Seth_Lakeman

Seth Lakeman

Seth Bernard Lakeman (born March 26, 1977 in Yelverton, Devon) is an English folk singer, songwriter, and musician.

Career

Seth Lakeman began playing music with his parents and two brothers Sean and Sam at an early age.

As The Lakeman Brothers, the three brothers released their critically acclaimed debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Later that same year they were invited by two Yorkshire based singers Kathryn Roberts and Kate Rusby to join them as a backing group on a tour of Portugal. After the tour the five musicians became a permanent group and called themselves Equation. The group swiftly garnered much praise and hype and signed a record deal with Time Warner in 1995. After 3 full albums ('Return to me' - 1996, 'Hazy Daze' - 1998, 'The Lucky Few' - 2000), and touring around the UK, Europe and the USA, Lakeman left Equation in 2001. He joined his brother Sam and Sam's wife Cara Dillon to record Dillon's acclaimed, self titled debut album, which featured Seth on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The album won two awards at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including Best Traditional Track for "Black is the Colour" which Lakeman helped arrange. Cara and the brothers also won the Hot Press award for the Best Roots Act and the Big Buzz award for the Best Traditional Act.

In 2002 Lakeman released his first solo album, The Punch Bowl, which received wide critical acclaim including a review in fRoots magazine which said: "The songs don't just glide smoothly by.....they get their claws into you".

Kitty Jay, Lakeman's second solo album was released in 2004. The title track of the album tells the story of Jay's Grave, a well known location on Dartmoor. The album was recorded for a cost of less than £300. That same year he collaborated with Devon singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and young local singer Jenna Witts on the album Western Approaches.

A sell out UK tour in Autumn 2005 followed his Mercury Music Prize nomination, after which Lakeman and his band (regularly brother Sean (guitar), Ben Nichols (bass), Andy Tween (drums), toured extensively with folk-rock giants The Levellers, who took to closing their set with a "fiddle off" between Lakeman and Levellers' fiddler Jon Sevink. Other support tours with Billy Bragg and Jools Holland brought Lakeman's music to a wider audience.

In March 2006 Lakeman began a UK tour in order to promote his new album Freedom Fields which was released on iScream. He then changed to a major record company called Relentless and released his new single Lady of the Sea in early August 2006.

In 2007, he played at the SXSW festival in Texas, Hyde Park Calling, the Glastonbury Festival, The V Festival, WOMAD Charlton Park in Wiltshire, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, the Cornbury Music Festival, Fairport's Cropredy Convention, the Towersey Village Festival and provided support for Tori Amos on her European tour. On 18 April 2008, Lakeman appeared on stage with Jethro Tull on their 40th anniversary tour at Colston Hall in Bristol before the start of his own UK tour later that month and going on to tour the festival circuit throughout the summer. His fourth album, Poor Man's Heaven was released on 30 June 2008. It includes Solomon Browne, a tribute to the courage of the men who lost their lives in the Penlee lifeboat disaster.

Awards

In July 2005 Lakeman was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for Kitty Jay.
On 5 February 2007 Lakeman won 'Singer of the Year' and 'Best Album' awards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards

Style of music

Seth Lakeman's primary musical instruments are the violin, the tenor guitar, and the viola.

Discography

Name	Type	Date of release	Remarks
as principal performer
The Punch Bowl	Album	2002 Re-release: 07/06/2004
Kitty Jay	Album	2004 Re-release: 01/08/2005 09/10/2006	UK chart position: 100.
Freedom Fields	Album	First edition: 20/03/2006 Re-release: 21/08/2006	UK chart position (27/08/2006) 32.
The Bold Knight	Single	2005	Released on CD single.
Lady Of The Sea (Hear Her Calling)	Single	07/08/2006	UK chart position (07/08/2006) 52. Released on CD single and 7" vinyl.
The White Hare	Single	21/10/2006	UK chart position (30/10/2006) 47. Released as a two part CD single and limited edition white vinyl 7".
King & Country	Single	05/02/2007	Released only as a 7" vinyl single.
Poor Man's Heaven	EP	22/10/2007	Four-track EP (Poor Man's Heaven; Race to be King; How Much (Live); Lillywhite Girl) released on CD single and 7" vinyl.
Poor Man's Heaven Live EP	EP (Download)	22/04/2008	Free EP release as a download from the official website , featuring live versions of five tracks (Poor Man's Heaven; Lady Of The Sea; Haunt You; Blood Red Sky; and Bold Knight) recorded at Shepherd's Bush Empire in October 2007.
Poor Man's Heaven	Album	30/06/2008	UK chart position (06/07/2008): 8
The Hurlers with Sound of a Drum	Single	30/06/2008	Limited edition 7" vinyl release.
Crimson Dawn	Single	06/07/2008	Download only.
Solomon Browne	Single	13/10/2008 (TBC)
in The Lakeman Brothers
Three Piece Suite	Album	1994
with Equation
In Session	Promotional Only E.P.	1995
Return To Me	Album	1995-96 24/03/2003	Recorded in 1995 - 1996, album was shelved days before release and finally issued in 2003.
Hazy Daze	Album	02/02/1998
The Lucky Few	Album	1999 17/11/2003
The Dark Ages E.P.	E.P.	2001 14/06/2004	As guest musician
First Name Terms	Album	2002 07/06/2004	As guest musician
with Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon	Album	16/07/2001
Sweet Liberty	Album	22/09/2003
with Steve Knightley and Jenna Witts
Western Approaches	Album	27/09/2004

Choc Ice Cove	Album	21/09/2007