Early Cartographers

In many ways, Early Cartographers have 'Shelter' to thank for their existence. A fundraising event for the UK charity called Busk Sheffield back in 2010 encouraged founder member Ad Follett (former frontman of now defunct Sheffield heartthrobs 'Cats:For:Peru') to ask a few friends if they wouldn't mind having a crack at some of his songs, entirely acoustically. So successful was the performance that Ad put the word out that he wanted to form an entirely new, entirely acoustic band of nomadic minstrels who could wander from random location to random location, delighting small crowds with occasionally ramshackle but always finely crafted songs in the tradition of bands like Beach House, Efterklang, Local Natives, The National, Beirut and others of that ilk. Many answered the call. A few swiftly dropped by the wayside. But within 6 months, 'Early Cartographers' had a name (chosen by the band from a short list of 10), a rehearsal space, instruments and a consistent line-up of Follett, Howard Price (cello, violin, brass, vocals), Heather Price (percussion), Ed Cartledge (guitar, ukulele, vocals), Nat Mortimer (accordion, vocals), Will Campbell (guitar, vocals) and Luke Wilson (banjo, mandolin). Gigs in allotments, parks, cafés and on the backs of buses ensued alongside occasional 'proper venue' gigs. Songs at this stage were contributed by Ad, Ed, Nat and Will. In 2012, Will, Nat and Ad all departed for a variety of (amicable) reasons. Hannah Browne (flute, brass, accordion, vocals) and Nik Milne (guitar, brass, vocals) were recruited to fill the voids and Ed became the main contributor of new song material. The band hit their stride with a series of attention-grabbing performances at Tramlines and at other venues across Sheffield and small festivals in the region. The band now play more 'plugged in' gigs than 'unplugged' but maintain much of the organic, layered acoustic sound from their earliest days. In late 2012, Early Cartographers released their debut EP, 'The Wolf Chorus'. Recorded at G2 Studios, Sheffield, the EP features 'In the Old Days', 'Counterfeits' and 'Telegraphs from Utopia' and is available from their website (www.earlycartographers.co.uk). Now Then Magazine said: “this three-song gem is a wonderful window into the dynamic musical world of this excellent group.” In May 2013, Heather left for Bristol and has been replaced by the experienced hands of Darren McGrath on percussion. In December 2013, Darren left to pursue his dream of being a drummer on a cruise ship and was replaced by Dominic Lo. Early Cartographers release their long awaited debut album, 'LookOut' on August 10th 2015. Debut album, 'LookOut', is OUT NOW