Ange Hardy - Solo
Page last updated August 22nd 2017
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“She performs with a warmth that is both disarming and inspirational. Her songs of life and the countryside feel traditional, and she augments voice and guitar with very effective use of a loop pedal to add harmonies or extra instruments. It is a great feat of perfect timing.”
- R2 Magazine, January 2015
Nominated at the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and celebrated by The Telegraph as “one of Britain’s top folk musicians” Ange Hardy has grabbed the attention of the traditional folk music world by writing new material and embracing modern technologies whilst maintaining a traditional feel.
Alongside a staggering list of other accolades Ange was awarded FATEA Magazine’s “Female Vocalist of the Year” in 2013, “Album of the Year” in 2014, “The Tradition Award” in 2015 and "Duo of the Year" with Lukas Drinkwater in 2016. Ange Hardy was also voted "Best Live Act of 2017" by LCM Music.
Her rapid rise in the folk world began when her 2013 debut folk album Bare Foot Folk was played on BBC Radio 2 and gained the attention of veteran folk broadcaster Mike Harding, her 2014 album The Lament of The Black Sheep subsequentlyreceived 5-stars from The Telegraph which led to Arts Council England funding her 2015 album Esteesee – an album of music based on the life and work of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Ange’s 2016 album Findings with Lukas Drinkwater was launched during a live session on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show, and was toured nationally at venues including The Sage Gateshead and The Regal Theatre. Findings hit Number 1 in the Amazon Folk Music charts, received 5-star reviews from R2 Magazine and found itself in the fRoots Critics Poll end of year list.
Her sixth studio album Bring Back Home, released in November 2017, was equally well received. The album features the unmistakable fiddle playing of Peter Knight, and was described by The Sunday Expess as "a songwriting peak" who praised it for being "heartbreaking, entertaining and highly imaginative".
Whether she’s performing in a sold out theatre or an intimate village hall Ange brings a level of honesty and openness to the stage that is a refreshing as it is disarming. Her focus on vocal harmony and her pitch-perfect vocal talent has led her toward adopting a live-looping pedal; a digital tape-recorder at her feet that allows her to record and play back layers of vocal harmony live from the stage. In doing so she brings her talent as a recording artist to a live performance, adding an extra dimension to an already captivating stage presence.
During the 4 years Ange Hardy has been on the scene she has been joined by folk legends that span the generations of the folk revival, with artists including Nic Jones (Penguin Eggs) and Luke Jackson (Fumes & Faith) joining her to sing her songs on stage, and Peter Knight (Steeleye Span), Steve Knightley (Show of Hands), Kathryn Roberts (BBC Radio 2 Duo of the Year), Nancy Kerr (BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year) and James Findlay (BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Winner) amongst those adding vocal and instrumental contributions to Ange’s albums.
Between recording albums Ange has always found time to write and release a Christmas single every year.
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“She perfectly balances the strengths of traditional folk music with fresh writing. There is not a weak track amongst the 14 on this album”
- The Telegraph
"I cannot find fault with her songs at all, they had me gripped to my seat, hanging on to every word."
- Maverick Magazine
"Album's like Ange Hardy's 'The Lament Of The Black Sheep' are a genuinely once in a blue moon album ... not only is she an incredible vocalist, she is also damned fine with the pen, the result is songs that could move a statue"
- Neil King FATEA Magazine
"Mightily impressed!"
- Mike Norris, EFDSS Classic Folk
"It sounds like a song that’s been around for a hundred years or more. It’s a really neat trick to write songs that sound almost traditional!"
- Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
“The Lament of The Black Sheep is a startling piece of work. Forty five minutes of beautifully crafted and performed music”
- Bright Young Folk
“Extremely well sung and extremely attractively presented (nay, a work of art): It’s a really special record!”
- The Living Tradition
100 word bio
Celebrated by The Telegraph as “one of Britain’s top folk musicians” for her five star 2014 album “The Lament of The Black Sheep” Ange Hardy has grabbed the attention of the traditional folk music world (a feat which saw her nominated at the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and winning 4 consecutive FATEA awards) by writing new material and embracing modern technologies whilst maintaining a traditional feel.
Ange is currently touring with three different guitars, a 27-string Salvi Harp, a bag of low whistles, a 16" floor drum, a tambourine and a shruti box. Combined with her innovative use of live looping for vocal harmonies she’s one of the most diverse, entertaining and spellbinding solo-artists you're likely to encounter.
Artist's website: http://www.angehardy.com.
Follow Ange on Twitter: @AngeHardyMusic
Please note if you need blurb in another length or format, or with unique content, please email rob@story-records.co.uk and he'll happily write it for you.
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