Joy & Struggle by Joy & Struggle

Folk songs are by virtue timeless. They have an endless capacity to twist and change as the performer chooses, whilst retaining a strong inalienable core. On their debut EP, Edinburgh trio Joy & Struggle create noise-entangled renditions of three traditional pieces, forming a sound that is brooding, alluring and enchanting.

Alasdair Kampff first came across the startlingly powerful vocals of Niamh Joyce at an open-mic, just as he had customized an electric guitar to play in pure intonation. He knew that working in tandem, these two sounds would create something unique. Attached to the fusion drumming of Alex Palmer, the band’s sound was crystallized.

On ‘Black is the Colour’, an unsettling instrumental backdrop is pierced by Joyce's impassioned vocals. Whilst the band freely play with structure and musical arrangement, she remains true to the established lyric, a Scottish lament for a love lost to the River Clyde. A stunning a capella break showcases her ability to make these words completely her own.

With ‘Queen of Hearts’, a tale of familial betrayal for love is warped into an shivering, eerie groove. A dissonant instrumental break creates a sense of mounting dread, while the vocal moves from ethereality to final despair.

The musical awareness and improvisational interplay of the trio is most strikingly exhibited on ‘I Am Stretched On Your Grave’. Joyce's voice soars above the frantic drums and grating guitar that meld into a chaotic sonic fabric.

Joy & Struggle are setting the wheels in motion with their boundary-pushing debut. Their future holds a deeper exploration of folk music, from Scotland, Ireland, America and beyond. They plan to work on original material, and will strive to build on their new, yet timeless sound.

Dead Hound Records is a (very) small DIY imprint run by Ollie Turbitt in Edinburgh, specializing in experimental digital releases, tapes, USBs and zines which expose the unsung sonic underbelly of Scotland and beyond.
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deadhoundedi@gmail.com

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