Branching Out in Style

BARRY GORDON welcomes the imminent launch of the debut album from clarsach duo Gillian Fleetwood and Fraya Thomsen

DUOS. The Scottish folk music scene is packed to the gunnels with them – and it’s easy to see why. Two-piece bands are easy to handle; manageable and economic to run. Yet how often is it we see two young women armed with just clarsachs instead of a fiddle, guitar, or an accordion? Rarely ever. And rarely do they sound so beautifully ethereal, either. Welcome, everyone, to The Duplets.

Officially formed in 2005 by pals Gillian Fleetwood (25) and Fraya Thomsen (26), and originally hailing from Inverness, the duo’s debut album, Tree of Strings, is to be officially launched at at Eden Court’s Bishop’s Palace on 25 August. Have you got your ticket yet? (see below for details).

“We hope that our album will bring us some much needed attention and help to make gigging more viable,” says Thomsen, who, like Fleetwood, has to balance her teaching work with composing and touring.

“Tree of Strings is a translation of Croabh nan Teud, the last track on the album, which is a very old harp tune. We liked it because a tree with its roots, trunk, branches, leaves and buds seemed like a beautiful analogy for the way the Scottish harp scene has grown in the last fifty years. We owe a lot to those who have taught us. The tradition has only recently been revived and so every player and teacher is very important.”

Indeed. Just like their peers, not since Patsy Seddon and Mary Macmaster’s Delighted With Harps album was released in 1986 has harp-led music been so warmly embraced. At Celtic Connections earlier this year, Thomsen and Fleetwood justifiably earned their five-star review in The Scotsman whilst performing alongside their luminaries – twelve of the best harp players in the world – in Harp Heaven.

So, what really makes The Duplets’ harp-dominated music stand out from the rest of their peers, then?

“I have been pleasantly surprised by the reactions we have received from some of our peers who have claimed that they didn’t always rate the harp,” admits Thomsen. “Apparently we have turned a few heads and made it more appealing to those hardened bagpipers. It’s also a challenge because, as the line up is unusual, we have to work hard to convince people it is a good idea sometimes. The harp is such a visual instrument, so I suppose having two on stage is quite striking.”

Fleetwood concurs: “The harp is a funny instrument as it has a lot of limitations, such as the diatonic tuning. It’s also in a state of revival, so the repertoire isn’t as big as, say, the pipes.”

Produced by upcoming producer and in-demand bassist Duncan Lyall, Tree of Strings is a stark contrast to the girls’ live show. For a start there’s more instrumentation on record. Is it only a matter of time before the duo enlarges into a trio, a quartet or a five-piece band?

“The duo is still where our head space is at musically as there is so much to be done and discovered,” maintains Fleetwood. “We love playing with a bigger band and that brings other opportunities.”

Not to mention new dimensions. “The percussion (courtesy of Donald Hay) gives rhythmic variation and groove, the bass adds the extra octave and warmth, the fiddle (Gabe McVarish) has so much drive, and Tam (Kinsella) gets a fantastic twang on the ol’ banjo. We love a bit of twang.”

The girls also love a bit of fooling around in front of the video camera, too, it seems, as anyone who has seen their first foray into pop videos (Andy M. Stewart’s ‘Queen of All Argyll’) will attest. A psychedelic mash-up of Britney Spears dance moves, period dress and computer-generated imagery, it’s certainly a world away from the days of Capercaillie’s deep, meaningful videos featuring black and white images of Scottish mountains.

“We couldn’t come up with a story line for ages and had some funny fall out moments,” reveals Thomsen, whose video was directed by Evanton-based John McGeoch. “So we decided to do what we love – put on some leg warmers and hot pants, and made up a dance routine in the living room. It was thanks to John’s production skills that we avoided the wet T-shirt scene.”

Gillian Fleetwood: “John McGeoch was just the person to take our quite ridiculous ideas and make them look as vivid as they do. We think keeping entertainment entertaining is important. While that may sound obvious, I do think that in order to engage new audiences in folk music and thus, keep us all in a job while preserving a vital part of our culture, you might as well have fun.”

Here’s Cheers! to that.

(The Duplets launch Tree of Strings on 25 August at Eden Court’s Bishop’s Palace at 8pm. Tickets are free. E-mail theduplets@hotmail.com to be included on the guest list; limited tickets will be available on the door.)

© Barry Gordon, 2008

Links

• The Duplets
• Queen of All Argyll video