Seth Lakeman

Infobox musical artist
Name = Seth Lakeman

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Img_capt = Lakeman performing at the Larmer Tree Festival 2008
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Origin = Dartmoor, Devon, England
Genre = English folk music
Years_active = 1994 - present
Label = iScream Music (pre 2006) , Relentless (2006 — present)
Associated_acts = Cara Dillon, Sam Lakeman, Equation, The Lakeman Brothers, Steve Knightley, Jenna Witts
URL = [http://sethlakeman.co.uk]
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Past_members =
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Seth Bernard Lakeman (born March 26, 1977 in Yelverton, Devon) is an English folk singer, songwriter, and musician.

Career

Seth Lakeman began playing music with his parents and two brothers Sean and Sam at an early age.

As The Lakeman Brothers, the three brothers released their critically acclaimed debut album "Three Piece Suite" in 1994. Later that same year they were invited by two Yorkshire based singers Kathryn Roberts and Kate Rusby to join them as a backing group on a tour of Portugal. After the tour the five musicians became a permanent group and called themselves Equation. The group swiftly garnered much praise and hype and signed a record deal with Time Warner in 1995. After 3 full albums ('Return to me' - 1996, 'Hazy Daze' - 1998, 'The Lucky Few' - 2000), and touring around the UK, Europe and the USA, Lakeman left Equation in 2001. He joined his brother Sam and Sam's wife Cara Dillon to record Dillon's acclaimed, self titled debut album, which featured Seth on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The album won two awards at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including "Best Traditional Track" for "Black is the Colour" which Lakeman helped arrange. Cara and the brothers also won the Hot Press award for the "Best Roots Act" and the Big Buzz award for the "Best Traditional Act".

In 2002 Lakeman released his first solo album, The Punch Bowl, which received wide critical acclaim including a review in fRoots magazine which said: "The songs don't just glide smoothly by.....they get their claws into you".

Kitty Jay, Lakeman's second solo album was released in 2004. The title track of the album tells the story of Jay's Grave, a well known location on Dartmoor. The album was recorded for a cost of less than £300. That same year he collaborated with Devon singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and young local singer Jenna Witts on the album "Western Approaches".

A sell out UK tour in Autumn 2005 followed his Mercury Music Prize nomination, after which Lakeman and his band (regularly brother Sean (guitar), Ben Nichols (bass), Andy Tween (drums), toured extensively with folk-rock giants The Levellers, who took to closing their set with a "fiddle off" between Lakeman and Levellers' fiddler Jon Sevink. Other support tours with Billy Bragg and Jools Holland brought Lakeman's music to a wider audience.

In March 2006 Lakeman began a UK tour in order to promote his new album Freedom Fields which was released on iScream. He then changed to a major record company called Relentless and released his new single "Lady of the Sea" in early August 2006.

In 2007, he played at the SXSW festival in Texas, Hyde Park Calling, the Glastonbury Festival, The V Festival, WOMAD Charlton Park in Wiltshire, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, the Cornbury Music Festival, Fairport's Cropredy Convention, the Towersey Village Festival and provided support for Tori Amos on her European tour. On 18 April 2008, Lakeman appeared on stage with Jethro Tull on their 40th anniversary tour at Colston Hall in Bristol before the start of his own UK tour later that month and going on to tour the festival circuit throughout the summer. His fourth album, Poor Man's Heaven was released on 30 June 2008. It includes "Solomon Browne", a tribute to the courage of the men who lost their lives in the Penlee lifeboat disaster.

Awards

*In July 2005 Lakeman was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for "Kitty Jay".
*On 5 February 2007 Lakeman won 'Singer of the Year' and 'Best Album' awards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6333059.stm] .

tyle of music

Seth Lakeman's primary musical instruments are the violin, the tenor guitar, and the viola.

Discography

External links

*Seth on Glastonbury and his new album [http://www.itvlocal.com/westcountry/?player=WCT_HomePage_15&void=205396/ ITV Local Westcountry]
* [http://www.sethlakeman.co.uk/ Seth Lakeman official website]
* [http://www.scoyote.net/equation/Equationfm/Index.htm Equation official website]
*allmusicguide | id=11:h9fuxq80ld6e
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4699235.stm BBC report on Mercury Music Prize nomination]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/mediaplayer/seth_lakeman.shtml BBC Radio Devon interview]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2006/02/13/seth_lakeman_freedom_fields_feature.shtml BBC Devon Entertainment interview: New album for Seth]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/music/2004/seth_lakeman.shtml BBC Devon: Jailhouse Rock]
* [http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/article601238.ece The Independent: Seth Lakeman: Troubadour of the moors]
* [http://www.icebergradio.com/sethlakeman Performance/ Audio interview] recorded February 2007
* [http://www.cornburyfestival.com Seth Lakeman live at the Cornbury Festival] Oxfordshire 7-8th July 2007
* [http://www.nicklewisphotography.co.uk/gallery/sethlakeman Seth Lakeman at Guilfest] Surrey 6th July 2008