Eliza Carthy
Album ‘Neptune’ 9th May
UK Tour May/June

Eliza Carthy will release her new album ‘Neptune’ through HemHem Records on 9th May. Recorded at Castle Studios, Edinburgh and co-produced by Dave Wah and Eliza Carthy, ‘Neptune’ is the solo follow up to 2008’s ‘Dreams of Breathing Underwater’ and the first record to be released through her own label, HemHem Records. Last year’s album ‘Gift’ (a collaboration with her mother Norma Waterson), received widespread critical acclaim and picked up ‘Best Album’ and ‘Best Traditional Track’ accolades at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Having recently toured with folk collective The Imagined Village, Carthy embarks on shows with her own band in May and June.

“This album is a step on from the ‘Ben-Hur-style, everything with extra horse, seven years to make approach’ we had to the last one,” explains Eliza. “Me and my lovely, talented and stylish band in a room playing together, like the Romans did, in a couple of weeks. Ah the good old days.”

“Neptune relates to an astrological reading I had done by a friend of the family,’ recalls Eliza. “The material on the album is ordered chronologically and is about the last ten years of my life. It’s a story about ending relationships and beginning new ones with their own imperfections, and is about the thought that nothing is perfect, even when written in the stars. I’m still an old romantic though and partial to odd quotes from old television programmes”.

Displaying Carthy’s trademark eclectic flair and lush vocals, ‘Neptune’ is brimming with poignant observations on British life. “‘Britain is a Car Park’ is a song that imagines a near and possible future where we from our tiny island have all moved to Spain, and left our cars behind to be looked after by people who can’t afford to move to Spain…then we all enjoy the unique local food, with chips, naturally.”

‘Neptune’ track listing:

1. Blood on my Boots