Kerfuffle
20th Jun 2010@ 12:00 Big Top
Now in their 7th year, Kerfuffle spent 2007 playing venues as diverse as Towersey & Bromyard Festivals, Radio 3’s “Late Junction” and the bar under the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Their music cannot easily be categorised and their vibrant arrangements draw on influences from across Europe, incorporating tunes, songs and dances. Four of the finest young musicians on the folk scene today, Sam Sweeney, Hannah James, Jamie Roberts, & Tom Sweeney perform their music with immense vitality and style.
Kerfuffle began, oddly enough, in the foyer of the Derby Assembly Rooms. Hannah James was a 13-year-old accordionist and singer, performing in a competition for young folk musicians called In The Tradition. Sam had won this the previous year, and was in the audience. Later, in the foyer, Tom, Sam and Hannah played tunes. Sam was looking to return to another competition he had previously won, and wanted to form a band to do so. In the spring of 2002, the three young musicians did just that, and won the Wiltshire Folk Association Young Folk Award. Realising they were onto something, they decided to look for a fourth member to fill out their sound. This final piece fell into place when Hannah introduced the brothers to Chris Thornton-Smith, a guitarist from Rotherham who she knew through folk clubs. Kerfuffle was complete.
A hastily recorded demo was circulated, and folk club support slots followed. Combined with the appearance at Trowbridge Village Pump Festival (their prize from the WFA), the year was busy.
In the spring of 2003, Kerfuffle recorded their debut album. Not to Scale was recorded by the renowned musician and producer Steafan Hannigan in Spring 2003 and released to great acclaim in the summer of that year.
In Spring 2004, Kerfuffle returned to the studio. That said, living room would be more accurate; K2 was recorded by guitarist Chris Thornton-Smith and produced by the band. Released later that year, it was critically acclaimed.
In December 2004, Kerfuffle were finalists in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, held at the Union Chapel, Islington.
By this point, the recording of Links had begun. Recording with Chris allowed the band the freedom to make the album more slowly, and it was pieced together over the winter and spring of 2005/6. Released in February 2006, Links was Kerfuffle's most ambitious album to date.
Chris played his last gigs with Kerfuffle in February 2007; a home gig for Sam and Tom at Loughborough Grammar School, a magnificent appearance supporting Lunasa at the Victoria Hall in Saltaire, and a farewell performance at a folk club near Chesterfield.
New guitarist Jamie Roberts, a graduate of the Leeds College of Music, played his first gig at Handley Village Festival in June 2007; an exciting, unconventional guitarist and an accomplished musician, Jamie adds a new dimension to Kerfuffle's performances.
