Megson (band)
Encyclopedia
Megson are an English folk
duo composed of husband and wife Stu Hanna and Debbie Hanna. The duo have released four album
s and one EP
under their own label, edj. Their live performances feature Stu playing a guitar
or mandolin
as backing to their vocal harmonies
.
to allow Debbie to study classical music
while Stu became involved with a progressive rock
band. In 2004 they began making their own music and released their first album, On The Side, while performing at acoustic clubs around London.
Megson named themselves after Debbie's family dog, who at the time had just died. They had originally decided upon "The Ghost of Meg", but their family and friends convinced them that it sounded like a death-metal
band.
Megson's first album, On The Side, consisted of a mixture of self-penned and traditional songs
. Released in 2004, the album caught the attention of Seth Lakeman
, whose brother Sean helped produce their second album, Smoke of Home, which further explored the wealth of traditional songs from around their home in Teeside as well as self-composed songs in the same style. Their third album, Take Yourself A Wife, was recorded while they were planning their wedding and consists of their own take on traditional and Victorian
folk songs. Their most recent album, The Longshot, consists of songs about work from the North East of England
and their own experiences of English culture
, especially sport and the textile industry
.
At present the duo have been nominated for "Best Duo" at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
three years in a row and have garnered airplay
from several radio DJs including BBC Radio 2
's Bob Harris
, who invited them to do a live studio session for his show in 2007. They also accompanied Lucy Ward
on her 2011 album, Adelphi Has to Fly, which was produced by Stu Hanna.
EPs
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
duo composed of husband and wife Stu Hanna and Debbie Hanna. The duo have released four album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and one EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
under their own label, edj. Their live performances feature Stu playing a guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
or mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
as backing to their vocal harmonies
Vocal harmony
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
.
Biography
The duo met while singing in Cleveland Youth Choir before moving to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to allow Debbie to study classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
while Stu became involved with a progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band. In 2004 they began making their own music and released their first album, On The Side, while performing at acoustic clubs around London.
Megson named themselves after Debbie's family dog, who at the time had just died. They had originally decided upon "The Ghost of Meg", but their family and friends convinced them that it sounded like a death-metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band.
Megson's first album, On The Side, consisted of a mixture of self-penned and traditional songs
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
. Released in 2004, the album caught the attention of Seth Lakeman
Seth Lakeman
Seth Bernard Lakeman is an English folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, who is most often associated with the fiddle and tenor guitar, but has also mastered the viola and banjo...
, whose brother Sean helped produce their second album, Smoke of Home, which further explored the wealth of traditional songs from around their home in Teeside as well as self-composed songs in the same style. Their third album, Take Yourself A Wife, was recorded while they were planning their wedding and consists of their own take on traditional and Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
folk songs. Their most recent album, The Longshot, consists of songs about work from the North East of England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
and their own experiences of English culture
Culture of England
The culture of England refers to the idiosyncratic cultural norms of England and the English people. Because of England's dominant position within the United Kingdom in terms of population, English culture is often difficult to differentiate from the culture of the United Kingdom as a whole...
, especially sport and the textile industry
Textile industry
The textile industry is primarily concerned with the production of yarn, and cloth and the subsequent design or manufacture of clothing and their distribution. The raw material may be natural, or synthetic using products of the chemical industry....
.
At present the duo have been nominated for "Best Duo" at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British radio station BBC Radio 2....
three years in a row and have garnered airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
from several radio DJs including BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Bob Harris
Bob Harris (radio)
Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
, who invited them to do a live studio session for his show in 2007. They also accompanied Lucy Ward
Lucy Ward (musician)
Lucy Ward is a British singer, guitarist and concertina player from Derby. She performs, with a voice described as expressive and powerful, traditional English folk songs as well as her own material...
on her 2011 album, Adelphi Has to Fly, which was produced by Stu Hanna.
Discography
Albums- On The Side (2004)
- Smoke Of Home (2007)
- Take Yourself A Wife (2008)
- The Longshot (2010)
EPs
- Megson (2006)