"intimate, epic and overflowing with musical intelligence" The Independent

"They might not end up being the best selling all-girl British group of all time, but they're well on their way to being the most charismatic and imaginative" Paul Morley, Sunday Telegraph

"once in a blue moon type of every now and again, you hear music that is so complete, so wonderful, unique and yet familiar that it stops you in your tracks. They have that blue moon magic about them, and they have it in spades" BBC Website live review

"They are like the morning dew that hasn't steamed off yet, they are fresh and new and I really don't think they know how good they are" Robert Wyatt

Headlines July 22nd 2008

**NEWSFLASH**
The Bairns, by Rachel Unthank & the Winterset has today (July 22nd 2008) been nominated for the 2008 Nationwide Mercury Music prize.

---

USA Tour Dates Announced
We are very excited to announce news of a debut Stateside tour, which will follow the American release of The Bairns on Real World/Ryko Disc. The tour takes in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Vienna and more. There is also one date in Toronto, Canada. The tour starts on Sept 18th. For dates see here.

Commercial confusion
It was only for a couple of days, but a few weeks ago, you may have heard some of our music feature on an TV commercial for a PVC windows company. We'd like to make it clear that the production company who made the advert did not have permission from us to use the sound recording, and it has now been removed.

Glastonbury mention
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset were one of only a dozen acts mentioned (not all favourably!) in The Guardian's review of Glastonbury Festival:
"But if the heat allows some people to get away with murder, it also potentiates some genuinely fantastic music: Rachel Unthank & The Winterset's spare, stately brand of folk sound more entrancing than ever.." Alexis Petridis, The Guardian

---

The Winterset At The Electric Picnic
We are very excited to announce that Rachel Unthank & The Winterset join the bill for Ireland’s super-cool boutique festival, The Electric Picnic. Headliners include Sigur Ros, The Sex Pistols, Goldfrapp, Christy Moore, Duffy, Elbow and Tindersticks. Rachel & co will play on the Saturday.

More festival appearances announced.
New additions to our summer shows include FMM Sines (Portugal’s biggest World Music festival), Seven Songs in Saddleworth, Noordezon Festival in Holland, and as mentioned above, The Electric Picnic. These dates add to a summer of festivals that includes The Big Chill, Glastonbury Festival, Lovebox London Weekender, Summer Sundae and Belladrum, and the folk festivals of Beverley, Warwick, Dent, Leigh on Sea, Moseley and Stonehaven.

Rachel & Becky in Rogues Gallery
Remember the album released a few year ago of sea songs produced by Hal Wilner and Johnny Depp that featured the likes of Sting, Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright and Martin Carthy? Well, there are 3 Rogues Gallery concerts in July and Rachel and Becky will sing in two of them, at Grand Canal Square and The Sage Gateshead. See the tour dates page for details.

Niopha available for fiddle tutoring
Winterset member Niopha Keegan is available for one-to-one touring in the North East of England. With a lifetime of experience in traditional Irish music and a graduate from the Bmus Folk and Traditional Music degree at the University of Newcastle, Niopha can teach Irish, Scottish and English traditional music to any standard, plus classical for beginners and basic music theory. Will teach children and adults at competitive prices. Can teach from home in Newcastle or can travel to you, in and around the North East. Initial enquiries directed through Adrian. Details on the contact page.

Lyrics on the website
At last! In the sleeve notes of The Bairns, we promised to put the words from the songs on the website. We’ve had a good few enquiries asking where they are. At long last they are now on-line, here.

"The Bairns is a bewitching, dream-like, down-to-earth masterpiece." Observer Music Magazine Top 50 Albums of 2007 (number 17)

"Not just a great record but an important one; a classic in its own lifetime." Channel 4 Music Top Ten Albums of 2007

"the only new folk combo with a traditions-favouring spirit who would sound equally at home performing with Waterson:Carthy as they would Joanna Newsom" Time Out, London

Copyright Rachel Unthank & The Winterset. All rights reserved.