Sam Carter (musician)

Last updated

Sam Carter
Sam Carter.jpg
Background information
Genres Folk, roots
Occupation(s)Musician, singer songwriter, guitarist
InstrumentGuitar
Years active2008 – present
Website samcartermusic.co.uk

Sam Carter is a British guitarist, singer and songwriter, originally from the English Midlands but more recently based in Sheffield. [1] He has released four albums of mainly original material which fall loosely into the folk/roots category. Carter is the winner of the "Horizon" award for best newcomer at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2010. [2] Highly regarded as an instrumentalist, contemporary Jon Boden of Bellowhead described him as 'the finest English-style finger-picking guitarist of his generation, [3] [4] and former BBC Radio Two folk show presenter Mike Harding wrote that Carter was "one of the most gifted acoustic guitarists of his generation.". [5] As a songwriter, Carter marries a traditionally English narrative style with elements of American gospel, shapenote, R&B and folk-rock has been described as an "impressively original" performer. [6] Some commentators consider that Carter's guitar and vocal style is similar to that of noted British iconoclasts John Martyn [7] and Roy Harper, [8] whilst his lyrical perspective has further invited comparison with the work of Richard Thompson. [9]

Contents

Solo career

After moving to London from his native Rutland, Carter came to the attention of British Indian musician Nitin Sawhney and singer/songwriter Martin Simpson, from whom he reportedly received some guitar tuition. As a result of this, he was installed as one of sixteen "Emerging Artists in Residence" at London's Southbank Centre in the autumn of 2008. [10] This in turn led to an invitation from fellow Artists in Residence Bellowhead to tour the UK with them in the Spring of 2009, and to further collaborate with members of the group, both live and on record, particularly fiddle player Sam Sweeney. Carter released his debut album Keepsakes in August 2009 to generally positive reviews. [11] Following his success at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in February 2010, [12] he was invited to participate in the British Council's 'Shifting Sands' project, an ongoing creative project featuring musicians from the UK and the Arabian Peninsula, [13] and made a showcase appearance at the 2010 Cambridge Folk Festival.

Carter released a second album, The No Testament, in August 2012, [14] performed on Later... with Jools Holland [15] and appeared in two BBC Four documentaries, one about the legendary folk singer Nic Jones, broadcast on 29 and 30 September 2013, [16] and the other a recording of a tribute concert to the late singer/songwriter Sandy Denny, broadcast in November 2012. [17] After the release of his first album Carter became interested in American gospel and spiritual music, and the shapenote hymn-singing tradition of southern American vocal harmony music in particular, which influences were reflected in some of the songs on The No Testament. [18] He appeared at the annual Shrewsbury Folk Festival in 2010 and 2013. [19] For festival appearances during the summer of 2013, and subsequent live dates in the autumn of the same year, Carter formed a Trio with Matt Ridley (double bass) and Karl Penney (drums). Additionally, he played a handful of dates with Canadian folk singer Catherine MacLellan, with whom he had collaborated in 2012 on a transatlantic exchange visit organised and sponsored by the English Folk Dance & Song Society. [20] [21] His collaboration with Zimbabwean singer Lucky Moyo resulted in an appearance on the Andrew Marr Show on the BBC as part of 'Celebrating Sanctuary London 2013.' [22]

In early 2014 the British Council invited Carter to perform in Pakistan as part of their 'Folk Nations' project. Carter performed twice in Karachi with acclaimed sitar player Sajid Hussain and tabla player Haroon Samuel, and conducted a songwriting workshop at the National Academy of Performing Arts. [23] In March 2014 Carter returned to the UK to tour with his trio line-up, a number of the concerts also featuring Sam Sweeney, and toured solo in Canada in July, including a performance at Calgary Folk Festival. [24] In late 2015 Carter collaborated with folk contemporaries Nancy Kerr, Maz O'Connor and Martyn Joseph for Sweet Liberties, an EFDSS and Folk By The Oak joint-funded songwriting project which toured major UK venues in Autumn 2015. [25] The project spawned an album of the same name and featured on BBC Radio 3's World On 3 in late 2016. [26] Carter released his third album How The City Sings in April 2016. [27] A concept album influenced by his time spent living in London, the album was co-produced by Dominic Monks and jazz pianist Neil Cowley. [28] After touring the album Carter relocated from London to Sheffield in September 2016. [29] [1]

In late 2019, Sam joined the ensemble for the touring folk theatre show ‘Rising Up: Peterloo 2019’, arranging and performing songs written by the Young’uns’ Sean Cooney alongside Lucy Farrell of the Furrow Collective and Jim Molyneux. [30]

In May 2020 Carter released his fourth studio album Home Waters, the 17-date album launch spring tour cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [31]

False Lights

Towards the end of 2014 Carter partnered with fellow roots musician Jim Moray in a "folk rock" venture named False Lights. [32] The band appeared live in session on the BBC Radio 2's Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe in December 2014 and announced a short tour in early 2015 in support of the release of their debut album Salvor, which received a nomination for Best Album at the 2016 BBC Radio Two Folk Awards. [33] [34] [35] The band played a set as the backing band for Richard Thompson at Shrewsbury Folk Festival in August 2015. [36] False Lights released follow-up album Harmonograph in February 2018, again appearing live in session on BBC Radio 2's Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe to promote the release. [37]

Discography

Solo

False Lights

Sweet Liberties

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UFO (band)</span> English rock band

UFO were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the new wave of British heavy metal. The band's final lineup consisted of vocalist Phil Mogg, lead guitarist Vinnie Moore, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Neil Carter, bass guitarist Rob De Luca, and drummer Andy Parker. They had gone through several line-up changes, leaving Mogg as the only constant member, and had disbanded three times. The band's classic line-up comprised Mogg, Parker, bassist Pete Way, keyboardist Paul Raymond and former Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker. In May 2018, Mogg announced that he would retire from UFO after one last tour as a member of the band in 2019; however, their farewell tour was set to conclude in 2022 before it was cancelled, due to Mogg's health issues. Mogg confirmed UFO's third disbandment in April 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Armatrading</span> English musician (born 1950)

Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her first major commercial success came with her third and fourth albums, Joan Armatrading (1976) and Show Some Emotion (1977), and she continues to play live and record studio albums. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Radcliffe (radio broadcaster)</span> British DJ (born 1958)

Mark Radcliffe is an English radio broadcaster, musician and writer. He is best known for his broadcasting work for the BBC, for which he has worked in various roles since the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards</span> Annual folk music award by BBC Radio 2

The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music, with the aim of raising the profile of folk and acoustic music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British radio station BBC Radio 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kasabian</span> English rock band

Kasabian are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and second vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karloff left the band in 2006 and founded a new band called Black Onassis. Jay Mehler joined as touring lead guitarist in 2006, leaving for Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye in 2013, to be replaced by Tim Carter, who later became a full-time band member in 2021. Meighan left the band in July 2020, with Pizzorno stepping up as full-time lead vocalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellowhead</span> English folk band

Bellowhead is an English contemporary folk band, active from 2004 to 2016, reforming in 2020. The eleven-piece act played traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide range of musical styles and influences. The band included percussion and a four-piece brass section. Bellowhead's bandmembers played more than 20 instruments among them, whilst all performers provided vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Moray</span> English folk musician (born 1981)

Jim Moray is an English folk singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Marling</span> British folk singer-songwriter (born 1990)

Laura Beatrice Marling is an English folk singer-songwriter. She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Kerr</span> Musical artist

Nancy Kerr is an English folk musician and songwriter, specialising in the fiddle and singing. She is a Principal Lecturer in Folk Music at Newcastle University. She was the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards "Folk Singer of the Year".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Sweeney</span> Musical artist

Sam Sweeney is a multi-instrumental English folk musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fay Hield</span> Musical artist

Fay Hield is a traditional English folk singer and a Professor of Music at the University of Sheffield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O'Hooley & Tidow</span> English musicians

O'Hooley & Tidow are an English folk music duo from Yorkshire. Singer-songwriter Heidi Tidow performs and records with her wife, singer-songwriter and pianist Belinda O'Hooley, who was formerly a member of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset. O'Hooley & Tidow were nominated for Best Duo at the 2013 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Their 2016 album Shadows was given a five-star review in The Guardian, and four of their other albums, including their 2017 release WinterFolk Volume 1, have received four-star reviews in the British national press. From 2019 to 2022, their song "Gentleman Jack", from the album The Fragile, featured as the closing theme for the BBC/HBO television series Gentleman Jack. Their album Cloudheads was released on 21 April 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bury Tomorrow</span> British metalcore band

Bury Tomorrow are a British metalcore band formed in 2006 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. The band is composed of six members; lead vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates, bassist Davyd Winter-Bates, drummer Adam Jackson, lead guitarist Kristan Dawson, who replaced founding guitarist Mehdi Vismara in 2013, rhythm guitarist Ed Hartwell, and keyboardist and vocalist Tom Prendergast, who both replaced Jason Cameron in 2021. Bury Tomorrow have released seven studio albums, their most recent being The Seventh Sun, released on 31 March 2023.

The Urban Folk Quartet are a four-piece contemporary folk band launched in June 2009. The band is composed of Joe Broughton, Paloma Trigás, Tom Chapman and Dan Walsh. To date, the band has released three studio albums and three live albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heights (band)</span> British hardcore punk band

Heights were a British hardcore punk band from Welwyn Garden City, England. Formed in 2009, the band's line-up as of 2014 consisted of vocalist Alex Monty, guitarists Dean Richardson and Tom Green and drummer Tom Hutton. They drew musical influences from a variety of styles, including but not limited to groups such as Devil Sold His Soul, Architects, Underoath, Comeback Kid, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Gallows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zervas and Pepper</span> Welsh musical duo

Zervas and Pepper are a musical duo from Cardiff, Wales, who formed in late 2007. They play as a two piece outfit or a full band, and have a strong and growing presence on the UK-wide live circuit and international airtime, including appearances at theatres and festivals such as Glastonbury Festival and Green Man Festival, and regular national radio appearances.

The Full English launched in 2013 and is an ongoing English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) project to create a searchable digital archive of English folk song collections from the early 20th century, thereby preserving and improving the accessibility of these resources. The project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Folklore Society, the National Folk Music Fund and the English Miscellany Folk Dance Group. An offshoot of the archive, also in 2013, was an album and concert tour under The Full English name by a collective of UK folk singers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Watson (British musician)</span> Musical artist

David Watson is an English record producer, singer and musician. Born and raised in North London, he has produced albums for Paul Wassif, Mark Abis, Sam Sallon, Dylan Howe, OMD and Claudia Brücken, and has worked with artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Neil Cowley, Beth Rowley, Eric Clapton and Bert Jansch. He is the father of actress Indica Watson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Sartin</span> Musical artist (1973–2022)

Paul Sartin was an English singer, instrumentalist, composer and arranger, specialising in oboe and violin. He was best known for his work with the folk band Bellowhead, but also played with three-piece Faustus and the folk/comedy duo Belshazzar's Feast.

Jon Wilks is an English writer, folk singer, and guitarist, known for his work in the traditional folk music scene. He has gained recognition for his authentic interpretations of traditional English folk songs, as well as his own original compositions. fRoots magazine has described him as "one of the best of the New Wave Of Folk Blokes".

References

  1. 1 2 "Sam Carter BBC Folk Award-winning songwriter releases fourth album". Acoustic Review. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  2. ↑ The Guardian 24 March 2013 ("Sam Carter has all the makings of a major contender"); The Independent 12 August 2012 ("Highly talented guitarist/singer-songwriter"); Uncut August 2012 ("an emerging talent with a fingerpicking style that recalled Nic Jones"); R2 magazine, October 2012 ("A superb and inventive guitarist"); Acoustic magazine, September 2012 ("a performer destined for main stages before too long")
  3. ↑ "Festivals in 2010: the artists to watch". The Independent. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "Sam Carter". Pull Up The Roots. 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Sam Carter | Playpen Music Agency". Playpenmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  6. ↑ Denselow, Robin (24 March 2013). "Sam Carter – review" . Retrieved 14 July 2020– via www.theguardian.com.
  7. ↑ Review of Keepsakes in Guitarist magazine, cited at "Press | Sam Carter". Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  8. ↑ Online interview with Northern Sky backstage at the Cambridge Folk Festival
  9. ↑ "9/10 Uncut Review for The No Testament | Sam Carter". 3 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  10. ↑ "Southbank Centre EAR Present". Ear.typepad.com. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  11. ↑ "Press | Sam Carter". 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  12. ↑ "Radio 2 – Folk Awards 2010". BBC. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "British Council – Shifting Sands". britishcouncil.org. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  14. ↑ Denselow, Robin (16 August 2012). "Sam Carter: The No Testament – review" . Retrieved 14 July 2020– via www.theguardian.com.
  15. ↑ Broadcast date 16 October 2012, "Later... with Jools Holland". BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  16. ↑ "The Enigma of Nic Jones". BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  17. ↑ Broadcast date 9 November 2012, "The Lady: A Homage to Sandy Denny". BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  18. ↑ Leech, Jeanette. "BBC - Music - Review of Sam Carter - The No Testament". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  19. ↑ "Sam Carter | Shrewsbury Folk Festival". Archived from the original on 24 November 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  20. ↑ "Cecil Sharp House". Cecil Sharp House. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  21. ↑ "Five-date tour for Sam Carter and Catherine MacLellan". EFDSS. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  22. ↑ Broadcast date 16 June 2013, "The Andrew Marr Show". BBC. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  23. ↑ "Sam Carter in Pakistan | British Council". www.britishcouncil.pk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  24. ↑ "StackPath". www.folkradio.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  25. ↑ "EFDSS unveil Sweet Liberties commission". www.prsformusic.com. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  26. ↑ "World On 3, BBC Radio 3, Lopa Kothari".
  27. ↑ "How The City Sings, by Sam Carter". Sam Carter. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  28. ↑ "Sam Carter: How the City Sings CD review – bittersweet folk-electric concept album". The Guardian. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  29. ↑ "Sam Carter announces UK tour to support new album HOW THE CITY SINGS -". 13 April 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  30. ↑ "Home | Rising Up! Peterloo 2019". rising-up.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  31. ↑ "About". samcartermusic.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  32. ↑ "False Lights | False Lights • Harmonograph". False Lights. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  33. ↑ "The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe, 10th Dec 2014". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  34. ↑ "The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe". BBC. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  35. ↑ "2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Nominees".
  36. ↑ Music, Fancourt. "SAM CARTER". Fancourt Music. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  37. ↑ "BBC Radio 2 - The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe, Wed 3rd Jan 2018".
  38. ↑ "Here in the Ground". 28 April 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2020– via Amazon.
  39. ↑ "Keepsakes, by Sam Carter". Samcarter.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  40. ↑ "The No Testament - Sam Carter". 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  41. ↑ "About | Sam Carter". Samcartermusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  42. ↑ "How The City Sings, by Sam Carter". Samcarter.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  43. ↑ "Home Waters, by Sam Carter". Sam Carter. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  44. ↑ "Home Waters Live, by Sam Carter". Sam Carter. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  45. ↑ "Silver Horizon, by Sam Carter". Sam Carter. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  46. ↑ "Salvor, by False Lights". False Lights. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  47. ↑ "Harmonograph | False Lights | False Lights • Harmonograph". False Lights. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  48. ↑ Sweet Liberties; Martyn Joseph; Nancy Kerr; Sam Carter; Maz O'Connor (2016), Sweet Liberties, Quercus Records, retrieved 17 March 2021
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.