The Lorelei

The Lorelei

The Lorelei are a UK alt folk rock group from Dyce, Scotland, active from 1991 to the present. The band forms in 1990 in a garage in Dyce and settles on a line-up over the next two years. Original members include Jonny, Beefy and Martin Watson, who is the original singer. John S. Martin later joins as frontman and remains part of the band’s line-up after the regrouping.

History

The band is selected by M8 magazine for a free tape of Scottish unsigned talent, which leads to a two-album deal with Lochshore Records. They record the albums Headstrong and Progression and spend seven years touring extensively, playing more than 100 gigs a year and travelling from Lerwick to London. Their shows range from small bars to larger venues, including the Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections in 1995. They build a fan base across Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, and are managed first by Rob Swan and later by Tam Balloch.

After years of touring, the band splits, then reforms after Jonny and Beefy meet at The Tartan Heart festival. The regrouping develops through meetings and rehearsals with John S. Martin, with the band deciding to focus on new material rather than revisiting earlier work. They relaunch with a sold-out show at Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree in 2006.

Recordings and activity

After reforming, The Lorelei record a live DVD, contribute a new track to Fat Hippy Sampler Vol 2, and have the song “Home” used in a Barnardo’s DVD. They receive airplay on Northsound, Xfm, BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, Radio Scotland and Moray Firth Radio. They also contribute a track to the cover CD of Rock’n’Reel magazine, as the only unsigned band included in that series at the time. The band releases an EP titled Home, containing six new recordings, and continues to sell its first two albums internationally.

Style and reception

The Lorelei’s music combines folk and roots elements with rock and louder guitar-driven arrangements. Descriptions attached to the band include “total thrash speed folk”, folk-tinged guitar grunge, punk ceilidh and urban energy. Their lyrics and themes draw on personal and collective experience, including the lives of musicians, teachers, doctors, community workers, husbands, wives and fathers. The title track “Home” is about the band’s reunion and return to making music together.

Later live work

The Lorelei open the Tartan Heart festival and support Miles Hunt and Erica Nockalls of The Wonder Stuff on an acoustic tour. Their followers are known as the Clangers.