Hill Of Thieves
Encyclopedia
Hill of Thieves is the fourth solo album by Irish folk
singer Cara Dillon
. It is her first full-length release on Charcoal Records, her own record label, formed in 2008. The album was recorded in 2008 and first became available in October 2008 at her live concerts. It is also the first release since she gave birth to twin boys Noah and Colm at 26 weeks, after going into labour onstage at the Swindon Arts Centre, UK. It has been the most successful of her first four albums in relation to chart performance, entering at No. 7 in the UK Indie Album Charts (see below for more.)
The album marks a return to a purer traditional production and arrangement style, with a significant absence of drums, electric guitar and bass, backing vocals & harmonies, and notably only one original composition. It features a range of guest musicians from the folk music
scene, including Seth Lakeman
and brother Sean, Brian Finnegan of Flook, Zoe Conway, Eamon Murray of Beoga, and John Smith. The album also features Dillon's core live band, comprising Sam Lakeman
, Ed Boyd, and James O'Grady.
Many of the tracks released on this album had already become part of Dillon's live setlist between 2006 and 2008. "She Moved Through The Fair" first was performed on Dillon's After The Morning Tour (2006), and following the change in the live band line-up in 2007, "P Stands For Paddy" became another constant of the live sets. As well as this, "Spencer The Rover" and "False, False" were familiar songs from Dillon's 2001/2002 live set, which included Seth Lakeman on tenor guitar, violin, and backing vocals. Dillon first performed the title track, "The Hill of Thieves" in Brian Finnegan's The Singing Tree at the Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, as part of Celtic Connections
2008.
took a career break to adapt to their new roles as parents. Dillon states that with her children being the main priority, everything else took a back seat, and when they did return to making music, she wanted to record an album in the style of those albums that had comforted her during this troubled time, and these were albums she had grown up listening to, by Irish folk legends such as The Bothy Band, Planxty and Dolores Keane. She also wanted to reassert her artistic authority and freedom after deciding not to renew her contract with Rough Trade records and form Charcoal Records with husband, Sam Lakeman.
Dillon made two HMV in-store appearances (Grafton Street, Dublin on 24 January and Donegal Arcade, Belfast on 26 January). HMV also supported the album through a promotional offer of a limited edition slipcase of the album and had window displays of the album for the week of release. A TV commercial aired on Irish and British national television for the week of the album's release, featuring Dillon singing "Lament For Johnny" on a stage in an empty concert hall and "The Parting Glass" in a dimly lit cafe. The commercial was then uploaded to Dillon's YouTube channel for worldwide viewing. The official website online store offered 500 limited edition signed slipcases with the album.
As part of the promotional campaign, Dillon recorded a live session with Bob Harris on Radio 2 (17 January), and was also interviewed by Mike Harding on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday 28 January. BBC Radio Ulster's Folk Club programme with Colum Sands
aired the Glasgow launch concert in the Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 24 January.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon is an Irish folk singer. In 2001, she launched her career as a solo artist in the UK with the eponymous Cara Dillon album...
. It is her first full-length release on Charcoal Records, her own record label, formed in 2008. The album was recorded in 2008 and first became available in October 2008 at her live concerts. It is also the first release since she gave birth to twin boys Noah and Colm at 26 weeks, after going into labour onstage at the Swindon Arts Centre, UK. It has been the most successful of her first four albums in relation to chart performance, entering at No. 7 in the UK Indie Album Charts (see below for more.)
The album marks a return to a purer traditional production and arrangement style, with a significant absence of drums, electric guitar and bass, backing vocals & harmonies, and notably only one original composition. It features a range of guest musicians from the folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
scene, including Seth Lakeman
Seth Lakeman
Seth Bernard Lakeman is an English folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, who is most often associated with the fiddle and tenor guitar, but has also mastered the viola and banjo...
and brother Sean, Brian Finnegan of Flook, Zoe Conway, Eamon Murray of Beoga, and John Smith. The album also features Dillon's core live band, comprising Sam Lakeman
Sam Lakeman
Samuel Charles Lakeman is an English musician, songwriter, and producer and co-owner of Charcoal Records.-Biography:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon, with his brothers, fellow musicians Seth Lakeman and Sean Lakeman...
, Ed Boyd, and James O'Grady.
Many of the tracks released on this album had already become part of Dillon's live setlist between 2006 and 2008. "She Moved Through The Fair" first was performed on Dillon's After The Morning Tour (2006), and following the change in the live band line-up in 2007, "P Stands For Paddy" became another constant of the live sets. As well as this, "Spencer The Rover" and "False, False" were familiar songs from Dillon's 2001/2002 live set, which included Seth Lakeman on tenor guitar, violin, and backing vocals. Dillon first performed the title track, "The Hill of Thieves" in Brian Finnegan's The Singing Tree at the Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, as part of Celtic Connections
Celtic Connections
The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of traditional Scottish music and also features international...
2008.
Background
Following the birth of her twin boys Colm and Noah Lakeman at 26 weeks and several months of uncertainty of their survival, Dillon and Sam LakemanSam Lakeman
Samuel Charles Lakeman is an English musician, songwriter, and producer and co-owner of Charcoal Records.-Biography:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon, with his brothers, fellow musicians Seth Lakeman and Sean Lakeman...
took a career break to adapt to their new roles as parents. Dillon states that with her children being the main priority, everything else took a back seat, and when they did return to making music, she wanted to record an album in the style of those albums that had comforted her during this troubled time, and these were albums she had grown up listening to, by Irish folk legends such as The Bothy Band, Planxty and Dolores Keane. She also wanted to reassert her artistic authority and freedom after deciding not to renew her contract with Rough Trade records and form Charcoal Records with husband, Sam Lakeman.
Promotion & Marketing
Hill of Thieves was launched at three separate concerts in January 2009: The Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow (16 January), Black Box, Belfast (25 January) and Gibson Guitar Rooms, London (29 January). The latter performance was for industry and press representatives, but fans were given the opportunity to attend through a promotional competition on PLAY.com.Dillon made two HMV in-store appearances (Grafton Street, Dublin on 24 January and Donegal Arcade, Belfast on 26 January). HMV also supported the album through a promotional offer of a limited edition slipcase of the album and had window displays of the album for the week of release. A TV commercial aired on Irish and British national television for the week of the album's release, featuring Dillon singing "Lament For Johnny" on a stage in an empty concert hall and "The Parting Glass" in a dimly lit cafe. The commercial was then uploaded to Dillon's YouTube channel for worldwide viewing. The official website online store offered 500 limited edition signed slipcases with the album.
As part of the promotional campaign, Dillon recorded a live session with Bob Harris on Radio 2 (17 January), and was also interviewed by Mike Harding on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday 28 January. BBC Radio Ulster's Folk Club programme with Colum Sands
Colum Sands (Irish songwriter)
Colum Sands is an Irish singer songwriter who made his first performances and recordings with The Sands Family of County Down. Between his extensive solo appearances he continues to record and perform with his brothers Tommy and Ben and his sister Anne in the family band.Following appearances...
aired the Glasgow launch concert in the Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 24 January.
Track listing
Musicians
- Cara Dillon - vocals (all tracks); whistle (track 7)
- Sam LakemanSam LakemanSamuel Charles Lakeman is an English musician, songwriter, and producer and co-owner of Charcoal Records.-Biography:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon, with his brothers, fellow musicians Seth Lakeman and Sean Lakeman...
- guitar (tracks 1,2,4,6,8,10); piano (tracks 3,4,5,7,9,10); bodhran (track 8); percussion (tracks 1,4,8) - James O'Grady - Uilleann Pipes (tracks 1,2,6,8,); Low Whistle (track 7)
- Ben Nicholls - double bass (tracks 1,4,5,7,10)
- Zoe Conway - fiddle (tracks 2,5,8,10)
- Eamon Murray - bodhran (tracks 1,2,8,10)
- Brian Finnegan - Whistle (tracks 1,6)
- Seth LakemanSeth LakemanSeth Bernard Lakeman is an English folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, who is most often associated with the fiddle and tenor guitar, but has also mastered the viola and banjo...
- vocals, tenor guitar, fiddle (track 4) - John Smith - guitar (tracks 1,8); mandola (track 6)
- Sean LakemanSean LakemanSean Lakeman , is an English folk musician and producer.-Early life:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon with his brothers, fellow folk musicians Seth Lakeman and Sam Lakeman...
- guitar (track 1) - James Fagan - bouzouki-guitar (tracks 2,8,10)
- Ed Boyd - guitar (track 8)
Production
- Sam LakemanSam LakemanSamuel Charles Lakeman is an English musician, songwriter, and producer and co-owner of Charcoal Records.-Biography:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon, with his brothers, fellow musicians Seth Lakeman and Sean Lakeman...
- producer, engineer, mixing, photographer - Richard Evans - mixing
- Tony Cousins - mastering
- Rory Jay Willis - illustration
- Florian Zumfelde - artwork & design
Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
93 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
69 |
| UK Indie Albums Chart | 7 |
| iTunes Folk Chart ITunes iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.... |
1 |
| Amazon World & Folk Chart Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and... |
1 |