The Kindred Spirit Band - News


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Join us via our 'Kindred Spirit Band' FB page https://www.facebook.com/kindredspiritband.



 



Singles Released

The special offer for CD sales before Christmas 2020 is now over but the 2 singles released from each of these CD albums are all now available for streaming from all major digital outlets.

Hear them on Spotify.

Buy a full CD album.

 


 

Join Our New Facebook Group

 

Keep in touch and have discussions with us by joining our new Facebook Group:-

Friends Of Kindred Spirit Band

 

 


 

Food Bank Fund raising

Elaine has been earmarking 50% of sales from the latest Kindred Spirit Band CD, 'Elemental' to go to the Trussell Trust, a global food bank charity, since early on in the pandemic crisis.

She had hoped to create some further interest in the album following its launch in November 2019, through features in WW Magazine (the June edition of the magazine for Weight Watchers, because Elaine has been a WW Coach and there is a WW inspired song on the album) and on Beat Route Radio and Progrock.com (both excellent, internet, progrock radio stations and driven by progrock lover, Bob Prigmore, who really rates our latest album) but I guess everyone is feeling the pinch and there is a lot of fund-raising for charity going on right now and not very much was raised by theend of this initiative in August.

You can, of course, still purchase yourself a copy of this album.
Buy your copy here

Here is a review of the album by the Dutch Progressive Rock team
(below).

"The album starts with the nothing but fantastic No Smoke Without Fire with its deceivingly simple melody, a highly addictive violin and flute interplay and an overall cheerful feeling that makes your day. The ten songs that follow range from uplifting folk tunes (Make A Change, Daemons, Understand) through violin-driven ballads (Understand, I Need Your Love) towards a medieval tune (Vikings) that makes you think of Blackmore's Night. Both the contemplative Red Red Rose and The Alchemyst have interesting hooks and mood changes that will appeal many prog adepts...this fine group of musicians made a very attractive album with many enjoyable folky tunes, lyrics that matter and a very uplifting feeling altogether, very necessary in these dark times. So take your chances on this one!"

You can read more reviews and learn more about the album (as well as listen to audio clips) here

 

 


 

What Happened to Godstoneberry?

The Flower Farm family have been working really hard to make  their Godstoneberry Festival happen this year. It should have happened towards the beginning of July and following the relaxation of lockdown during the course of July, decided to try and hold it from the 14th to the 16th of August. Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, the 'Wellness Field', where the Kindred Spirit Band were due to perform, could not be included, meaning the band would not be able to take part! The festival organisers really want the Kindred Spirit Band to perform, however and have said they would like to have us next year!

However, towards the end of July, the government guidelines looked like being tightened again, given spikes in cases springing up and so the Flower Farm team have decided not to go ahead with a proper festival until 2021!

Find out the latest news about this lovely festival on a farm at https://godstoneberry.com 

 

 

 

 




Entire Radio Show Feature July 14th

This was on progrock.com from 7pm to 9.30pm. We were able to listen to Bob Prigmore's favourite tracks from the 'Elemental' album as well as ask Elaine, Stevie and Les questions in the chat room!

 

 

 

Could we be the first band to gig live?

 

 

Despite being told recently that Farnham's Music In The Meadow, summer gig series, on the bandstand at Gostrey Meadows was able to go ahead, after a further look at the government guidelines, it seems it will not now be possible and this gig is sadly cancelled after all!

Thinking was that families would be able to sit in their household groups and the band would need to have few enough members that they could also socially distance themselves from each other in the bandstand. The council  had proposed marking circles on the grass for household / bubble groups to sit in to maintain the required distancing and ensure numbers stayed in control.

The council say it seems dreadfully unfair that the event can’t go ahead when pubs are able to open inside and outside with no numbers restriction! They were ready to paint the circles onto the grass so there were designated ‘bubbles’ for each family but it appears gatherings of over 30 are not permitted as well as live music! Many musicians (including Elaine) have received no income from live music or financial help from the government since the lockdown began and there is the very real possibility that venues which used to support live music will cease to exist if the unfair hammering of live music continues much longer!

 


 

Special Radio Feature  

 

On Tuesday, July 14th the Kindred Spirit Band's latest album 'Elemental' had a whole radio show devoted to it!

Bob Prigmore broadcasts his global 'Tunesday' progrock shows via progrock.com.

We could listen to this and join members of the band live in the chat room from 7pm UK time, which is 1pm  (USA CS time).

The show was at https://progrock.com/

 

 

 


 

 

Welcoming Band Members

 

The Kindred Spirit Band line-up has adjusted since the lockdown. We welcomed new bass player, Paul Critchfield, who has played with us once before and you may recognise him from Alan Clayson's band, "Clayson and the Argonauts". Our legendary drummer Les Binks is to  be our main drummer and talented Stevie Mitchell is to be our main flute and sax player. Elaine Samuels and Martin Ash are the band members remaining unchanged.

We can't wait to be back playing live for you! Hopefully you'll see us at a live gig before the end of this year!

 

 


 

Gigs

Our remaining 2020 gigs are still uncertain at the moment with the ongoing Covid 19 lockdown. Several gigs have already been postponed until 2021. Take a look on the gigs pages to see how things are shaping up!

 

 


 

Live Global May Festival

 

The Kindred Spirit Band were invited to perform at Bob Prigmore's live, global, prog rock festival, presented by Beat Route Radio and with artistes from all over the world taking part! The festival will ran from 2pm - 10pm over Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May. It raised funds for the East Northants Community Services, who provide food banks and homeless shelters local to the radio station.

Given the inability of artistes to perform together during lockdown, Elaine represented the Kindred Spirit Band with a special 30min acoustic set. She will be performed live from her front room 'arena' (ha ha) at 15:20 on the Saturday!

There was a great write up about this festival in PowerOf Prog

 

 


 

 

Buy your copy

Find out more about the Elemental album

 

 


 

Band Self Isolating

The Kindred Spirit Band, like the rest of the world's population, are self isolating!

Many of our gigs are postoned. Check the gig lists for the latest information.

 

 


 

Booked For Cambridge Rock Festival 2020

The Kindred Spirit Band have just been booked to play at the Cambridge Rock Festival, on the Sapphire Stage (Stage 2) on Sunday 21st June 2020, at 11am. This looks like being a great, four day festival. Come and join us! Find out the full line up and buy your tickets from:-
CambridgeRockFestival.co.uk

 


Special Environmental Song

Elaine was approached in January 2020 to write an anthem type of song for the Extinction Rebellion group (XR).
She has now written the song and it can be viewed below.

Elaine has written many environmental themed songs, which can be found on all of the Kindred Spirit Band albums.

  

This premiere of the song was recorded at Elaine's January 19th 2020 open mic, with help from friends and musical colleagues, with no rehearsal, shortly after having written it! So it is a bit rough around the edges but Elaine wanted to get it 'out there' for environmental campaigners everywhere to use as soon as possible, as time is running out!

Extinction - Wake Up! - song video

And here are the lyrics:-

Extinction – Wake Up! - lyrics
By E Samuels 12/01/2020

V1
The temperature's rising – wake up!

The ice caps are melting – wake up!

The storm is coming – wake up!

The land is flooding – wake up!

Chorus
We face extinction – join the call!
We face extinction – save us all!

V2
The temperature's rising – wake up!

The trees are burning – wake up!

The animals are dying – wake up!

What are we doing? - wake up!

Chorus

Mid 8.1
If your house were collapsing in the middle of the night
you would welcome a wake up call.
This planet is your home and it is being destroyed
; So wake up before you lose it all...

V3
Our consumption is growing – wake up!

With habitat destruction – wake up!

Our pesticides are spreading – wake up!

And the bees are dying – wake up!

Chorus

V4
The earth is choking in rubbish – wake up!

The air filled with toxins – wake up!

The seas filled with plastic – wake up!

What are we doing – wake up!

Chorus

Mid 8.2
The threat of extinction's real and with us now
.We must act urgently, it's clear.
We need our world leaders to wake up and create
green changes or we disappear...

Ending
It's an extinction rebellion, extinction rebellion rpt.

 


 

 

 

The Kindred Spirit Band have just been booked for a MAJOR Music Festival, to perform in August! It is the fantastic "A New Day Festival", in Faversham, Kent.

We are a truly unique progfolkrock band! If you want to book us for an event go to our "Contact" page.

 

"Folk rock meets classical with a scientific edge"
Rachel Mann, Prog Magazine

 

Our new brand new album "Elemental" is starting to get some great reviews:

 

"an ingenious and advanced folk-rock album...Written for a species that is about to be lost in the fires".
Neil Mach
, Rawramp Magazine

"'Elemental' is a very enjoyable disc... A folky Fleetwood Mac"
Progwereld

 

"And as for the new album.... CRACKING. Not joking in saying deserves album of the year".
Chris Davenport, professional photographer

 

 

 


 

 

 

Album Launch
Saturday November 2nd

The new Kindred Spirit Band album, "Elemental"  launched at All Hallows Church Hall, Twickenham, on Saturday, November 2nd. The new album has 11 original tracks and a bonus cover number. The front cover can be seen (left) and the rest of the album art has been designed and produced by Elaine herself. Read more about everything connected with the album on the "Elemental" page. You can order a copy of your album from this page too!

Money from sales of the new album was donated to the excellent, local charity, "Home Start". We raised nearly £80 for the charity on the night!

The title track, "The Alchemyst", from "Elemental" featured on the cover mount CD of the September issue of Prog Magazine, issue 102 .

'Prog' is a glossy, global magazine, which prog rock lovers can either purchase in well known high street shops, like WH Smiths, or subscribe to. 'Prog rock' is actually quite a wide catchment of musical genres, most usually synonymous with the qualities of virtuosity of musical skill, the expansive nature of lyrical themes and more unusual melodic and rhythmic structures, which can result in longer that average track lengths!

The response from putting our "Alchemyst" track "out there" will be exciting for us, since the last time we placed the title track of our previous album, "Phoenix Rising" on a cover mount CD of Prog magazine, our albums were purchased globally and we picked up distribution in the UK and abroad! It also lead to enough exposure for the band to be featured in Prog Magazine, in turn leading to some high profile festival gigs!

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Recording of the new, Kindred Spirit Band album at Skyline Studios resumed from 18th May!

The six remaining tracks now only need Martin Ash's overdubs on violin and viola (and possibly some more mandolin), some vocals from Catherine, extra percussion and finishing touches before mixing and mastering!

The last six tracks are:-

1. Make A Change - a positive song with a foot tapping, world music vibe.

2. Need Your Love - a cosmic experience, based around the Philip Pullman, 'Northern Lights' trilogy, with an with Eric Clapton rock feel.

3. No Smoke Without Fire - the bluesy rock number which won the March song competition. See more below.

4. Alchemyst - an epic, scientific, historical and intriguing number, which Elaine wrote after reading about the life and work of the astrologer, alchemist and advisor to Queen Elizabeth 1st, Dr. John Dee.

5. Vikings - another epic piece, laced with myth and featuring a Viking invasion and battle. It has a Game of Thrones feel in places and some interesting time signature changes!

6. Feelin Good (a cover made famous by Nina Simone and Muse, which we have made our own and which fans have asked us to record.)

The final touches to the recording are being made in August and work begins on the CD artwork from now!

 

 


 

 

Alleya is a currently London-based musician working in a variety of creative and unique experiences. Her current work includes performance and composition with South-East London band Lucien Chase and solo bookings. She recently performed on The X Factor UK in an all female ensemble supporting singer Grace Davies. Alleya began learning violin at a young age, studying under Margaret Escobar and later with Emelinda Escobar. Her professional studies began at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance.

Find out more

 

 


 

New Song Wins Competition

Elaine's new, "No Smoke Without Fire" song will be featuring on the band's forthcoming, new album and recording of the album at Skyline Studios continues from 18th May! Exciting! Click the link to hear the song as performed at the competition:- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnVbQ0vQwlQ&feature=youtu.be 

 


 

Tour Kicks off in July


A joint tour with cult, eccentric progressive rock band "Alan Clayson and the Argonauts" kicks off this July with a gig at the iconic "Half Moon", in Putney.

This will be a cosmic experience and a night to remember!


Buy your ticket

 

 


 

 

Last  year the Kindred Spirit Band recorded the first half of the new album including a very special population song.

The song hopes to explain why the growing global population is so damaging to our future and how the people of the world can act in a positive way, without the need to wait for government action (which looks like coming too late to prevent environmental disaster)!

Please have a listen to the song and share, share, share the web page for this song.....

 

 


 

 

Band Go Down A Storm at HRH Prog Fest 7

 

A five hour drive saw us arrive at Hafan Y Mor Caravan Site in beautiful (and sunny) Pwllheli, North Wales on November 17th. Following two radio interviews, for HRH Prog Radio and Midlands Metalheads Radio, the band played a 95min spot on Stage 2 (overlapping with headliners, Hawkwind, on Stage 1, but capturing the attention of a packed crowd)! Garry Foster, presenter of the "Unchained & Prog Rock Files" (101.8 WCR FM) said,

"Your set was a real highlight of the weekend. I’d never seen you guys live before.....
loved the set from start to finish, the camaraderie on stage between you guys was magnificent!!!"

Garry said this about his impression of the Kindred Spirit Band at HRH Prog Festival (click to hear this audio clip from his programme)
Audio Clip
.

If you would like to see lots more photos and view a video with some antics from Martin Ash, take a look at the band Facebook Page

 

 


 

 

Rock Society Magazine Feature

 

 

 

Here is the first page of our three page feature in Rock Society Magazine. If you want to read the whole article, you can obtain your copy here

 

 


 

 

First Batch of New Tracks Ready!

The band have been back at Skyline Studios since February 2018 recording six new numbers (see details of the numbers below). Check out the recording process we went through here.

We now have six, new song tracks to release as singles via digital downloads or to add to a physical CD, if we decide there  are enough people wanting a physical CD to justify the cost of manufacturing one. We have created approx 1 minute clips of each one for you to have a listen to them, below!

Pandora's Box  cd1.gif
A driving number about letting out a secret. The band have played this one live over the last year or so; so you may be familiar with it.

Understand  cd1.gif
Another driving number about going forward together even though we don't understand our purpose. We have only played this live a couple of times in the autumn of 2017.

Don't Have More Than Two  cd1.gif
A song specifically about overpopulation; what it is doing to the planet and what we can do to halt it.

Daemons  cd1.gif
A prog rock number about not letting the daemons in; running from them but ultimately fighting them with your will. We have only played this live a couple of times in the autumn of 2017.

Red Red Rose  cd1.gif
A prog rock number about the book of revelation. This is a new one, played first at The Exchange in March and then at Richmond May Fair, 2018!

Beyond The Ninth Wave  cd1.gif
A Celtic folk rock number about the mysteries the early maritime explorers faced on the high seas. This is another new one!

      

      Jez Larder at Skyline Studios

 

 

 


 

 

Shall we make a new CD?

 

We are still deciding whether to make a physical CD album, to present our newly recorded songs or whether to just have digital downloads. You can influence this decision.

If you want a CD speak up and join our "New Album" list. If you join the list you will be the first people to get the physical album (if it comes out, for a £10 fee). You don't need to pay anything "up front" and you will get exclusive access to extra audio and video of the recording and creating process in a special, extra "New Album" newsletter, being dispatched monthly!

Whatever happens, we plan to record another 6 tracks (only 2 of which have yet to be written) and we hope to be ready to do this in the autumn, ready for a possible album launch in late January / early February.

Please note that some problems were experienced with joining this list, which have now been fixed!

 


                  

Join New Album Register

 

 


 

 

Band to play HRH Prog Fest 7, in November

HRH Prog Fest 7

 

 


 

 

Twickenham Arts Centre

Since the Kindred Spirit Band were going to be performing at it on March 23rd and quite a few people she spoke to seemed unaware of it, Elaine has written an article about Twickenham's spectacular new arts centre, to help introduce it to everyone. She has written it like a tour around the centre with excellent photographs by RP Photography Solutions. Take a look below.

 

Read the article

 


 

 

Music Legends and the Kindred Spirit Band

Following the passing of music legend, Ray Thomas, one of the original members of the Moody Blues, who the Kindred Spirit Band met at their concert with "Blue Onyx", in December 2010, at Leatherhead Theatre, Elaine has written the article below describing the musical legends who have been drawn to the Kindred Spirit Band since their formation after the dawn of the new millenium.

Read the article

 


 

 

Inspiration

Elaine received an inspirational email from a new fan just before New Year's Eve, and felt compelled to write the article below , which she hopes will inspire everyone for 2018!

Read the article

 


 

 

 

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