Vashti Bunyan
Encyclopedia
Vashti Bunyan is an English singer-songwriter
. In 1970, Bunyan released her first album, Just Another Diamond Day
. The album sold very few copies, and Bunyan, discouraged, abandoned her musical career. By 2000, her album had acquired a cult following; it was re-released and Bunyan recorded more songs, initiating the second phase of her musical career after a gap lasting thirty years.
author John Bunyan
, this is a claim she has herself denied. In the early 1960s, she studied at The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art
at Oxford University, but was expelled for failing to turn up to classes. At 18, she travelled to New York and discovered the music of Bob Dylan
through his The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
album and decided to become a full-time musician. Returning to London she was discovered by Rolling Stones
' manager, Andrew Loog Oldham
, and, in June 1965, under his direction, she released her first single, the Jagger
and Richards
penned "Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind
" (their own version later turning up on the outtakes compilation Metamorphosis
), on Decca Records
. Released using simply the name Vashti, it was backed with her own song "I Want to Be Alone". The single and her follow-up "Train Song", released on Columbia in May 1966, produced by Canadian Peter Snell, received little attention. Her only other performance of this time to find release was her distinctive vocal on "The Coldest Night of the Year" with Twice as Much
(which eventually turned up on their second and final LP, That's All, appearing on Oldham's Immediate Records
in 1968). After recording further songs for Immediate Records, which remain unreleased, and making a brief appearance in the 1967 documentary Tonite Let's All Make Love in London
, performing her song "Winter Is Blue", she decided to travel with her boyfriend Robert Lewis by horse and cart to the Hebridean Islands to join a commune planned by a friend, fellow folk singer Donovan
("...from South London up to the Hebrides. Initially to Skye but we carried on to the Outer Hebrides."). During the trip she began writing the songs that eventually became her first album, Just Another Diamond Day
.
During a break from her trip at Christmas 1968, she met Joe Boyd
through a friend and he offered to record an album of her travelling songs for his Witchseason Productions. A year later Vashti returned to London and recorded her first LP with assistance from Simon Nicol
and Dave Swarbrick
of Fairport Convention
, Robin Williamson
of The Incredible String Band and string arranger Robert Kirby
, today best known for his work on Nick Drake
's first two albums. The album appeared on Philips Records
to warm reviews in December 1970, but struggled to find an audience. Disappointed, she left the music industry and moved to The Incredible String Band's Glen Row cottages, then Ireland. Much of the ensuing 30 years were spent raising her three children and tending animals. In this time, entirely unknown to her, the original album slowly became one of the most sought-after records of its time. It has sold on eBay
for as much as $2000.
In 2000, Just Another Diamond Day was re-released on CD (with bonus tracks), assuring her influence over a new generation of folk artists such as Devendra Banhart
and Joanna Newsom
. In 2001, Banhart wrote to her asking for her advice, beginning her connection with many of the contemporary performers who cite her work. In 2002, she was invited by Piano Magic
musician Glen Johnson to sing guest vocals on his song "Crown of the Lost", her first recording in over 30 years. Since then, she has appeared on releases by Devendra Banhart and Animal Collective
and, in 2005, she recorded and released her second album, Lookaftering
on Fat Cat Records
, some 35 years after her first. The album was produced by composer Max Richter
and featured many of her contemporary followers including Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Adem, Kevin Barker of Currituck Co, Otto Hauser of Espers
and Adam Pierce of Mice Parade
. It was well received by critics and fans alike.
During the autumn of 2006, Bunyan assembled an ad hoc band and embarked on a brief North American tour, with performances in both Canada and the US. She performed songs from both of her solo albums, as well as some of the rare material from the unreleased Oldham sessions.
Her music reached a much wider audience when "Just Another Diamond Day" was used in a TV advert for a mobile phone company.
In 2007, she collaborated with Scottish novelist Rodge Glass on the song "The Fire" for the compilation album Ballads of the Book
. The album was devised by Roddy Woomble
of Idlewild
, as a way to combine Scottish writers with Scottish singers, though in this case Bunyan must have been included by virtue of living in Edinburgh.
October 2007 saw the release of a compilation album of her mid-1960s singles and unreleased demos recorded at the time entitled Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind - Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967
.
2007 also saw Vashti provide vocals on three songs for former Jack
frontman Anthony Reynolds
' debut solo album British Ballads. Bunyan sang with Reynolds on the songs "Country Girl", "Just So You Know" and "Song Of Leaving".
In January 2008, Vashti said she was recording a new album. "I’m supposed to be writing just now. I have one complete song and a whole lot of fragments. I’m supposed to have them finished by May and there’s no way. I’m hoping, and the plan is, I’ll be working with Andy Cabic
of Vetiver
."
In June 2008, Vashti appeared at London's Royal Festival Hall with The Heritage Orchestra as part of Massive Attack
's Meltdown
, in a live performance of Vangelis
' Blade Runner
soundtrack, singing "Rachael's Song" as sung by Mary Hopkin
on the original recorded soundtrack.
In July 2008, Reebok
used Bunyan's "Train Song" in an NFL gear advertisement. Samsung
used the same song in "Smart TV" commercials in 2011.
On 25 October 2008, Vashti Bunyan: From Here To Before, a feature documentary directed by Kieran Evans had its world premieres at the Times BFI London Film Festival
. The film retraces Bunyan’s journey across the British Isles and sets it against the backdrop of her first high-profile London concert. It uses her trip through Britain as its main narrative structure, accompanying her as she retraces her extraordinary journey. The album provides the soundtrack to that journey, just as it did the first time.
She is name-checked in the Half Man Half Biscuit
song "Totnes Bickering Fair", from the album CSI:Ambleside
.
Bunyan's cover of the late John Martyn
's "Head and Heart" will appear on an upcoming tribute album, titled "Johnny Boy Would Love This...A Tribute to John Martyn."
" for her role in inspiring the "new generation of folk experimentalists including Devendra Banhart
and Adem".
Some internet journalistic sources categorize her music as folk
, psych folk
, or new folk.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. In 1970, Bunyan released her first album, Just Another Diamond Day
Just Another Diamond Day
Just Another Diamond Day is the debut album of English singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan.In the mid to late 1960s, Bunyan was under contract to Andrew Oldham, which saw her release two singles. However, Bunyan found the experience frustrating, and decided to head for the Scottish islands in search of...
. The album sold very few copies, and Bunyan, discouraged, abandoned her musical career. By 2000, her album had acquired a cult following; it was re-released and Bunyan recorded more songs, initiating the second phase of her musical career after a gap lasting thirty years.
Biography
Vashti Bunyan was born in London in 1945 to John and Helen Bunyan. Although said to be descended from The Pilgrim's ProgressThe Pilgrim's Progress
The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come is a Christian allegory written by John Bunyan and published in February, 1678. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been...
author John Bunyan
John Bunyan
John Bunyan was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing The Pilgrim's Progress. Though he was a Reformed Baptist, in the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August, and on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church on 29 August.-Life:In 1628,...
, this is a claim she has herself denied. In the early 1960s, she studied at The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art
The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art
The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, known as The Ruskin, is an art school and research institute at the University of Oxford.Working collaboratively across two sites, the school provides undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in the study and production of visual art...
at Oxford University, but was expelled for failing to turn up to classes. At 18, she travelled to New York and discovered the music of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
through his The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in May 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin initiated the process of writing contemporary words to traditional melodies....
album and decided to become a full-time musician. Returning to London she was discovered by Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' manager, Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham is an English producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of The Rolling Stones from 1963, and was noted for his flamboyant style.-Biography:...
, and, in June 1965, under his direction, she released her first single, the Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
penned "Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind
Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind
"Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind" is a song by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, released first by the singing duo Dick and Dee Dee , who were a support act for the Stones when they first toured the U.S.A...
" (their own version later turning up on the outtakes compilation Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis (Rolling Stones album)
Metamorphosis is the third compilation album of The Rolling Stones music released by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records after the band's departure from Decca and Klein...
), on Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. Released using simply the name Vashti, it was backed with her own song "I Want to Be Alone". The single and her follow-up "Train Song", released on Columbia in May 1966, produced by Canadian Peter Snell, received little attention. Her only other performance of this time to find release was her distinctive vocal on "The Coldest Night of the Year" with Twice as Much
Twice as Much
Twice as Much was composed of David Skinner and Andrew Rose and were harmony singers who also wrote much of their own material...
(which eventually turned up on their second and final LP, That's All, appearing on Oldham's Immediate Records
Immediate Records
Immediate Records was a British record label, started in 1965 by The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham and Tony Calder and concentrating on the London-based blues and R&B scene.-History:...
in 1968). After recording further songs for Immediate Records, which remain unreleased, and making a brief appearance in the 1967 documentary Tonite Let's All Make Love in London
Tonite Let's All Make Love in London
Tonite Lets All Make Love in London. is a soundtrack album released on LP in 1968, for the 1967 semi-documentary film made by Peter Whitehead about the "swinging London" scene of the sixties...
, performing her song "Winter Is Blue", she decided to travel with her boyfriend Robert Lewis by horse and cart to the Hebridean Islands to join a commune planned by a friend, fellow folk singer Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
("...from South London up to the Hebrides. Initially to Skye but we carried on to the Outer Hebrides."). During the trip she began writing the songs that eventually became her first album, Just Another Diamond Day
Just Another Diamond Day
Just Another Diamond Day is the debut album of English singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan.In the mid to late 1960s, Bunyan was under contract to Andrew Oldham, which saw her release two singles. However, Bunyan found the experience frustrating, and decided to head for the Scottish islands in search of...
.
During a break from her trip at Christmas 1968, she met Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd
Joe Boyd is an American record producer and former owner of the Witchseason production company. Boyd was instrumental in launching the careers of Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band.-Career:...
through a friend and he offered to record an album of her travelling songs for his Witchseason Productions. A year later Vashti returned to London and recorded her first LP with assistance from Simon Nicol
Simon Nicol
Simon John Breckenridge Nicol is a guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founder member of British folk rock, or electric folk group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the band...
and Dave Swarbrick
Dave Swarbrick
Dave Swarbrick is an English folk musician and singer-songwriter. He has been described by Ashley Hutchings as 'the most influential [British] fiddle player bar none' and his style has been copied or developed by almost every British, and many World folk violin players that have followed him...
of Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
, Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, songwriter and storyteller, who first made his name as a founder member of The Incredible String Band.-Career:...
of The Incredible String Band and string arranger Robert Kirby
Robert Kirby
Robert Kirby was a British born arranger of string sections for rock and folk music. He is best known for his work on the Nick Drake albums, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, but has also worked with Elton John, Ralph McTell, Strawbs, Paul Weller and Elvis Costello.-At Cambridge:Patrick...
, today best known for his work on Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
's first two albums. The album appeared on Philips Records
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
to warm reviews in December 1970, but struggled to find an audience. Disappointed, she left the music industry and moved to The Incredible String Band's Glen Row cottages, then Ireland. Much of the ensuing 30 years were spent raising her three children and tending animals. In this time, entirely unknown to her, the original album slowly became one of the most sought-after records of its time. It has sold on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for as much as $2000.
In 2000, Just Another Diamond Day was re-released on CD (with bonus tracks), assuring her influence over a new generation of folk artists such as Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
and Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
. In 2001, Banhart wrote to her asking for her advice, beginning her connection with many of the contemporary performers who cite her work. In 2002, she was invited by Piano Magic
Piano Magic
Piano Magic is a musical collective formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their sound has been described as ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica, coldwave, dark wave and ghostrock...
musician Glen Johnson to sing guest vocals on his song "Crown of the Lost", her first recording in over 30 years. Since then, she has appeared on releases by Devendra Banhart and Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
and, in 2005, she recorded and released her second album, Lookaftering
Lookaftering
Lookaftering is the second album by Vashti Bunyan, the much-delayed follow-up to 1970's Just Another Diamond Day, released in 2005 on Fat Cat Records.-Track listing:All songs by Vashti Bunyan.# "Lately" – 2:21# "Here Before" – 2:05...
on Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records is an independent label based in Brighton on England’s South Coast. Their output includes electronica, post rock, indie, downtempo, minimal techno, noise and punk-pop...
, some 35 years after her first. The album was produced by composer Max Richter
Max Richter (Composer)
Max Richter is a German-born British composer.-Biography:Richter studied composition and piano at University of Edinburgh, the Royal Academy of Music and with Luciano Berio in Florence. After finishing his studies, Richter co-founded the contemporary classical ensemble Piano Circus...
and featured many of her contemporary followers including Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Adem, Kevin Barker of Currituck Co, Otto Hauser of Espers
Espers (band)
Espers is a psych folk band from Philadelphia that is part of the emerging indie folk scene. They formed in 2002 as a trio of singer-songwriter Greg Weeks, Meg Baird and Brooke Sietinsons but later expanded to a sextet including Otto Hauser, Helena Espvall and Chris Smith...
and Adam Pierce of Mice Parade
Mice Parade
Mice Parade is an indie/shoegaze band from New York City led by percussionist Adam Pierce. Mice Parade's albums were all initially released on Pierce's record label, Bubble Core Records and Fat Cat Records...
. It was well received by critics and fans alike.
During the autumn of 2006, Bunyan assembled an ad hoc band and embarked on a brief North American tour, with performances in both Canada and the US. She performed songs from both of her solo albums, as well as some of the rare material from the unreleased Oldham sessions.
Her music reached a much wider audience when "Just Another Diamond Day" was used in a TV advert for a mobile phone company.
In 2007, she collaborated with Scottish novelist Rodge Glass on the song "The Fire" for the compilation album Ballads of the Book
Ballads of the Book
Ballads of the Book is a studio album, released on 5 March 2007, on Chemikal Underground. The project was curated by Roddy Woomble, and features collaborations between Scottish musicians and Scottish writers. The album is considered a "joint effort" by all those involved...
. The album was devised by Roddy Woomble
Roddy Woomble
Roderick "Roddy" Woomble is the lead singer of Scottish rock band, Idlewild and a solo contemporary folk musician. To date, Woomble has released six full-length studio albums with Idlewild, and two solo albums, My Secret is My Silence and The Impossible Song & Other Songs...
of Idlewild
Idlewild (band)
Idlewild are a Scottish rock band, formed in Edinburgh, in 1995, comprising Roddy Woomble , Rod Jones , Colin Newton , Allan Stewart and Gareth Russell...
, as a way to combine Scottish writers with Scottish singers, though in this case Bunyan must have been included by virtue of living in Edinburgh.
October 2007 saw the release of a compilation album of her mid-1960s singles and unreleased demos recorded at the time entitled Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind - Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967
Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind - Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967
Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind - Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967 is a compilation album by Vashti Bunyan collecting her mid-Sixties singles cuts with unreleased demos recorded at the time. Disc two features her recently rediscovered first studio demo session from 1964 in its entirety...
.
2007 also saw Vashti provide vocals on three songs for former Jack
Jack (band)
Jack were a British alternative rock band formed in Cardiff, Wales, in 1992. Their orchestral pop was heavily influenced by artists such as Scott Walker and drew comparisons to Pulp, Tindersticks and The Divine Comedy...
frontman Anthony Reynolds
Anthony Reynolds
Anthony Reynolds is a Welsh musician. He has worked as a solo artist, and also in collaboration with others in his bands Jack and Jacques.-Jack:...
' debut solo album British Ballads. Bunyan sang with Reynolds on the songs "Country Girl", "Just So You Know" and "Song Of Leaving".
In January 2008, Vashti said she was recording a new album. "I’m supposed to be writing just now. I have one complete song and a whole lot of fragments. I’m supposed to have them finished by May and there’s no way. I’m hoping, and the plan is, I’ll be working with Andy Cabic
Andy Cabic
Andy Cabic is a folk rock singer-songwriter, and lead member of the band Vetiver.He was born in Virginia and attended school at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where he played in a band called The Raymond Brake...
of Vetiver
Vetiver (band)
Vetiver are an American folk band headed by songwriter Andy Cabic.- History :Cabic was a member of the Greensboro, North Carolina indie rock band The Raymond Brake who released some records on the now defunct Simple Machines label. He formed Vetiver after moving to San Francisco. The band...
."
In June 2008, Vashti appeared at London's Royal Festival Hall with The Heritage Orchestra as part of Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
's Meltdown
Meltdown (festival)
Meltdown is an annual, English festival, held in London, featuring a mix of music, art, performance and film. Meltdown is held in June at Southbank Centre, the arts complex covering and including the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward...
, in a live performance of Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
' Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
soundtrack, singing "Rachael's Song" as sung by Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
on the original recorded soundtrack.
In July 2008, Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
used Bunyan's "Train Song" in an NFL gear advertisement. Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
used the same song in "Smart TV" commercials in 2011.
On 25 October 2008, Vashti Bunyan: From Here To Before, a feature documentary directed by Kieran Evans had its world premieres at the Times BFI London Film Festival
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
. The film retraces Bunyan’s journey across the British Isles and sets it against the backdrop of her first high-profile London concert. It uses her trip through Britain as its main narrative structure, accompanying her as she retraces her extraordinary journey. The album provides the soundtrack to that journey, just as it did the first time.
She is name-checked in the Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
song "Totnes Bickering Fair", from the album CSI:Ambleside
CSI:Ambleside
CSI:Ambleside is the eleventh album by UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit, released in April 2008.The "CSI" in the title is a reference to the CSI franchise, whilst Ambleside is a small town in northern England.-Track listing:...
.
Bunyan's cover of the late John Martyn
John Martyn
John Martyn, OBE , born Iain David McGeachy, was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. Over a forty-year career he released twenty studio albums, working with artists such as Eric Clapton and David Gilmour...
's "Head and Heart" will appear on an upcoming tribute album, titled "Johnny Boy Would Love This...A Tribute to John Martyn."
Critical reception
Bunyan has been labelled "the Godmother of Freak FolkFreak folk
Freak folk is a genre of folk music associated with contemporary artists such as Faun Fables, Animal Collective, Davenport, Devendra Banhart,CocoRosie, Panda Bear, Kelli Ali, Joanna Newsom, Bowerbirds, Woods, Greg Weeks, Hecuba, Akron/Family, Rio en Medio, Birdengine, Sufjan Stevens, Sean Hayes,...
" for her role in inspiring the "new generation of folk experimentalists including Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
and Adem".
Some internet journalistic sources categorize her music as folk
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....
, psych folk
Psych folk
Psychedelic folk or psych folk is a loosely defined form of psychedelic music that originated in the 1960s through the fusion of folk music and psychedelic rock...
, or new folk.
Studio albums
- Just Another Diamond DayJust Another Diamond DayJust Another Diamond Day is the debut album of English singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan.In the mid to late 1960s, Bunyan was under contract to Andrew Oldham, which saw her release two singles. However, Bunyan found the experience frustrating, and decided to head for the Scottish islands in search of...
(PhilipsPhilips RecordsPhilips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
1970) - LookafteringLookafteringLookaftering is the second album by Vashti Bunyan, the much-delayed follow-up to 1970's Just Another Diamond Day, released in 2005 on Fat Cat Records.-Track listing:All songs by Vashti Bunyan.# "Lately" – 2:21# "Here Before" – 2:05...
(Fat Cat RecordsFat Cat RecordsFat Cat Records is an independent label based in Brighton on England’s South Coast. Their output includes electronica, post rock, indie, downtempo, minimal techno, noise and punk-pop...
2005)
Compilations
- Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind – Singles and Demos 1964 to 1967 (Fat Cat RecordsFat Cat RecordsFat Cat Records is an independent label based in Brighton on England’s South Coast. Their output includes electronica, post rock, indie, downtempo, minimal techno, noise and punk-pop...
/Spinney Records 2007)
Singles
- "Some Things Just Stick in Your MindSome Things Just Stick in Your Mind"Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind" is a song by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, released first by the singing duo Dick and Dee Dee , who were a support act for the Stones when they first toured the U.S.A...
" / "I Want To Be Alone" (Decca, 1965) (as Vashti) - "Train Song" / "Love Song" (Columbia (EMI), 1966) (as Vashti)
Compilation appearances
- Tonite Let's All Make Love in LondonTonite Let's All Make Love in LondonTonite Lets All Make Love in London. is a soundtrack album released on LP in 1968, for the 1967 semi-documentary film made by Peter Whitehead about the "swinging London" scene of the sixties...
(1967)- "Winter Is Blue" (as Vashti)
- "Winter Is Blue (Reprise)" (as Vashti)
- Circus Days - UK Psychedelic Obscurities 1966-70 Vol.1 (1990)
- "I'd Like To Walk Around In Your Mind" (as Vashti)
- A Pot By Any Other Name (2001) (Ptolemaic TerrascopePtolemaic TerrascopePtolemaic Terrascope is a magazine covering old and new music, usually of a psychedelic nature. It has been published irregularly since 1989...
compilation)- "17 Pink Sugar Elephants" (rec. 1966) (early variation of "Train Song")
- Instant Karma (2002)
- "Winter Is Blue" (as Vashti) (combined version of song from Tonite Let's All Make Love in London)
- Folk Rock and Faithfull: Dream Babes Vol. 5 (2004)
- "Train Song" (rec. 1966) (as Vashti)
- "Love Song" (rec. 1966) (as Vashti)
- The Golden Apples of the SunThe Golden Apples of the Sun (album)The Golden Apples of the Sun is a limited edition compilation of contemporary folk music curated by musician Devendra Banhart for the art magazine Arthur Magazine. The title comes from a Ray Bradbury short story...
(2004)- "Rejoicing in the Hands" (with Devendra BanhartDevendra BanhartDevendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
)
- "Rejoicing in the Hands" (with Devendra Banhart
- The Enlightened Family: A Collection Of Lost Songs (2005)
- "Song of a Wishwanderer" (rec. 1968)
- Not Alone (2006)
- "Same But Different"
- Ballads of the BookBallads of the BookBallads of the Book is a studio album, released on 5 March 2007, on Chemikal Underground. The project was curated by Roddy Woomble, and features collaborations between Scottish musicians and Scottish writers. The album is considered a "joint effort" by all those involved...
(2007)- "The Fire" (lyrics by Rodge Glass)
- ReebokReebokReebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
Join the Migration Campaign (2008)- "Train Song"
- Gather In The Mushrooms - The British Acid-Folk Underground 1968 - 1974 (2004)
- "Winter Is Blue"
Guest appearances
- Twice as MuchTwice as MuchTwice as Much was composed of David Skinner and Andrew Rose and were harmony singers who also wrote much of their own material...
- That's All (1970)- "Coldest Night of the Year" (rec. 1967)
- Piano MagicPiano MagicPiano Magic is a musical collective formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their sound has been described as ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica, coldwave, dark wave and ghostrock...
- Writers Without Homes (2002)- "Crown of the Lost"
- Piano MagicPiano MagicPiano Magic is a musical collective formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their sound has been described as ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica, coldwave, dark wave and ghostrock...
- Saint Marie EP (2004)- "Dark Ages"
- Devendra BanhartDevendra BanhartDevendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
- Rejoicing in the HandsRejoicing in the HandsRejoicing in the Hands is the third studio album from psych folk musician Devendra Banhart and the second full release for the label Young God...
(2004)- "Rejoicing in the Hands"
- Animal CollectiveAnimal CollectiveAnimal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
- Prospect Hummer (2005)- "It's You"
- "Prospect Hummer"
- "I Remember Learning How to Dive"
- VetiverVetiverChrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver , is a perennial grass of the Poaceae family, native to India. In western and northern India, it is popularly known as khus. Vetiver can grow up to 1.5 metres high and form clumps as wide. The stems are tall and the leaves are long, thin, and...
- "Thing of the PastThing Of The PastThing of the Past is the third studio album by Andy Cabic's San-Francisco-based band Vetiver.The album consists of cover songs originally performed by songwriters Andy Cabic considers influential in his music & life. Several of the original authors appear as guests on their respective songs,...
" (2008)- "Sleep a Million Years"
- Dudley BensonDudley BensonDudley Benson is a composer, producer and performer from Aotearoa, New Zealand. To date he has released two albums , three EPs, and performed two nationwide New Zealand tours As an eleven-year old boy he was the soloist of the Christchurch Cathedral choir, and it has been noted that this period...
- "Forest: Songs by Hirini Melbourne" (2010)- "Tui"
Legacy
- Her voice was heard on Saint Etienne Presents Finisterre (2005), a documentary about London featuring the music of the band Saint EtienneSaint Etienne (band)Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
. - "Diamond Day" has been featured in a TV advertisement for T-Mobile, a mobile phone company.
- Friend, fellow folk singer and longtime fan Devendra BanhartDevendra BanhartDevendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
reportedly writes her name on his arm before some concerts. - LushLush (band)Lush were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1987 and disbanded in 1998. They were one of the first bands to attract the "shoegazing" label...
covered her song "I'd Like To Walk Around In Your Mind". They got to know it from the "Circus Days" compilation. - In July 2008, ReebokReebokReebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
launched an advertising campaign featuring "Train Song". - On 25 October 2008, Vashti Bunyan: From Here To Before, a feature documentary directed by Kieran Evans, premiered at the Times BFI London Film Festival.
- A cover of "Train Song" performed by Ben GibbardBen GibbardBenjamin "Ben" Gibbard is an American musician known as a member of several successful indie rock bands. He is the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, and is also known for his project ¡All-Time Quarterback! and his first band, Pinwheel.-Personal life and career:Gibbard was...
and Feist appeared on Dark Was The NightDark Was the NightDark Was the Night is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS...
, a charity compilation benefiting HIV/AIDS awareness and the Red Hot OrganizationRed Hot OrganizationRed Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
. It was released by 4AD4AD4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
on February 17, 2009. - Diamond Day was featured in the popular UK teen comedy/drama SkinsSkins (TV series)Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
on the third series, episode six entitled "Naomi". - Her song Here Before was recently covered by the Swedish artist Fever Ray.
- Here Before also featured in the soundtrack for the BBC production Heist, about a medieval burglary.
- Train song was selected as the background music for Samsung's SMART TV Commercial.
- Vashti's important link to the back-to-the-land counterculture of the 1970s and the insightful expressions of 'nature' in her work have been discussed in an academic paper in 2009 by Geographer Keith Halfacree (‘"Glow worms show the path we have to tread": the counterurbanisation of Vashti Bunyan’, Social and Cultural Geography 10: 771-789).
External links
- anotherday.co.uk Official website
- Myspace
- www.terrascope.co.uk Ptolemaic Terrascope article March 2001 (pdf)
- Interview at Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
(October 24, 2005) - Interview at Perfect Sound ForeverPerfect Sound Forever (magazine)Perfect Sound Forever is one of the longest-running online-only music magazines . Along with Michael Goldberg's Addicted to Noise Perfect Sound Forever (est. 1995) is one of the longest-running online-only music magazines . Along with Michael Goldberg's Addicted to Noise Perfect Sound Forever...
(March 2005) - Interview at Tiny Mix TapesTiny Mix TapesTiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
(February 2008) - 'The guitar came to life in my hands' at The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
(September 16, 2005) - 'Flash-forward' - interview - The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
(September 18, 2005) - Interview at Kevchino(October 31, 2007)
- Interview at New York Press(2006)
- Interview at NPR Music(2008)