Stonecraft are a roots music duo from Swansea in South Wales, UK. They combine original and traditional music inspired from the British Isles and Norway.
The duo consists of Andy Morgan and Viil Fjøse, who have played together in their current format for about two years and their first album of original material is titled “The Call”.
The album consists of 12 tracks 8 of which are original, two Norwegian songs, one Welsh polka, and one Irish reel.
Stonecraft have developed a distinctive sound based around Andy and Viil’s vocals and the use of stringed instruments including 6 & 12 string guitar, cittern, tenor banjo, bouzouki and bass guitar.
Lawson Dando (keyboard player with The Incredible String Band) also played harmonium, israj and percussion on the album.
The tracks were recorded at Stonecraft’s home studio and were mixed at Lawsons Dando’s Albany Studios in Cardiff, South Wales.
The album incorporates the duo’s diverse musical influences ranging from traditional Celtic and Norwegian music to modern popular rock music.
Outline of each track on The Call
Lighter than air – track about the burning of witches throughout Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the myth that they would float instead of drowning.
Instruments: vocals, guitar, cittern, tenor banjo, harmonium, bass.
Down the wire – song about egos.
Instruments: vocals, guitar, cittern, tenor banjo, harmonium, bass, harmonium, percussion.
Blåmann – lyrics by Aasmund Olavsson Vinje 1860, melody by Anne Haavie.
The song tells a story about a young boy’s despair as one of his animals fails to return one night and was probably killed by a bear.
“Blåmann” is inspired by experiences had by Vinje as a young shepherd, Blåmann and Lykle were real animals that Vinje loved and looked after.
Instruments: Vocal, cittern and bodhran.
The Call – the title track is an original instrumental by Stonecraft based around the cittern, bouzouki and tenor banjo. Other instruments used are guitar, bass and the israj which is a small bodied sitar played with a bow.
One last Time – comment on the recent closures in Wales of smaller pubs which served the community and were also places where people would gather to discuss and listen to music.
Instruments: Vocals, 6 & 12 string guitar, cittern, bass.
From the Shadows – comment on people trafficking and the subsequent exploitation of these people in our towns and cities.
Instruments: vocals, cittern, 6 & 12 string guitar, bass, harmonium.
Star of Munster – traditional Irish reel reworked by Stonecraft.
Instruments: guitar, cittern, tenor banjo, bass, bouzouki, bodhran.
Dawn to Light – song about missed opportunities and moving on when others have let you down.
Instruments: vocals, 6 &12 string guitar, cittern, bass.
Ships – a woman has a daughter adopted and loses her nerve when she has an opportunity to meet her later in life.
Instruments: Vocals, guitar, cittern, bouzouki, tenor banjo, bass, bodhran.
Mitt hjerte alltid vanker - Norwegian version of Swedish folk tune, lyrics by H.A. Brorson, 1732. Traditional song reworked by Stonecraft.
Instruments: vocal, 6 &12 string guitar, cittern, tenor banjo, bouzouki, bass.
Ffidle Ffadle - traditional Welsh polka from the 18th century which would have been popular at Welsh barn dances and Eisteddfod’s.
Instruments: tenor banjo, guitar, bouzouki, bass, bodhran.
Smoke Rise Up From the Clay – song about past and present industries in and around the South Wales area.
Instruments: vocals, 6 &12 string guitar, cittern, bass, bouzouki.
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