THE UNTHANKS | LIVE PREVIEW
Tramshed, Cardiff, Sat 29 Apr
In the 1950s, home recordings of poems and songs from an upper-middle class housewife were made that were only supposed to be heard by, at most, family and friends. These probably would have not been unearthed and released to the public if not for the fact that the woman was Molly Drake, mother of the extraordinary singer and songwriter Nick Drake.
Yet don’t be fooled that Molly Drake should ride on the coattails of her son. Her work rightly stands on its own, but sadly, is only posthumously now known to a wider audience as was Nick’s. Molly died over 20 years ago, aged 77; it’s not known whether she would have wanted such deeply personal thoughts to be in the public domain, but how lucky we are that these exquisite gems are ours to hear.
Most of the recordings were released on a self-titled album in 2013, but now the Mercury Prize-nominated folk group The Unthanks are releasing their own interpretations on Diversions Vol. 4 – The Unthanks Perform The Songs And Poems Of Molly Drake and on an additional eight-song volume of extras of her work (vinyl and CD) in May. The Tyneside-born-and-bred sister duo (plus) of Rachel and Becky Unthank are big fans of musician Nick, having sung his tunes, and couldn’t resist joining forces with his sister and Molly’s daughter, actress Gabrielle Drake, to share her mother’s works with a wider audience. The Unthanks say:
“Hearing a woman, a mother, from that time, expressing the struggle between darkness and light, so beautifully, with such artistry, confidently, and yet kind of from behind closed doors, is as compelling a listen as we’ve ever experienced. We hope that her soft, sensual, radiant artistry reaches out to you as it has us. Or if you were previously familiar, we hope to confirm at least, that while they may have been folded into the charming musical vernaculars of the time, the quality of Molly Drake’s songs is independent and quite singular.”
This year’s spring UK and Ireland tour, How The Wild Wind Blows, will have the group performing Molly’s works in a living room set onstage, accompanied by an audio-visual show featuring Molly Drake on film and poetry pre-recorded by Gabrielle. The encore will be especially bittersweet, bringing more of this hugely talented family to the fore. This is a chance to hear real and rare singing full of despair and melancholy but of hope and joy, too, that will shatter your heart and yes, make you cry. Don’t be afraid to feel and don’t miss The Unthanks’ tribute to a woman who wasn’t, either.
Tickets: £22/£20 adv. Info: 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com
words RHONDA LEE REALI