatre in the centre of regent's park, surrounded by trees. beautiful. the show starts as the sun begins to set, so by the end night has fallen completely.
kathryn played regents park a few years ago- read the 5 star guardian review here.
a couple of songs from that show ended up as tracks on kw's "relations" covers album- "hallelujah" and "these days" were recorded live at the show and were the spark that led to the creation of "relations".
it's just a magical place that makes things happen...

get tickets at BigWheelTickets.com / 0844 8264242
gates at 6pm for picnics on the lawn. show starts at 7.30
2 great supports are TBC- we'll keep you informed

first live review (independent- 4 stars)

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:20:00 +0000

pierre perrone from the independent reviewed the brighton show (the first show of the tour).
he gave it 4 stars: "wonderfully delicate... growing and developing beyond all expectations... breathtaking... exquisitely detailed..." i think he liked it!

album out now... downloads... video

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:14:00 +0000

the album is out now!!
in the shops and everything...
or you can buy the cd from our little online shop here or from our downloads shop here
also, the video for come with me is online now... it's on kathryn's blog

more great reviews- 01/03/2008

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:45:00 +0000

the telegraph, guardian, mail, uncut, NME, BBC, venue, crack, drowned in sound, gigwise and playlouder amongst others have all come out with great reviews this week... full reviews now posted on the press page.

"the songs they've written are exquisite"- Uncut

"incredibly intimate"- The Guardian

"a natural, spontaneous bond"- The Mail

"Individually, Kathryn Williams an Neill MacColl are great, but together they are superb"- Gigwise

"This record has no right to be as satisfying as it is"- PlayLouder

"Shits on Plant and Krauss"- Drowned in sound

full reviews now posted on the press page.

new single out now!

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:11:00 +0000

"Come With Me", the first single from the album "Two" is out now on

the single is one of the Sunday Times' "hottest downloads" and a great review just hit the manchester evening news website.

the single's b-side is "ghost"- a great song which was written and recorded for the album, but which we just couldn't fit on the record in the end.

radio latest

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:19:00 +0000

mark lammarr and jo brand played "innocent when you dream" on saturday morning (sitting in for jonathan ross on radio2) , they both commented on how great it was, with mark saying it was "absolutely beautiful".
look out for an interview with kathryn and neill by simon mayo on the radio2 music club on 3rd march.
also- we just heard that kathryn and neill will be on loose ends (radio4) on 22nd march.

latest reviews

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:57:00 +0000

reviews and features are beginning to appear... looking great. take a look at the new press page.
we'll keep updating that page as things come along- we'll also keep you up to date with what's due to come out.
if you've seen any reviews, etc that we haven't got on the site, then maybe you could send us scans or links to label (at symbol) cawrecords.co.uk

video interview now online

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:31:00 +0000

we made a video of interviews and performance by kathryn and neill- it's now online at WilliamsMacColl.com/video and also on youtube
here it is in the youtube format...

"Two" out March 3rd

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:49:00 +0000

"Two", the completely wonderful album by kathryn williams and neill maccoll is out on march 3rd.

13 beautifully crafted songs... if you haven't checked out the samples yet, then click the player at the bottom of this page...

you can pre-order it for £10 direct from our online shop

amazon also have it listed for pre-sales

all of the album artwork is by kathryn, by the way

march / april tour- 25 shows!

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:40:00 +0000

a load of new dates coming up... a full uk tour in march/april

thanks to all of those who came to the february in the scottish highlands and islands (brrr!) see a couple of pictures at kathrynwilliams.blogspot.com
subscribe to the rss feed to keep up with the very latest on new dates.

download the new flyer here

16 Mar 08	BRIGHTON	KOMEDIA	01273 647 100
18 Mar 08	CARDIFF	ST DAVIDS HALL, LEVEL 3	029 2087 8500
19 Mar 08	BURY	THE MET	0161 761 2216
20 Mar 08	LONDON	Supporting David Gray
24 Mar 08	PERTH	RED ROOMS@ PERTH THEATRE	0845 6126321
25 Mar 08	EDINBURGH	CABARET VOLTAIRE	0870 060 0100
26 Mar 08	GLASGOW	CLASSIC GRAND	08444 999 990
28 Mar 08	LONDON	QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL	0870 405 6666
29 Mar 08	LEICESTER	MUSICIAN	0116 283 55 33
31 Mar 08	CHESTER	TELFORDS	01244 390090

1 Apr 08	CARDIGAN	THEATR MWLDAN	01239 621200
4 Apr 08	ABERYSTWYTH	ARTS CENTRE	01970 62 32 32
5 Apr 08	DURSLEY	PREMA ARTS CENTRE	01453 860703
6 Apr 08	WOLVERHAMPTON	WULFRUN	0870 320 7000
8 Apr 08	NORWICH	ARTS CENTRE	01603 660 352
10 Apr 08	LEEDS	CITY VARIETIES	08456 441 881
11 Apr 08	GATESHEAD	THE SAGE	0191 443 4661
12 Apr 08	POCKLINGTON	ARTS CENTRE	01759 301547
13 Apr 08	BRISTOL	ST GEORGES	0845 4024001
15 Apr 08	CAMBRIDGE	THE JUNCTION	01223 511 511
16 Apr 08	NOTTINGHAM	RESCUE ROOMS	08713 100 000
17 Apr 08	BEDFORD	CIVIC THEATRE	01234 269519
19 Apr 08	MORECAMBE	PLATFORM	01524 582803

download the flyer here

download of the week, podcast...

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:22:00 +0000

a couple of things from the world of virtual newspapers...

"Come With Me" will be the Sunday Times download of the week on 24th february.

Kathryn will be doing a podcast for the Independent- she'll be reviewing albums (Autechre, Speck Mountain, Gary Lucas, R Stevie Moore and Bauhaus) alongside a journalist, doing an interview and playing one acoustic track. should be good. it'll be available for free on the independent's site and itunes for a month from 29th feb.

jonathan ross plays single

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:56:00 +0000

jonathan ross played the single "Come With Me" on his saturday morning bbc radio2 programme (2nd feb). he has always been a big fan and remarked that it was "such a beautiful sound". damn right.
it looks likely that kathryn and neill will be playing a live session on the show at a future date.
mike harding has aslo been playing kathryn and neill, as has gideon coe, stuart maconie and a load of others.
the single is released on itunes on 25th feb

new myspace page

noreply@blogger.com (caw) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:11:00 +0000

we've put a kathryn and neill myspace page together, it's at myspace.com/WilliamsMacColl
kathryn's solo myspace is at myspace.com/kathrynwilliams