- Kerfuffle
Infobox musical artist
Name = Kerfuffle
Img_capt = From left to right: Sam, Hannah, Chris, Tom
Img_size = 300
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin =East Midlands /South Yorkshire ,UK
Genre = Folk
Years_active = 2001–Present
Label =RootBeat Records
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.kerfuffleonline.co.uk/ www.kerfuffleonline.co.uk]
Current_members =Hannah James Sam Sweeney Jamies Roberts Tom Sweeney
Past_members =Chris Thornton-Smith
Notable_instruments =Kerfuffle are a four-piece folk band originally formed in 2001 around the
East Midlands andSouth Yorkshire regions of theUK , comprising Hannah James (accordion, piano, vocals, step dancing), Sam Sweeney (fiddle, percussion), Jamie Roberts (guitars), and Tom Sweeney (bass guitar).The word "kerfuffle" is originally from the Scots, meaning "disturbance", "commotion", or "fuss". [ [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/kerfuffle kerfuffle - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary ] ] [ [http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-ker1.htm World Wide Words: Kerfuffle ] ]
History
Kerfuffle formed initially as a three-piece after Sam and Tom Sweeney met Hannah James. James was competing in a traditional music competition, the In The Tradition Award, held at the
Derby Assembly Rooms. Sam had previously won this, and was attending the 2001 competition in this capacity. After playing together in the foyer, the trio decided to form a band. After going on to win the under-18 category of the 2002Wiltshire Folk Association Young Folk Award, another competition that Sam had previously won as a soloist, the band sought a fourth member and Hannah introduced the band to guitarist Chris Thornton-Smith. Having won the WFA competition, the band was given a showcase performance at the 2002Trowbridge Village Pump Festival . [ [http://www.wiltsfolka.fsnet.co.uk/page6.html Page Title ] ]After a number of appearances at folk clubs, Kerfuffle recorded their first album in the spring of 2003. Produced by multi-instrumentalist Steafan Hannigan and recorded at his Oisín Studios, "Not to Scale" was released on the newly founded RootBeat Records on 14th June 2003, to coincide with the band's appearance at the first Festival of the Peak, a festival held at
Carsington Water in Derbyshire. The summer of 2003 Kerfuffle appear at a number of other UK folk/traditional festivals, includingSidmouth Festival and a return toTrowbridge Village Pump Festival . [http://www.offspringrecords.co.uk/oisinstudios/index.html]For 2004's "K2", the band decided to utilise the sound engineering skills of guitarist Chris Thornton-Smith, and the album was recorded by Chris. The album was released in time for the band's summer festival appearances, which included Cleckheaton Festival, Priddy Folk Fayre, Stainsby Festival, Saltburn Festival, Whitby Folk Week, Towersey Festival, Bromyard Festival and a slot at
Show of Hands ' summer concert in the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens. In December 2004, the band were finalists in the 2004/5 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=BBC RADIO 2 YOUNG FOLK AWARD2004-5 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED! |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/youngfolkaward2004_5/finalists.shtml |work= |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2008-01-10 ] [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=FIDDLER LAUREN MacCOLL TAKES THE TROPHY |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/youngfolkaward2004_5/report.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date=2004-12-04 |accessdate=2008-01-11 ]Summer 2005 saw the band appear at Cleethorpes Folk Festival, Middlewich Folk & Boat Festival, Priddy Folk Festival [cite news |first=Mike |last=Elliott |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Review: Priddy Folk Fayre 2005 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/articles/2005/07/13/priddy_folk_fayre_2005_review_feature.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date=05-07-13 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ] , and Saddleworth Folk Festival. Also in
2005 , the band's performances began to diversify into venues such as theatres and arts centres, as well as folk clubs, most notably including a performance as the post-show entertainment at the Linbury Theatre, a studio theatre attached to theRoyal Opera House , Covent Garden. The same year, Kerfuffle recorded a live session forBBC Radio 3 'sLate Junction . [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Late Junction11 April 2005 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/latejunction/pip/ntoex/ |work= |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2008-01-10 ]In early 2006, the band released Links. Appearances that summer at Bromyard Folk Festival [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=The Friday Session 08.09.06 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2006/09/07/friday_session_080906_feature.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date=06-09-07 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ] , Brampton Live [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Brampton Live 2006 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/articles/2006/07/14/brampton_live_2006_event_feature.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date=06-07-15 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ] , Festival at the Edge [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Trespassing in Paradise |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2006/06/19/festival_at_the_edge_2006_feature.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date=06-07-14 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ] and other events followed. A track from Links was included on the compilation
Folk Rising released in July 2007. [ [http://www.properdistribution.com/latest-releases/album-details.php?pg=5&id=2726 Proper Music Distribution ] ]In late 2007, having had a successful summer including appearances at
Fairport's Cropredy Convention [cite news |first=Mick |last=Conmy |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Fairport's Cropredy Convention |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2007/07/27/cropredy_07.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date=07-08-06 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ] , Derby Traditional Music and Arts Festival [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Derby Traditional Music and Arts Festival |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/content/articles/2007/07/17/derby_traditional_music_arts_event_feature.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date=07-07-24 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ] andShrewsbury Folk Festival , the band announced they would start work on their fourth album, their first featuring new guitaristJamie Roberts , who had replaced Chris Thornton-Smith earlier that year. The album, to be entitled "To The Ground ", is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2008. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Sam Sweeney - 2006 Education Bursary |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/fameacademybursary/news_sweeney.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date= |accessdate=2008-01-10 ]2007 also saw Sam join 11-piece folk band
Bellowhead , having already played some gigs as a deputy forGiles Lewin . [cite news |first=Matt |last=Clare |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Bellowhead @ Rescue Rooms 29/09/07 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2007/10/01/bellowhead_290907_feature.shtml |work= |publisher=BBC |date=07-10-02 |accessdate=2008-01-10 ]Discography
*"
Not to Scale " (2003)
*"K2" (2004)
*"Links" (2006)
*"To The Ground " (2008)References
External links
* [http://www.kerfuffleonline.co.uk/ Band website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/kerfufflemusic Myspace profile]
* [http://www.brightyoungfolk.com/gigs/Kerfuffle/b-gigs1.aspx Kerfuffle Tour dates]
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