Mercurial Talent (From Stroud News and Journal)

Mercurial Talent

MERCURY Music Prize nominee Seth Lakeman is coming to Stroud this weekend to promote his new album Freedom Fields.

Lakeman, whose album Kitty Jay was one of the 12 finalists in the 2005 Mercury competition, will not only be performing at Stroud's Subscription Rooms but also performing a quick acoustic set and signing CDs at Kane's Records on Friday, March 24.

Lakeman is supporting Billy Bragg on tour this spring and will be performing at on the festival circuit at V Festival, Beautiful Days, T in the Park and Cheltenham's Wychwood Festival.

Seth's punchy four-string tenor guitar -playing and bow-shredding violin style has won him other accolades: nominated in the past two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Folksinger of the Year, Best Newcomer and Best Original Track.

Those who have heard Seth on Radio 1 and Radio 2 or seen him on their national TV screens may be forgiven for thinking he is a new star who has, like many singer-songwriters, just emerged from his back bedroom.

But this modest west country musician, coming from a family deep-rooted in tradition, has been working earnestly at his music since he was a tousle-haired schoolboy.

He began playing violin at the age of five and was gigging before his teens.

With the new Freedom Fields CD the power of Seth's brooding songwriting, combined with his electrifying live shows, confirm him as one of Britain's hottest underground artists - who is rapidly reaching a mainstream audience.

He appears at the Subscription Rooms at 8pm on Friday with support act Dan Donnelly and will be signing CDs at Kane's Records at 5pm the same day.