Seth Lakeman
Encyclopedia
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
. Nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, Lakeman has belonged to several musical ensembles, including one with his two brothers, fellow folk musicians Sam Lakeman
and Sean Lakeman
, but has most recently established himself as a solo headlining act.
and Sam Lakeman
at an early age.
As The Lakeman Brothers
, the three brothers released their critically acclaimed debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Later that same year they were invited by two Yorkshire based singers Kathryn Roberts
and Kate Rusby
to join them as a backing group on a tour of Portugal
. After the tour the five musicians became a permanent group and called themselves Equation. The group swiftly garnered critical praise and were signed in a record deal with Time Warner
in 1995. After three full albums (Return to Me in 1996, Hazy Daze in 1998, and The Lucky Few in 2000), and tours in the UK, Europe and the United States, Lakeman left Equation in 2001. He joined his brother Sam and Sam's wife Cara Dillon
and appeared on Dillon's acclaimed eponymous debut album, which featured Seth on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The album won two awards at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
.
, which received wide critical acclaim including a review in fRoots magazine which said: "The songs don't just glide smoothly by.....they get their claws into you".
Kitty Jay, Lakeman's second solo album was released in 2004. The title track of the album tells the story of Jay's Grave
, a well known location on Dartmoor
. The album was recorded for a cost of less than £300. That same year he collaborated with Devon singer-songwriter
Steve Knightley
and young local singer Jenna Witts on the album Western Approaches
.
A sell-out UK tour in Autumn 2005 followed his Mercury Music Prize nomination, after which Lakeman and his band (regularly brother Sean (guitar), Ben Nichols (bass), Andy Tween(drums), toured extensively with folk-rock giants The Levellers
, who took to closing their set with a "fiddle off" between Lakeman and Levellers' fiddler Jonathan Sevink. Other support tours with Billy Bragg
and Jools Holland
brought Lakeman's music to a wider audience.
In March 2006 Lakeman began a UK tour in order to promote his new album Freedom Fields
which was released on iScream. He signed to a new major record label, Relentless Records
, promptly releasing a new single "Lady of the Sea" in early August 2006.
His fourth solo album, Poor Man's Heaven, was released 30 June 2008 with an accompanying tour. It introduced a rockier edge to the folk of the previous albums.
The fifth solo album, Hearts & Minds was released on 19 July 2010.
Seth released his sixth album called Tales From The Barrel House
on 18 November 2011.
in Texas, Hyde Park Calling, in Hyde Park
, London
, the Glastonbury Festival
, The V Festival
in South Staffordshire
, Womad Charlton Park Festival
in Wiltshire
, England, the Folk by the Oak Festival, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival
, in Alberta
, Canada
, the Cornbury Music Festival, Fairport's Cropredy Convention, and the Towersey Village Festival
(both located in Oxfordshire
, England), and Lakeman provided support for Tori Amos
on her European tour.
on their 40th anniversary tour at Colston Hall
in Bristol before the start of his own UK tour later that month and going on to tour the festival circuit throughout the summer. His fourth album, Poor Man's Heaven was released on 30 June 2008. It includes "Solomon Browne", a tribute to the courage of the men who lost their lives in the Penlee lifeboat disaster
.
In August 2008, Lakeman was one of the acts playing at the Greenbelt Festival
in Cheltenham
, England
, to over 18,000 people.
on 3 June, playing at the newly renovated Komedia venue to a capacity crowd who enjoyed renditions from Poor Man's Heaven and other albums as well as a wealth of new material. On 29 June they played the Glastonbury Festival
's Avalon stage.
In July, he played on the acoustic stage at Chagstock 2009 to a rapturous audience, to be invited back next year to the main stage.
In August 2009 Lakeman performed at Cambridge Folk Festival
for the second year running and again at Fairport's Cropredy Festival
, Fairport Convention
's annual folk festival in Oxfordshire, headlining on the Friday night. The band also headlined at The Levellers' Beautiful Days festival
on Friday 21 August and at the V Festival
in Weston Park
the following day. The band, now augmented by the presence of Benji Kirkpatrick, performed on the Shrewsbury Folk Festival main stage on 29 August and then at Solfest
, in Cumbria, England on Sunday 30 August.
On September 13, 2009, Lakeman performed at the Harvest At Jimmy's Food & Music Festival
at Jimmy's Farm
, Suffolk.
Lakeman has also been a regular performer at the small annual Parklife Festival in the Town of Tavistock near to his home village of Buckland Monarchorum.
Seth also played at the 2010 Tall ships festival on 10 July in Hartlepool, and at the Cambridge Folk Festival, also in July.
He made a return local visit to the Levellers
Beautiful Days festival on 21 August in Devon and played as support for Runrig
in Hanover four days later.
He was also the main headline on Saturday 4 September at Weyfest in Farnham, Surrey.
, the tenor guitar
, the banjo
and the viola
.
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....
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, who is most often associated with the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
and tenor guitar
Tenor guitar
1932 Martin 0-18 T Sunburst Tenor Guitar|thumb|rightThe tenor guitar or four-string guitar is a slightly smaller, four-string relative of the steel-string acoustic guitar or electric guitar. The instrument was developed so that players of the four-string tenor banjo could double on the guitar...
, but has also mastered the viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
. Nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, Lakeman has belonged to several musical ensembles, including one with his two brothers, fellow folk musicians Sam Lakeman
Sam Lakeman
Samuel Charles Lakeman is an English musician, songwriter, and producer and co-owner of Charcoal Records.-Biography:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon, with his brothers, fellow musicians Seth Lakeman and Sean Lakeman...
and Sean Lakeman
Sean Lakeman
Sean Lakeman , is an English folk musician and producer.-Early life:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon with his brothers, fellow folk musicians Seth Lakeman and Sam Lakeman...
, but has most recently established himself as a solo headlining act.
The Lakeman Brothers
Seth Lakeman began playing music with his parents and two brothers SeanSean Lakeman
Sean Lakeman , is an English folk musician and producer.-Early life:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon with his brothers, fellow folk musicians Seth Lakeman and Sam Lakeman...
and Sam Lakeman
Sam Lakeman
Samuel Charles Lakeman is an English musician, songwriter, and producer and co-owner of Charcoal Records.-Biography:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon, with his brothers, fellow musicians Seth Lakeman and Sean Lakeman...
at an early age.
As The Lakeman Brothers
The Lakeman Brothers
The Lakeman Brothers are a folk music trio from England, consisting of Sean Lakeman, Sam Lakeman and Seth Lakeman. They released their debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Seth has gone on to have considerable success as a solo artist, particularly with his Mercury Music Prize-nominated second...
, the three brothers released their critically acclaimed debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Later that same year they were invited by two Yorkshire based singers Kathryn Roberts
Kathryn Roberts
Kathryn Roberts is an English folk singer, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire.Her first released recordings were on the album Intuition, a collection of songs by various South Yorkshire folk artists which also included her friend Kate Rusby...
and Kate Rusby
Kate Rusby
Kate Anna Rusby is an English folk singer and songwriter from Penistone, South Yorkshire. Sometimes known as The Barnsley Nightingale, she has headlined various British national folk festivals, and is regarded as one of the most famous English folk singers of contemporary times...
to join them as a backing group on a tour of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. After the tour the five musicians became a permanent group and called themselves Equation. The group swiftly garnered critical praise and were signed in a record deal with Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
in 1995. After three full albums (Return to Me in 1996, Hazy Daze in 1998, and The Lucky Few in 2000), and tours in the UK, Europe and the United States, Lakeman left Equation in 2001. He joined his brother Sam and Sam's wife Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon is an Irish folk singer. In 2001, she launched her career as a solo artist in the UK with the eponymous Cara Dillon album...
and appeared on Dillon's acclaimed eponymous debut album, which featured Seth on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The album won two awards at the 2002 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....
.
Solo work
In 2002 Lakeman released his first solo album, The Punch BowlThe Punch Bowl (album)
The Punch Bowl is a music album by Seth Lakeman published in 2002. It is his first album as a principal performer.-Track listing:#"Garden of Grace" – 3:15#"Image of Love" – 3:11...
, which received wide critical acclaim including a review in fRoots magazine which said: "The songs don't just glide smoothly by.....they get their claws into you".
Kitty Jay, Lakeman's second solo album was released in 2004. The title track of the album tells the story of Jay's Grave
Jay's Grave
Jay's Grave is supposedly the last resting place of a suicide victim who is thought to have died in the late 18th century...
, a well known location on Dartmoor
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an area of moorland in south Devon, England. Protected by National Park status, it covers .The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops known as tors, providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The...
. The album was recorded for a cost of less than £300. That same year he collaborated with Devon singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Steve Knightley
Steve Knightley
Steve Knightley is a singer-songwriter, musician and one half of British acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.-Career:...
and young local singer Jenna Witts on the album Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
.
A sell-out UK tour in Autumn 2005 followed his Mercury Music Prize nomination, after which Lakeman and his band (regularly brother Sean (guitar), Ben Nichols (bass), Andy Tween(drums), toured extensively with folk-rock giants The Levellers
The Levellers (band)
The Levellers are an English rock band, founded in 1988 and based in Brighton, England. Their musical style is said to be influenced by punk and traditional English music.-1988-1990:...
, who took to closing their set with a "fiddle off" between Lakeman and Levellers' fiddler Jonathan Sevink. Other support tours with Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
and Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
brought Lakeman's music to a wider audience.
In March 2006 Lakeman began a UK tour in order to promote his new album Freedom Fields
Freedom Fields
Freedom Fields is a music album by Seth Lakeman published twice in 2006. It is his third album as a principal performer. It is named for a park in Plymouth, England, where the Sabbath Day Fight is commemorated.-First edition:...
which was released on iScream. He signed to a new major record label, Relentless Records
Relentless Records
Relentless Records, founded by Shabs Jobanputra and Paul Franklyn in 1999 is now a part of Sony Music based in London, UK. Having achieved large scale successes with Joss Stone, KT Tunstall and several urban artists such as Artful Dodger and So Solid Crew, the label is now building a small focused...
, promptly releasing a new single "Lady of the Sea" in early August 2006.
His fourth solo album, Poor Man's Heaven, was released 30 June 2008 with an accompanying tour. It introduced a rockier edge to the folk of the previous albums.
The fifth solo album, Hearts & Minds was released on 19 July 2010.
Seth released his sixth album called Tales From The Barrel House
Tales from the Barrel House
Tales from the Barrel House is the sixth solo music album by Seth Lakeman released on 18 November 2011.-Track listing:#"More Than Money"#"Blacksmiths Prayer"#"The Watchmaker's Rhyme"#"Hard Road"#"The Sender"#"Salt From Our Veins"...
on 18 November 2011.
In 2007
In 2007, Seth Lakeman performed at the SXSW festivalSouth by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
in Texas, Hyde Park Calling, in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, London
London
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...
, the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, The V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
in South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
, Womad Charlton Park Festival
Womad Charlton Park
WOMAD Charlton Park is the name given to the World of Music Arts and Dance festival held in Charlton Park in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England, since 2007...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England, the Folk by the Oak Festival, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival
Edmonton Folk Music Festival
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is an annual four-day outdoor music event held the second weekend of August in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, established in 1980 by Don Whalen. The festival continues to draw many people from around the world as both spectators and performers. The current producer of...
, in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Cornbury Music Festival, Fairport's Cropredy Convention, and the Towersey Village Festival
Towersey Village Festival
Towersey Village Festival is an annual festival of folk and world music and traditional dance held in the village of Towersey in Oxfordshire, England. It has taken place every August bank holiday weekend since its founding in 1965....
(both located in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England), and Lakeman provided support for Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
on her European tour.
2008
On 18 April 2008, Lakeman appeared on stage with Jethro TullJethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
on their 40th anniversary tour at Colston Hall
Colston Hall
The Colston Hall is a concert hall and grade II listed building situated on Colston Street, Bristol, England. A popular venue catering for a variety of different entertainers, it seats approximately 2,075 and provides licensed bars, a café and restaurant....
in Bristol before the start of his own UK tour later that month and going on to tour the festival circuit throughout the summer. His fourth album, Poor Man's Heaven was released on 30 June 2008. It includes "Solomon Browne", a tribute to the courage of the men who lost their lives in the Penlee lifeboat disaster
Penlee lifeboat disaster
The Penlee lifeboat disaster occurred on 19 December 1981 off the coast of Cornwall, in England, UK. The Penlee Lifeboat went to the aid of the coaster Union Star after its engines failed in heavy seas...
.
In August 2008, Lakeman was one of the acts playing at the Greenbelt Festival
Greenbelt festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown from a Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young Christians to its current more secular festival attended by around 20,000 - Christians and non-Christians.The festival...
in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to over 18,000 people.
2009
The festival tour continued in 2009 (with new drummer Simon Lea); notably with an appearance at the Bath Fringe FestivalBath Fringe Festival
The Bath Fringe Festival is an annual art festival, held in Bath, England.Bath Fringe was founded in 1981 as a counterbalance to the 'classical'-dominated Bath Music Festival, which some people perceived to be elitist and out-of-touch with what a younger local audience wanted...
on 3 June, playing at the newly renovated Komedia venue to a capacity crowd who enjoyed renditions from Poor Man's Heaven and other albums as well as a wealth of new material. On 29 June they played the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
's Avalon stage.
In July, he played on the acoustic stage at Chagstock 2009 to a rapturous audience, to be invited back next year to the main stage.
In August 2009 Lakeman performed at Cambridge Folk Festival
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is renowned for its eclectic mix of music and a wide definition of what might be considered folk. It occurs...
for the second year running and again at Fairport's Cropredy Festival
Cropredy Festival
Fairport's Cropredy Convention is an annual festival of folk and rock music held on the edge of the village of Cropredy in Oxfordshire, England. It has taken place in August since 1976....
, Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
's annual folk festival in Oxfordshire, headlining on the Friday night. The band also headlined at The Levellers' Beautiful Days festival
Beautiful Days (festival)
This article is about the music festival. For other uses, see Beautiful Days .The Beautiful Days is a music festival that takes place in August at Escot Park, Ottery St Mary, Devon...
on Friday 21 August and at the V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
in Weston Park
Weston Park
Weston Park is a country house in Weston-under-Lizard, Staffordshire, England, set in more than of park landscaped by Capability Brown. The park is located north-west of Wolverhampton, and north-east of Telford, close to the border with Shropshire...
the following day. The band, now augmented by the presence of Benji Kirkpatrick, performed on the Shrewsbury Folk Festival main stage on 29 August and then at Solfest
Solfest
Solfest is a Cumbrian arts organisation which runs an annual music festival held near to Silloth in Cumbria, England. It is held annually at Tarnside Farm on the August Bank Holiday weekend.- Solway Festival :...
, in Cumbria, England on Sunday 30 August.
On September 13, 2009, Lakeman performed at the Harvest At Jimmy's Food & Music Festival
Harvest at Jimmy's (Festival)
Harvest at Jimmy's is a two day music and food festival held at Jimmy's Farm near Ipswich in Suffolk. The first ever Harvest Festival took place on September 12 & 13 2009. The 2010 event has been announced and will take place on the same site from September 11–12...
at Jimmy's Farm
Jimmy's Farm
Jimmy's Farm was a documentary series, in 2002, made by Fresh One Productions for BBC Two in the UK. It featured the story of Jimmy Doherty setting up the Essex Pig Company, a rare breeds piggery on the outskirts of Ipswich in Suffolk...
, Suffolk.
Lakeman has also been a regular performer at the small annual Parklife Festival in the Town of Tavistock near to his home village of Buckland Monarchorum.
2010
Seth played at Cornbury festival on Sunday 4 July, and as second headline on the main stage at Chagstock 2010 on Saturday 17 July as the sun set.Seth also played at the 2010 Tall ships festival on 10 July in Hartlepool, and at the Cambridge Folk Festival, also in July.
He made a return local visit to the Levellers
Levellers
The Levellers were a political movement during the English Civil Wars which emphasised popular sovereignty, extended suffrage, equality before the law, and religious tolerance, all of which were expressed in the manifesto "Agreement of the People". They came to prominence at the end of the First...
Beautiful Days festival on 21 August in Devon and played as support for Runrig
Runrig
Runrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more...
in Hanover four days later.
He was also the main headline on Saturday 4 September at Weyfest in Farnham, Surrey.
Awards
- In July 2005 Lakeman was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for Kitty JayKitty JayKitty Jay is a music album by Seth Lakeman published in 2004. It is his second album that he published as a principal performer. It was shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize for 2005...
. - On 5 February 2007 Lakeman won Singer of the Year and Best Album awards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk AwardsBBC Radio 2 Folk AwardsThe 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....
.
Style of music
Seth Lakeman's primary musical instruments are the violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, the tenor guitar
Tenor guitar
1932 Martin 0-18 T Sunburst Tenor Guitar|thumb|rightThe tenor guitar or four-string guitar is a slightly smaller, four-string relative of the steel-string acoustic guitar or electric guitar. The instrument was developed so that players of the four-string tenor banjo could double on the guitar...
, the banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and the viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
.
Discography
| Name | Type | Date of release | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| as principal performer | ||||
| The Punch Bowl The Punch Bowl (album) The Punch Bowl is a music album by Seth Lakeman published in 2002. It is his first album as a principal performer.-Track listing:#"Garden of Grace" – 3:15#"Image of Love" – 3:11... |
Album | 2002 Re-release: 2004-06-07 |
||
| Kitty Jay | Album | 2004 Re-release: 2005-08-01 and 2006-10-09 |
UK chart position: 100. | |
| Freedom Fields Freedom Fields Freedom Fields is a music album by Seth Lakeman published twice in 2006. It is his third album as a principal performer. It is named for a park in Plymouth, England, where the Sabbath Day Fight is commemorated.-First edition:... |
Album | First edition: 2006-03-20 Re-release: 2006-08-21 |
UK chart position (2006-08-27) 32. | |
| "The Bold Knight" | Single | 2005 | Released on CD single. | |
| "Lady Of The Sea (Hear Her Calling)" | Single | 07/08/2006 | UK chart position (2006-08-07) 52. Released on CD single and 7" vinyl. | |
| "The White Hare" | Single | 2006-10-21 | UK chart position (2006-10-30) 47. Released as a two part CD single and limited edition white vinyl 7". | |
| "King & Country" | Single | 2007-02-05 | Released 7" vinyl single & on his album 'Freedom Fields'. | |
| Poor Man's Heaven | EP | 2007-10-22 | Four-track EP (Poor Man's Heaven; Race to be King; How Much (Live); Lillywhite Girl) released on CD single and double 7" vinyl. | |
| Poor Man's Heaven Live EP | EP (Download) | 2008-04-22 | Free EP release as a download from the official website http://sethlakeman.co.uk/liveep/, featuring live versions of five tracks (Poor Man's Heaven; Lady Of The Sea; Haunt You; Blood Red Sky; and Bold Knight) recorded at Shepherd's Bush Empire in October 2007. | |
| Poor Man's Heaven | Album | 2008-06-30 | UK chart position (2008-07-06): 8 | |
| "The Hurlers with Sound of a Drum" | Single | 2008-06-30 | Limited edition 7" vinyl release. | |
| "Crimson Dawn" | Single | 2008-07-06 | Download only. | |
| "Solomon Browne" | Single | 13/10/2008 (TBC) | ||
| Hearts & Minds | Album | 14/06/2010 | UK chart position: #17; Fell to #100 a week after debut. | |
| "Tales From The Barrel House" | Album | 17/11/2011 | First thousand copies were signed by Seth Lakeman | |
| in The Lakeman Brothers The Lakeman Brothers The Lakeman Brothers are a folk music trio from England, consisting of Sean Lakeman, Sam Lakeman and Seth Lakeman. They released their debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Seth has gone on to have considerable success as a solo artist, particularly with his Mercury Music Prize-nominated second... |
||||
| Three Piece Suite Three Piece Suite Three Piece Suite is a folk music album from The Lakeman Brothers, produced in 1994.... |
Album | 1994 | ||
| with Equation | ||||
| In Session | Promotional Only E.P. | 1995 | ||
| Return to Me | Album | 1995–1996 2003-03-24 |
Recorded in 1995–1996, album was shelved days before release and finally issued in 2003. | |
| Hazy Daze | Album | 1998-02-02 | ||
| The Lucky Few | Album | 1999 2003-11-17 |
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| The Dark Ages E.P. | E.P. | 2001 2004-06-14 |
As guest musician | |
| First Name Terms | Album | 2002 2004-06-07 |
As guest musician | |
| with Cara Dillon Cara Dillon Cara Dillon is an Irish folk singer. In 2001, she launched her career as a solo artist in the UK with the eponymous Cara Dillon album... |
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| Cara Dillon Cara Dillon (album) Cara Dillon is the debut solo album from the Irish folk artist Cara Dillon. It was recorded at The Firs, producer/partner Sam Lakeman's parents' house. There were also recordings made in County Donegal, Ireland. The album was mixed by John Reynolds... |
Album | 2001-07-16 | ||
| Sweet Liberty Sweet Liberty (album) Sweet Liberty is the second solo album from folk artist Cara Dillon. It was recorded at their home studio in Frome, Somerset. Similar to her debut album, Sweet Liberty was produced and recorded by Sam Lakeman, her husband and musical partner. Additional production was by John Reynolds, who also... |
Album | 2003-09-22 | ||
| with Steve Knightley Steve Knightley Steve Knightley is a singer-songwriter, musician and one half of British acoustic roots duo Show of Hands.-Career:... and Jenna Witts |
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| Western Approaches Western Approaches (album) Western Approaches is an album by Steve Knightley, Seth Lakeman, and Jenna Witts.-Track listing:#"Jigsaw" – 2:03#"Surfers' Storm" – 3:28#"The Crooked Man" – 4:52#"Captain's Court" – 3:29... |
Album | 2004-09-27 | ||