Smoke Fairies

Smoke Fairies is a British blues and folk musical duo formed by Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies.

History

Blamire and Davies met at school in Sussex during the late 1990s. In 2002 they spent a year in New Orleans where they absorbed American blues music[1] and when they returned to England they discovered British folk music at the Sidmouth Folk Week Festival while working as car park attendants.They later settled in Vancouver, Canada, for a year before returning to London to start performing.

In 2007 Smoke Fairies headed on a UK tour in support of Bryan Ferry and released their debut single ‘Living With Ghosts’ the following year on Music For Heroes.Richard Hawley was an early supporter of the act stating they were “frankly the best thing (he’d) heard in years».They supported Hawley on his True Love’s Gutter UK tour in October 2009.

In December 2009 Smoke Fairies became the first UK act to release a single on Jack White’s label Third Man Records.The single was produced by Jack White and featured him on guitar and drums.

Smoke Fairies performed at the 2010 South By South West (SXSW) festival in Texas[8] and supported Laura Marling for a month long tour of the United States. They soon signed to V2 Records/Cooperative Music and released acclaimed debut album ‘Through Low Light and Trees’ in September 2010.The following month the band were invited to record a live session for Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music and were subsequently invited back for another session mere months later.They also recorded a live session with their band for John Kennedy’s X-Posure on XFM.

In November 2010 Smoke Fairies’ recording of Neil Young’s «Alabama» appeared on a special Mojo album to mark the approaching fortieth anniversary of Young’s Harvest LP.

The band embarked on their first sell-out headline tour of the UK in January / February 2011 and performed at several festivals that Summer including Primavera Sound in Barcelona.

The debut album ‘Through Low Light and Trees’ was officially released in the United States in June 2011 via Year Seven Records and they toured the U.S. with Rasputina in August.

Discography

Singles and EPs
Living with Ghosts/ B Side Troubles 7» (Music For Heros) (Aug 2008)
Frozen Heart EP 7»- Frozen Heart, Fences, Morning Light, We Had Lost Our Minds, He’s Moving On (Music For Heros) (July 2009)
Sunshine / B Side: «When you Grow Old» 7» (Oct 2009)
«Gastown/River Song» 7» Single Tri-colored vinyl (150), Texas-Sized 8» vinyl (limited edition) (Third Man Records) (Sep 2009)
«Hotel Room/Human Concerns 7» Limited Edition (300) (V2/ Cooperative Music) (2010)
«Strange Moon Rising/Requiem 7» Limited Edition (500) (V2/ Cooperative Music) 24 Jan 2011)
«Strange Moon Rising/Alabama 7» Limited Editon (UK Tour only) (V2/ Cooperative Music) 24 Jan 2011)
«Hotel Room/Strange Moon Rising 7» Limited Edition (500) Blue marbled vinyl (453 Music) (April 2011 Record Store Day - US)
«Storm Song/Storm Song Demo 7» Limited Edition (500) (V2/ Cooperative Music) (16 May 2011)

Compilations
Ghosts - A Compilation of A Sides, B Sides and an EP from the Recent Past - (U.S only release - 453 Music) (March 2010) - Special edition marbled 12» with 500 black/white split colour special addition Record Store Day pressing copies.
Ghosts - A Compilation of A Sides, B Sides and an EP from the Recent Past (UK - 453 Music) (Marbled Vinyl) (2010)
[edit]
Guest appearances
Backing vocals on False Lights From The Land EP (June 2010) (Mute Records) by Richard Hawley

Albums
Through Low Light And Trees / Cooperative Music – 6 September 2010 / Year Seven Records (USA) June 2011)

Track listing
«Summer Fades»
«Devil in my Mind»
«Hotel Room»
«Dragon»
«Erie Lackawanna»
«Strange Moon Rising»
«Morning Blues»
«Storm Song»
«Blue Skies Fall»
«Feeling Is Turning Blue»
«After the Rain»

Also pressed as a limited edition on clear vinyl, available on the bands’ US tour and via website. Initial edition of 250 followed by subsequent repress.

Also featured On compilation CD Albums
Live At The Electroacoustic Club Vol 2 (Running Jump Records - 13 Nov 2006)
«Good Man»

Whats Kickin Vol 2 (Stove Pony - 14 May 2007)
«Troubles»

Harvest Revisited (Promotional CD issued with Mojo Magazine Feb 2011)
«Alabama»