Cape Breton folk-rock quartet, Villages, will be playing three New Brunswick shows in March as part of their upcoming tour in support of their new album, Dark Island, out February 17.
Cape Breton folk-rock quartet, Villages, have a new album on the way. Dark Island, the group’s sophomore release and their first produced JUNO-winning composer and producer Joshua Van Tassel, arrives February 17 on Sonic Records.
The group’s latest single, Play the Fiddle All Night, has drawn comparisons to artists like Richard Thompson and Paul Brady, who over the course of their respected careers, effectively weaved popular music influences with folk traditions to create a crossover in sound and audience.
“The song was written after reflecting on the traditional poem, The Dark Island,’’ said the group in a statement announcing the upcoming tour. “Stirring up thoughts of mortality and what our home on Cape Breton Island would be pinned for when the time comes. The song presented itself very quickly and we finished it only a few days before we were scheduled to record. There was a striking similarity in themes carried in both the poem and our tracklist, so it ultimately gave namesake to the album. The song immediately felt vital to the record and given the spontaneity of it all, it was one of the more exciting experiences in songwriting that we’ve had.”
In addition to the poem the band references, there is also a popular air of the same name which was later given words. Both the instrumental and the song are recognised as Scots’ anthems today making the connection between Villages and their Cape Breton home even stronger.
Upcoming Performances:
March 2 – Miramichi, NB @ New Maritime Beer Company
March 3 – Moncton, NB @ Tide & Boar Gastropub
March 4 – Fredericton, NB @ The Capital Complex
March 10 – Halifax, NS @ The Marquee Ballroom
March 11 – Berwick, NS @ Union Street Cafe
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