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After his superb performance in the Cruck Barn last year, Iain Matthews is back by popular demand... and this time he's bringing Andy Roberts! That's half of the legendary band Plainsong - live in the Cruck Barn!
Singer, song-writer and guitarist Iain Matthews was the original male singer in Fairport Convention, appearing on their first three classic albums, before leaving the band to form Matthews Southern Comfort. With the latter band, he scored a huge number one hit with an iconic cover of Joni Mitchell's Woodstock (which featured on the soundtrack to Daisy Jones & The Six). Next, he began his illustrious solo career (which continues to this day) and also formed the classic folk/rock/Americana band Plainsong with Andy Roberts...
Singer, songwriter and lead guitarist Andy Roberts had his first taste of fame as a member of the legendary poetry and music collectives, The Scaffold and Liverpool Scene, before establishing himself as a solo artist, songwriter and highly in-demand session guitarist and forming Plainsong with Iain. Post Plainsong, Andy toured as a guitarist on the Pink Floyd The Wall Tour, backed Billy Connelly, written TV and film scores and even provided music and voice for Spitting Image! From having huge hits with The Scaffold, to touring with Led Zeppelin, via being on an album produced by Jimi Hendrix to hanging out round at Paul McCartney's house, you name it: Andy's done it!
It's such a pleasure to welcome this superb duo to the Barn! Expect fantastic harmonies, scintillating guitar playing and superb songs!
Plumhall (Michelle Plum and Nick B Hall) are an acclaimed UK songwriting duo known for their captivating vocal harmonies and exquisite acoustic guitar playing. Their original songs have earned them widespread acclaim.
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Their first two albums, Thundercloud and The Ghost of Noise, received significant recognition, including a ?Hidden Gem? recommendation from The Guardian/Observer. From the alt-country feel of the debut to the more experimental sound of the follow-up, Plumhall have shown their ability to blend strong songwriting with diverse musical influences. Their much-anticipated third album, One Star Awake, was released in June 2024 to critical acclaim and is available on all major platforms, as well as in CD format at their live shows.
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2024 has been a remarkable year for the pair. They completed a successful 30-date tour as special guests of Fairport Convention on their Winter Tour, with Fairport joining Plumhall on stage each night to perform ?One Star Awake,? the title track of Plumhall's latest album, which also features Fairport's Ric Sanders. They were thrilled to be invited to perform at Costa Festival in Ibiza in May. They then reunited with Fairport at the Cropredy Convention in August, where they performed as part of an extended Fairport lineup including
Ralph McTell.
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Plumhall have had the honour of performing with the legendary Al Stewart multiple times, including at renowned venues such as London?s Palladium and Cadogan Hall. They have also played alongside esteemed musicians like Larry Campbell, Phil Beer and Steve Knightley.
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In 2018, filmmaker Richard Heap invited Michelle and Nick to write an original song for, arrange live acoustic music for, and appear in the 2020 feature film The Runaways. The song "Closing Down" has since become a beloved part of their repertoire.
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During the pandemic lockdowns, Plumhall built a loyal global following through their livestream performances, which led to a fan-made video for their song "A Darkness That Won't Leave The House", later championed by Janice Long on BBC radio.
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Michelle Plum?s musical background includes a four-year stint with Chumbawamba, 4 years as a session musician with The Chris Norman Band, and a co-founder of the folk band Waking The Witch. Nick Hall has toured with Ian Prowse & Amsterdam, Magna Carta, and The Hall Brothers.
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Iain Matthews Biography
Iain Matthews has had a long singing career dating from the swinging 1960's, where he released material as the vocalist of Pyramid. He later joined Fairport Convention, and went on to have a long solo career, mixing rock and folk with some success.
For his next project, along came the country-tinged Southern Comfort(1969) album , where Matthews recruited Richard Thompson, and other members of Fairport to collaborate. He secured a deal with MCA’s UNI label and a touring lineup of the Souhern Comfort released 2 more albums of material, Second Spring (1970), and Later That Same Year (1970).
Much like he had when Fairport had it's first success, Matthews walked away from the band just as fame became inevitable and Tops Of The Pops were calling.
He went solo again releasing the self produced If You Could See Thro’ My Eyes (1971)on Vertigo with a cast that included Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Keith Tippet (King Crimson), Tim Renwick (Al Stewart), and other British performers, Matthews seemed, for a moment, to have found a comfortable balance of autonomy, support, creativity, and success. The follow-up for Vertigo, was Tigers Will Survive (1972), and then a new project Plainsong, who signed with Elektra and released In Search of Amelia Earhart (1972). ex- Monkee Michael Nesmith produced the LP Valley Hi (1973), which featured a version of Steve Young’s “Seven Bridges Road” so definitive that you can hear the Eagles recreate it on their 1980 live album.
Matthews took over production again for Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You (1974), which featured LA session men like guitarists Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, on his way from Steely Dan to the Doobie Brothers, and David Lindley of Jackson Browne’s band. That LP also featured a Tom Waits song called "ol 55" whom the Eagles also must've heard, as it showed up on one their next Elektra/Asylum releases.
Matthews moved to CBS for Go For Broke (1976), and then Hit and Run (1977). Finally in Stealin’ Home (1978) Matthews hit the US top ten with the single "Shake It". Even with chart recognition, his next LP Siamese Friends (1979) stiffed due to poor distribution through a Canadian indie whose founder had died. Spot of Interference in 1980 was followed by Discreet repeat a best of from the Southern Comfort years.
Matthews had been struggling in the music biz for nearly 15 years by the early 80's and was still living hand to mouth, with nothing to show for his efforts but a string of out-of-print albums, and the loyalty of those musicians and fans who shared his vision. More or less on a whim, Matthews abandoned LA for Seattle, where he met vocalist David Surkamp, late of Pavlov’s Dog. The two formed Hi-Fi, an 80s guitar band that included Bruce Hazen on guitar, Garey Shelton on bass, and Bob Briley on drums. They produced a live mini-album, the Hi-Fi Demonstration Record (1981), as well as a full length studio album, Moods for Mallards (1982), on which they covered Prince’s “When U Were Mine.”
The hi-tech sound of Shook (1984) was followed by a record of mostly Jules shear songs called Walking a Changing Line (1988). Matthews found day jobs at labels like Island and then Windham Hill while he planned a comeback that included a fairport Convention reunion, and a live solo album recorded at NY's Bottom Line. Finding a renewed interest in songwriting Matthews put out Walking A Changing Line, Pure and Crooked (1990), Skeleton Keys (1992), and Dark Ride (1994)and God Looked Down (1996) both on Austin’s Watermelon Records. A revitalized version of Plainsong also recorded Dark Side of the Room (1992) Sister Flute (1996) a Live in Austria EP (1998) and New Place Now (1999).
Compilations of older songs also appeared including Orphans and Outcasts (1991), The Notebook Series (1992),The Soul of Many Places (1993), all selecting highlights, outtakes etc from his long career.
Relocating to Amsterdam, Matthews found steadier live work and began playing numerous live shows, both with new and established acts.
Matthews formed a Sandy Denny tribute band No Grey Faith with Jim Fogarty, who played on Tiniest Wham, and singer Lindsay Gilmour. The resulting album, Secrets All Told (2000), includes Denny’s “Rising For the Moon”. Also released in the year of the millennium was Iain AdVenture (2000). The next year Matthews re-tested the Plainsong waters once more in 2001 with a six-song mini-album, A to B, which includes his controversial take on racial issues, “To Be White.” A collaboration with American rocker, (now Paris resident) Elliott Murphy resulted in the commercially successful album La Terre Commune (2001). Other collaborations followed including More Than a Song (2001) with Eliza Gilkyson.
It might be tempting to see Matthews’ career as having completed some kind of circle but his path is more like that of the sailboats that he would rather sing about than actually venture out on--changing direction only to deal with the prevailing winds, pressing steadily toward a single goal. In Matthews’ case that goal has always been the simple and undying dedication to the perfection of his craft.
Read MoreFor his next project, along came the country-tinged Southern Comfort(1969) album , where Matthews recruited Richard Thompson, and other members of Fairport to collaborate. He secured a deal with MCA’s UNI label and a touring lineup of the Souhern Comfort released 2 more albums of material, Second Spring (1970), and Later That Same Year (1970).
Much like he had when Fairport had it's first success, Matthews walked away from the band just as fame became inevitable and Tops Of The Pops were calling.
He went solo again releasing the self produced If You Could See Thro’ My Eyes (1971)on Vertigo with a cast that included Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, Keith Tippet (King Crimson), Tim Renwick (Al Stewart), and other British performers, Matthews seemed, for a moment, to have found a comfortable balance of autonomy, support, creativity, and success. The follow-up for Vertigo, was Tigers Will Survive (1972), and then a new project Plainsong, who signed with Elektra and released In Search of Amelia Earhart (1972). ex- Monkee Michael Nesmith produced the LP Valley Hi (1973), which featured a version of Steve Young’s “Seven Bridges Road” so definitive that you can hear the Eagles recreate it on their 1980 live album.
Matthews took over production again for Some Days You Eat the Bear and Some Days the Bear Eats You (1974), which featured LA session men like guitarists Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, on his way from Steely Dan to the Doobie Brothers, and David Lindley of Jackson Browne’s band. That LP also featured a Tom Waits song called "ol 55" whom the Eagles also must've heard, as it showed up on one their next Elektra/Asylum releases.
Matthews moved to CBS for Go For Broke (1976), and then Hit and Run (1977). Finally in Stealin’ Home (1978) Matthews hit the US top ten with the single "Shake It". Even with chart recognition, his next LP Siamese Friends (1979) stiffed due to poor distribution through a Canadian indie whose founder had died. Spot of Interference in 1980 was followed by Discreet repeat a best of from the Southern Comfort years.
Matthews had been struggling in the music biz for nearly 15 years by the early 80's and was still living hand to mouth, with nothing to show for his efforts but a string of out-of-print albums, and the loyalty of those musicians and fans who shared his vision. More or less on a whim, Matthews abandoned LA for Seattle, where he met vocalist David Surkamp, late of Pavlov’s Dog. The two formed Hi-Fi, an 80s guitar band that included Bruce Hazen on guitar, Garey Shelton on bass, and Bob Briley on drums. They produced a live mini-album, the Hi-Fi Demonstration Record (1981), as well as a full length studio album, Moods for Mallards (1982), on which they covered Prince’s “When U Were Mine.”
The hi-tech sound of Shook (1984) was followed by a record of mostly Jules shear songs called Walking a Changing Line (1988). Matthews found day jobs at labels like Island and then Windham Hill while he planned a comeback that included a fairport Convention reunion, and a live solo album recorded at NY's Bottom Line. Finding a renewed interest in songwriting Matthews put out Walking A Changing Line, Pure and Crooked (1990), Skeleton Keys (1992), and Dark Ride (1994)and God Looked Down (1996) both on Austin’s Watermelon Records. A revitalized version of Plainsong also recorded Dark Side of the Room (1992) Sister Flute (1996) a Live in Austria EP (1998) and New Place Now (1999).
Compilations of older songs also appeared including Orphans and Outcasts (1991), The Notebook Series (1992),The Soul of Many Places (1993), all selecting highlights, outtakes etc from his long career.
Relocating to Amsterdam, Matthews found steadier live work and began playing numerous live shows, both with new and established acts.
Matthews formed a Sandy Denny tribute band No Grey Faith with Jim Fogarty, who played on Tiniest Wham, and singer Lindsay Gilmour. The resulting album, Secrets All Told (2000), includes Denny’s “Rising For the Moon”. Also released in the year of the millennium was Iain AdVenture (2000). The next year Matthews re-tested the Plainsong waters once more in 2001 with a six-song mini-album, A to B, which includes his controversial take on racial issues, “To Be White.” A collaboration with American rocker, (now Paris resident) Elliott Murphy resulted in the commercially successful album La Terre Commune (2001). Other collaborations followed including More Than a Song (2001) with Eliza Gilkyson.
It might be tempting to see Matthews’ career as having completed some kind of circle but his path is more like that of the sailboats that he would rather sing about than actually venture out on--changing direction only to deal with the prevailing winds, pressing steadily toward a single goal. In Matthews’ case that goal has always been the simple and undying dedication to the perfection of his craft.
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