karine

"a passionate, perceptive songwriter" Uncut 2008
"exceptionally subtle and melodic" Q 2008
"takes the heart to places few singers even know exist" WORD 2008

Karine Karine Polwart draws from folk music’s long tradition while keeping pace with the ceaselessly changing times. Her talent for crafting unique, enduring melodies, her gift for saying just enough without overstating her case, the range and dynamism of her arrangements, all come together in songs of powerful contemporary relevance. She also has the purest and most approachable of singing voices, drawing the listener towards her in the same way one might lean towards a late night tale by the fireside.

Her songs deal with humanity in all its many guises: there is tenderness, triumph and sorrow, raised flags of rebellion and independence, flashes of anger at power abused and misused. Perhaps most frequently she deals in spare, unsentimental empathy, often with those who have been dealt the least playable hands in the game of life.

The results have rarely failed to strike a chord. Her debut album Faultlines won three awards at the 2005 BBC Folk Awards, including Best Album. Its follow up, Scribbled in Chalk (2006), contained “Daisy”, a gentle word to the wise to one of life’s givers and truth-tellers who can’t quite comprehend that “there are people in this world who don’t think like you do”. The song won Polwart another BBC Folk Award for Best Original Song in 2007.

But her achievements can’t simply be measured in terms of industry acclaim. Having studied politics and philosophy at university and later worked in the area of women’s and children’s rights, Polwart has always wanted her music to perform some useful social function. In that, too, she has succeeded time and time again.

“For me” says Polwart, “music is one of the most powerful ways of making sense of the world. It’s for celebrating, grieving, sharing, wondering. Nothing inspires me more than the realisation that any one of my songs means something to someone else”.

Karine tours most often as a trio with her brother Steven Polwart (acoustic and electric guitars, ukulele & vocals) and singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Inge Thomson (accordion, percussion, loops & vocals).

Her fifth studio album is due for release in Summer 2012.

28th Mar 2012
GREYFRIARS KIRK EDINBURGH
1 Greyfriars Pl Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 2QQ
PHONE: 0131 225 4600
WEB: www.thebooth.co.uk

5th Apr 2012
BURY MET
The Met, Market Street, Bury, Greater Manchester BL9 0BW
PHONE: 0161 761 2216
WEB: themet.biz/event/karine_polwart/1237

6th Apr 2012
LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS
1 Mill Street, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1AZ
PHONE: 01584 878 141
WEB: www.ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/event.php?id=1141

7th Apr 2012
CAMBRIDGE JUNCTION
CAMBRIDGE The Junction Clifton Way, Cambridge, CB1 7GX
PHONE: 01223 511 511
WEB: www.junction.co.uk/artist/3889

8th Apr 2012
WICKHAM EASTER FOLK FESTIVAL
Wickham Community Centre, Mill Lane, Wickham, Hampshire PO17 5AL
PHONE: 023 8071 1818
WEB: www.eastfest.co.uk

21st Apr 2012
PERTH CONCERT HALL
Mill Street Perth PH1 5HZ
PHONE: 01738 621 031
WEB: www.horsecross.co.uk

26th Apr 2012
EXETER PHOENIX
Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter, EX4 3LS
PHONE: 01392 667080
WEB: www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/music/april-2012/karine-polwart.html

27th Apr 2012
FROME ROOK LANE CHAPEL
Bath Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1DN 01373 455 420
PHONE: 0871 220 0260
WEB: www.rooklanearts.org.uk/details-12-03-karine-polwart.html

28th Apr 2012
STAG ARTS SEVENOAKES
Stag Community Arts Centre London road Sevenoaks TN13 1ZZ
PHONE: 01732 450175
WEB: www.stagsevenoaks.co.uk/whats-on/live/karine-polwart-359/

3rd May 2012
CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL
The Pillar Room Imperial Square, Cheltenham, GL50 1QA
PHONE: 0844 576 2210
WEB: bit.ly/wrDMns

4th May 2012
THE APEX
Charter Square, BURY ST, EDMUNDS, IP33 3FD.
PHONE: 01284 758000
WEB: www.theapex.co.uk

5th May 2012
BRISTOL FOLK FESTIVAL
BRISTOL Folk Festival 13 Colston Street, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5AR
PHONE: 0117 922 3686
WEB: www.bristolfolkfestival.com/

17th May 2012
KENDAL BREWERY ARTS
KENDAL Brewery Arts Centre Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4HE
PHONE: 01539 725133
WEB: www.breweryarts.co.uk/event-detail.cfm?id=2216&type=4

18th May 2012
SALTAIRE VICTORIA HALL
Victoria Road, Saltaire, Shipley, West Yorkshire
PHONE: 01274 588 614
WEB: www.saltairelive.co.uk/saltairelive

19th May 2012
POCKLINGTON ARTS CENTRE
Market Place, Pocklington, York. YO42 2AR
PHONE: 01759 301547
WEB: www.pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk/shows+on/19-05-2012

20th May 2012
SAGE GATESHEAD
The Sage Gateshead St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Tyne and Wear, NE8 2JR
PHONE: 0191 443 4661
WEB: thesagegateshead.org/event/karine-polwart/

4th Jun 2012
GATE TO SOUTHWELL FESTIVAL
Gate To Southwell Folk Festival P.O. Box 9149 Newark Notts NG24 9DZ
PHONE: 01636 816 678
WEB: http://www.southwellfolkfestival.org.uk/line-up/karinepolwart/

20th Jul 2012
VILLAGE PUMP FOLK FESTIVAL
Village Pump Festival White Horse Country Park, Trowbridge Road, Westbury, Wiltshire, BA13 4OX
WEB: www.villagepumpfolkfestival.co.uk

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