Folk band Fleetwood Cave launch new album and tour
Marion Fleetwood tells Gill Sutherland about her new album and tour with Gregg Cave
A quick listen to debut album People Like Us by folk duo Fleetwood Cave, aka Marion Fleetwood and Gregg Cave, had me hooked. It taps into something ancient — with its beguiling trad folk sounds, but also seems alluringly new and fresh.
How would Marion describe its sound?
“Genre-wise it’s new folk rock,” says Marion, speaking to me between teaching lessons at King Edward VI School (KES), where she and Gregg are currently musicians in residence.
“We wanted to explore our own songwriting on the album,” continues Marion. “So I’ve written half the songs on the album and the other half are Gregg’s. We’ve included one cover — the Fairport Convention track Wizard of the Worldly Game. We had trouble finding the definitive lyrics for that, there’s one line especially that we couldn’t decipher. We Googled it but came up with some very confusing different versions,” says Marion. “In the end we asked Fairport’s Simon Nicol himself — we said you wrote it you must know!”
Luckily he did indeed know — although a laughing Marion declines to say what the mysterious line is: “You’ll have to buy the album,” she teases. “I’ve got loads at my house in Stratford!”
Simon is also a friend of Marion’s and Gregg’s, and he, along with other well-known musicians guest on the album, including Chris Leslie also of Fairport Convention, Anna Ryder, Edwina Hayes, Debs Earl and Chris Cleverley.
Marion has been a well-known figure on the Stratford music scene for many years. She was a member of the much loved Stratford band Meet on the Ledge for many years, The Jigantics and the award winning ColvinQuarmby — now known as The Gerry Colvin Band, who she still performs with. She has a voice which has been described as ‘mesmerising’ and ‘siren-esque’, and plays all things bowed.
Since forming folk-rock band CAVE when he was 18 years old, Northampton-based singer and guitarist Gregg Cave has been performing in concerts and at festivals in the UK and mainland Europe.
How did Marion come to team up with Gregg to form Fleetwood Cave?
“We met through new folk supergroup TRADarrr, where we are both lead vocalists, we got on well and our instruments complemented each other — there’s a lot of mutual respect.”
Marion says they are already writing their next album, but first they are very excited about going on tour and the album launch at Holy Trinity next Saturday.
“We’ve just found out that KES pupils will be supporting us at the launch,” she shares excitedly. “There will be three students, including sixth-former Oliver Harvey-ball who will be performing original material and a Fairport song.
“Our album was crowd-funded and so we are inviting everyone who pledged money to come to the concert,” says Marion. “So we are so pleased and excited about that.”
The People Like Us tour that follows sees the duo play 25 dates around England and Wales, from Hull to Redruth and Canterbury to Wigan. Marion says she is particularly excited to be playing Fleetwood in Lancashire, where her family has roots, thus the surname.
Married Marion explains: “My sister [the actress Kate Fleetwood] and I have kept out surnames; we don’t have brothers and are the last of the line; and anyway you don’t throw away a name like Fleetwood!”
Those with keen eyesight might spot that Marion is also a fan of the legendary band Fleetwood Mac: the cover photograph, pictured, featured on People Like Us includes knick-knacks that are meaningful to Marion and Gregg, as they sit in the van that will take them on tour.
“There is a framed photo of Nanny and Granddad Fleetwood and Gregg was a farrier, so there’s a horseshoe; and the albums on the floor are by some of our favourite artists,” says Marion.
The songs on People Like Us are thoroughly captivating. One very moving song is Dancing Girls, which Marion wrote about a friend and neighbour, Sue Penny, who passed away after a battle with cancer five years ago.
“She was a party person and great fun, I wanted to imagine her as the happy young girl she would have once been,” says Marion.
People Like Us seems the perfect title: songs we can identify with, full of warmth and humanity. Go and get converted at Holy Trinity next week!
WHEN AND WHERE: Fleetwood Cave launch their new album, People Like Us, at a special concert at Holy Trinity Church on 28th January at 7.30pm, raising funds for the Friends of the Music at the Church and KES Music Department. Tickets priced £12 are available on the door or can be reserved by texting 07764752115. Find out more at www.fleetwoodcave.com
