Sweeney Astray: Sweeney are go!

WE'RE RECORDING again on Sunday - finishing off the final mix of the song "Rooks of Kathmandu" - at the rural practice room/portable studio in the wet green wilds of Lancashire. And working on other tracks.

Myself, drummer Anna Ashworth, sound man and bassist Elliott Dryden, along with cellist Marta Canellas, who hails from Barcelona but presently lives in Fulwood, Preston.

Double bass player and second singer, Hannah Dacey, won't be able to make it as she's down in London, busy with the full on life of a developing, working pro musician at the internationally renowned Royal College of Music.

We keep in touch online continuously however. With gigs, a film, a double A sided single release of Sunshine and Swimming/Rooks of Kathmandu and new songs all planned for the Christmas break. Plus one gig already organised for a venue in Brighton in March 2015.

Elliott Dryden setting the drums sound on Rooks at the last session

Hannah Dacey on the double bass laying down a track at a house/studio in Clitheroe.

Drummer Anna Ashworth

The thing that's exciting for us about the two tracks we have planned for a double A side, is that they have a Sweeney Astray "sound." The acoustic, double bass, harmonies, Anna's arty drum ideas and visual lyrics mixed in a natural way with a lot of space and intimate vocals..

So we're happy.

A film of a quick solo acoustic track

In the meantime here's a film myself and Anna made outside the back of the studio, on a Sunday in September (the last time we recorded), of a song called "Butterfly."

Apologies if you've already seen it...

http://youtu.be/on9OOTrVoXo

if you can't get the link go to youtube and search Mike Kneafsey

Butterfly, a song about fleeting love, was filmed in the garden behind the makeshift studio above a garage. Behind me is a field full of cows and behind that, out of shot, is Parlick Fell.

Anna, the drummer, borrowed a camera from Blackburn College where she teaches art. The microphone's not great. We did a five minute one take film. But it's worked well enough.

So I stuck it on YouTube. Though it took me hours to put it in the right format and turn it the right way up! I mean hours as well.

Luckily I started writing complete and arranged acoustic songs very rapidly having spent day after day, year after year, perfecting them over two decades of emotional turmoil and social rage (I wish I was joking..). And I could think - Butterfly that'll work - then play it and have it filmed having played it live once.

And I used triplets in the finger pick (all say woooo) which I picked up from teaching Passenger and City and Colour songs to my teenaged guitar students.

Mike Kneafsey (of Sweeney Astray) plays solo with cellist Marta Canellas

Mike and Marta play Chorley Live at the Havana Casa de Cafe

I thoroughly enjoyed our live sets together at Havana Case de Cafe and Chorley Library as part of Chorley Live. The "other tracks" we're working on this Sunday are versions of "Two People" and "History" which feature myself and Marta with Elliott on bass and Anna's drums on "Two People."

We've had a lot of super nice feedback and support which we appreciated. Here's the next two solo gigs for your information...

Mike Kneafsey (solo) at Rishtoberfest, near Blackburn, Saturday. October the 25th at 5pm.

Mike Kneafsey with Marta Canellas at Gregson Lane Folk Club, Friday, November the 21st, tickets £5.

Text 07760888050 for details or e mail milltowncafe@gmail.com

And last but not least. Here's the free streaming online access to the version of "When The Whistle Blows" recorded by Rob Kentell, of the Susie Jones Band last year at Sunnybank Studios.

It features our friend and highly talented vocalist/musician Katie Ritson on piano and second vocals.Katie plays folk festivals and plenty of gigs of her own and is presently an undergraduate at the Royal Northern College of Music Manchester.