‘imagine laura viers’ immersion in the natural world combined with michelle shocked’s dedication to the political’ - time out

hobopop recordings is proud to present ‘the kansas sessions’; the fourth studio album of original songs from acclaimed uk singer-songwriter kirsty mcgee, produced and recorded under a hard mid-west winter in lawrence, kansas by mike west of truckstop honeymoon.

the album results from a new phase of prosperous independence for mcgee and long term collaborator mat martin, and is released on their own hobopop label on september 01st. this glimpse into mcgee’s world shows the same diversity of lyricism she has consistently displayed throughout her catalogue. vagrancy, love, wanderlust, human frailty - all feature here as before, but this time the mix is made heady by the addition of more politicised material, including songs of war, greed, betrayal and corruption.

a maker of delicate yet stubborn songs, an instinctive traveller and human scrapbook, kirsty mcgee’s knowledge of people and places has been built first-hand from years spent as a hitchhiker and a period of homelessness. after spending a while building tree houses and bagging-out earth from tunnels at road protest camps kirsty sold all her possessions and hitched to cornwall where she lived in a beach hut and developed the writing and vocal styles that have earned her a reputation as one of the most respected songwriters of her generation.

her songs are the soundtrack to a colourful patchwork of experience, and attest to a unique life full of paradoxical quirks and actions from the heart, sung by a voice just that little bit too pure to have seen what she has seen. it is just one of the many ironies that surround her eccentric past and qualify her to write and perform music of such rich integrity and sincerity.

from the groovy new orleans jazz beats of the anti-capitalist ‘profit song’ to the dark intimacy of twisted ballads like ‘sandman’ and ‘dust devils’, ‘the kansas sessions’ finds mcgee making statements of real integrity within the rich tradition of original songwriting in which she is already well respected and established. her trademark ‘hobopop’ sound, setting edgy grooves against tender yet dark textures has grown in scope, encompassing what can only be described as a ‘vaudebilly’ style - banjo, double bass, clarinet, trombone...

the recordings continue to highlight mcgee’s distinctive ability to meld incisive words with infectious melodies and cut straight to the heart of her subject matter; a talent which has earned her two bbc folk award nominations, countless glowing press reviews, and has seen her in demand for all the major uk folk festivals over the past few years.

‘the kansas sessions’ represents a clear departure for mcgee who, despite being influenced principally by american music and culture has always previously recorded in the uk. mike west has been a strong influence on her writing since the 1980s when his band the man from del monte were living and playing in the uk. with his jagged, edgy style, verve and tenacity, he was the clear choice for the job of producer, a choice which took mcgee halfway across the world, and this batch of american-inspired songs back to their roots.

written by mcgee, arranged and refined in close collaboration with mat martin over a period of a couple of years and extensively road-tested through several uk and international tours, the twelve songs on ‘the kansas sessions’ are a document of intense clarity of purpose. the recordings, made ‘live’ in the studio, attest to this with eloquence, but not without a sense of fun. mcgee, martin and west have put together an album of great integrity, original thought, and - most importantly - truly high quality songs and sincere performances.

mcgee’s emergence as a unique and strong voice in acoustic music coincided with her now-famous early appearance alongside suzanne vega at brampton live festival in 2001. this has been followed with four studio albums, two bbc award nominations (best newcomer, best original song) and busy international touring schedule. her work has attracted collaborations with some of the most important names in the scene, such as producers john wood (‘honeysuckle’, 2002), boo hewerdine (‘frost’, 2004), and neill maccoll (‘two birds’, 2006). much of her work has been made using the instruments she has built herself.

her affinity with a life of perpetual movement and a hand-to-mouth existence has made its mark on her songs in a manner reminiscent of jack kerouac and the 'beat' generation, and has made her music difficult to classify. she has been variously described as producing 'folk noir' and ‘hobopop’ - she and mat martin were described in maverick magazine as 'simon and garfunkel: the tim burton version.'

press quotes :
'shivering, hollering, edgy, dark, delightful, disturbing, involving, beautifully phrased, acoustic music' - the living tradition
‘simon & garfunkel - the tim burton version’ - maverick
‘absolutely superb, memorable... i love her songs, i love her way’ - bob harris, bbc radio 2
‘a quiet triumph’ - folk roots
‘perfect understatement; not an extraneous word or note’ - karine polwart
‘a wondrous pairing... i was knocked out by their personality, musicianship, warmth and rapport with the audience.’ - maverick