Whalebone’s distinctive sound is created from a mix of many genres, merging Celtic music with bluesy riffs and traditional tunes with rock flash to create a unique sound that hints at Fairport, Flook and acoustic Led Zep without the vocals. Whalebone’s music is a marriage of acoustic music and classic guitar rock played on guitars and fiddle, combining upfront spellbinding musicianship, infectious driving rhythms and exuberant presentation.
Whalebone came together over a period of years through a shared love of cake and tea, starting in 2005 with Steve Downs and Charlotte Watson as an acoustic guitar duo and then, following the happenstance addition of Sarah Ibberson on fiddle to a miserable gig on a miserable night in 2007, the realisation that this was exactly what the group needed on a permanent basis.
Whilst we started out as an acoustic guitar duo playing Celtic influenced music we never wanted to set any boundaries or goalposts. Both Steve and Char shared a love of blues-based classic rock, and in the same way that discovering Guinness didn’t stop Steve drinking real ale, discovering the amazingly rich and diverse world of acoustic music gave us the chance to enjoy many new flavours and tastes alongside more familiar ones. When Sarah joined a little later her repertoire of traditional tunes were added to the mix, along with a growing sense of mischief that came from realising that it was a lot of fun to play music that borrowed and was influenced by whatever we heard or encountered. This approach also seemed not surprisingly to gain approval with our audiences - after all most music fans listen to a wide range of styles and artists. Our policy, if we ever had to write it down, would be that if we like playing something we’ll play it.
Quotes:
'The Wonderful Whalebone just get better and better... great writing and arrangements as well as some really superlative musicianship.' (Dan James, BRFM Radio Wales, November 2010)
'Spread out the furniture, get ready to dance!' (James Mahoney - KBRP Radio, Arizona - Eclecti-Celt, 2010)
‘Amazing doesn't even begin to describe this instrumental trio.... Whalebone are masters of seduction.' (Marc Gunn / Gael - Celtic MP3 Music Magazine, 2010)
“It's hard to imagine Whalebone not setting feet tapping (at the very least) wherever they might be playing... With their deliciously eclectic mixture of folksy - rootsy - worldly - type music. Whalebone are slick enough at what they do to be taken seriously and loose enough to be having so much fun with it that their enthusiasm never fails to rub off on anyone fortunate enough to see them play! Professionalism and a good time! - Rare mix... Recommended..!” (Barrie Jones, Green Wood Summer Music Festival, 2008)
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