Born around the campfire at Artswells Festival 2007 in the Cariboo community of Wells, Morlove began as the banding together of Corwin Fox and Miss Emily Brown.
The creative collaboration has since expanded into an exploratory orchestral folk band featuring string players Hannah Epperson (violin), Christina Zaenker (cello) and frequent contributors Jake Jenne (drums) and Neil Burnett (Celtic harp).
The band is preparing its release of Old Tomorrow, based on the theme of pattern. String parts follow ballroom dance steps, chord changes adhere to weaving patterns and lyrics explore recurrences in urban design, genetic inheritance and traditional folk legends.
The album comes as a followup to Morlove’s debut album All of My Lakes Lay Frozen Over, put forward for the 2010 Polaris Prize.
A collection of evocative folk-songs, All of My Lakes ranges from hushed vocal harmonies and delicate strings to explosions of horns, pulsing pianos and choirs of banjos in unorthodox time signatures. Recorded in snowy Wells, the album features several relics of the 1930’s gold-rush town: sousaphone, player piano, pump organ and even a typewriter.
“A symphony of restraint.” — David Newberry.
“All told, there’s a unique depth to Morlove’s debut record, which sidles up to the edge of the unknown abyss, with its palm safely grasping the handrail.” — Vish Khanna, Exclaim!
Brown on vocals and keys and Fox on vocals, guitar and various other instruments are augmented by a lush, ethereal layer of strings created by Christina Zaenker on cello and Hannah Epperson on violin.
This is warm and sophisticated Canadian indie, new folk with all kinds of harmonic innovation and a respect for the interesting places various instruments can go when given some room to move around and frolic a bit.
Tickets are on sale at www.islandmusicfest.com/concerts and at the Cumberland Hotel.
— Vancouver Island MusicFest