From Canada the young roots/folk/ old time blues duo Mama’s Broke return to our shores. They played a blinding set at a ‘sold out’ Durham Launderette for us, pre lockdown…so were buzzed they wanted to come to Newcastle for their debut visit.
Mama’s Broke ( Lisa and Amy) although highly influenced by their Canadian roots, are based out of nowhere and everywhere.Their two strong voices blend to create haunting harmonies, while they artfully juggle fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, and incorporate traditional dance and foot percussion into their performance. Their original – and often dark – compositions push the boundaries of tradition and the constraints of genre. Drawing from old-time, Quebecois, blues, punk, Celtic, Balkan and doom metal, they create a soundscape that is both familiar and new.
“Multi-instrumentalists Amy Lou and Lisa Maria are masterful songwriters who sing their lyrics as incantations …twin prophets who bend our ear effortlessly and beckon us ever forward.” —Kaia Kater
“… a contemporary offering that’s as dark as December.” — Penguin Eggs
Willi Carlisle
Willi Carlisle is a folksinger and storyteller from the Ozarks. The Washington Post says he is “powerful,” “both down-home and brainy. The Guardian calls him “the greatest Americana artist you’ve never heard of.” A multi-instrumentalist and poet, Willi’s sing-alongs and tall-tales evoke the tradition of Utah Phillips and Pete Seeger.