TABITHA BENEDICT MUSIC
Cup O'Joe
Cup O’Joe is a close family trio who have been playing together from their early teens. They were raised in the traditions of bluegrass and folk and it is these traditions that their music is rooted in. They blend the intricate tones of bluegrass, folk and jazz to tones to create their own progressive acoustic sound. Their mix of original and re-imagined traditional songs sets the ingredients for an energetic and enthusiastic performance, and this is giving them a growing presence on the surrounding acoustic music scene in Ireland, the UK and Mainland Europe.
The former Radio 2 Young Folk Award Finalists have toured extensively through Ireland, England and Central Europe over the years. In 2017 they were selected to take part in the Bluegrass Ramble at the International Bluegrass Associations week-long conference and festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, being one of the first International bands to do so.
The Foreign Landers
The Foreign Landers is a duo hailing from opposite sides of the Atlantic united by their love of bluegrass and traditional folk music and their love for each other. Together they combine the musical styles of their respective homelands, along with their instrumental prowess and haunting vocals to create something new.
It was more than unlikely circumstances that brought these two together. David Benedict grew up in South Carolina playing with the only Celtic folk band in town, while Tabitha Agnew was perhaps the only 12 year-old in Northern Ireland who started playing the 5-string banjo after a chance hearing of an Alison Krauss & Union Station record. Ironically, it took each a while to discover the traditional music of their own countries, but they eventually came around. Both excelled at their instruments and found themselves playing with some of the most promising young acoustic bands on the scene today—David with the Boston-band Mile Twelve and Tabitha with both Cup O’Joe and Midnight Skyracer from the UK. With such unique common threads, there was an instant connection when Tabitha and David finally met.
Now married and based in the States, the Benedicts are finally making music on their own. Their debut EP Put All Your Troubles Away marks the first chapter in their journey together, and this adventurous recording will take you along with them to uncharted musical territories.
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Midnight Skyracer
Since forming in 2017, the Anglo-Irish all-female quintet have become festival sensations across the UK, Europe and Australasia, toured regularly at home and released a critically-lauded debut album. They also carry the distinction of being the first British act nominated for an award by the International Bluegrass Music Association.
Their all star lineup boasts Leanne Thorose, with her powerhouse vocals and driving mandolin; the virtuoso banjo playing and delicate vocals of Tabitha Benedict; Eleanor Wilkie and her rock solid bass grooves; the versatile Laura Carrivick, equally adept on both fiddle and dobro; and the lightning guitar playing of Charlotte Carrivick. Not only are they all masters of their respective instruments, but the vocal harmonies shared between the five women are second to none.
Following the release of Fire in February 2018, the band are set to release a follow up album this Summer on Island Records. Shadows On the Moon, recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Wiltshire, is a scintillating mix of hard-driven bluegrass and mountain balladry, both edgy and infectious, tender and tough.