Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
I start with those wonderful lyrics from that traditional folk song “Scarborough Fair” because this new single took me there in my mind, and that is not a bad thing at all. I think it was the little musical breaks between the verses that were rather lovely.
The single runs in at 4:41, and tells me
“You had to go to Felixstowe.”
The sadness that was there in the eyes of the listener betrays that there was a need to sail away. Folk music, and country, are musical genres that look toward the narrative story in the lyrics, and that is certainly true here. The song plays us out with the cry of seagulls, the horn from the ferry and the readiness of the departure; the drums suddenly rise in the mix like the heartbeat of leaving.
I sometimes get asked how to make it today in a saturated music scene where artists seem to be streaming their music from the back bedroom and the margins for the labels are getting tighter. I say talent helps, without that, you get nowhere. However, you also need bloody hard work, you need to get out there, meet audiences, and release varied tracks that your home market will stream and new listeners will gravitate to. Ervin is one of those artists who has the ability to consistently write high quality folk songs rooted in the traditions of his region. The increasing number of people connecting with him, subscribing to his music and enjoying what he does is a testament to that effort.
I would suggest that if you love folk music with that touch of lament and love of the story, then make the effort to stream this one.
I placed the link here.
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by Lorraine Foley