Video Premiere: Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage – The Youngest Sailor

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Following their highly acclaimed 2022 album “Ink Of The Rosy Morning” (Topic Records – Reviewed here), UK-based folk duo Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage return on 20th September 2024 with their 4th full-length album In The Dark We Grow (Sungrazing Records – SGR008). Their last album was constrained by circumstances due to COVID and was, therefore, a more stripped-back affair; despite this, it was the unaffected beauty of their voices, both individually and in harmony, that led Mike Davies to refer to the album as “their most immediate, beguiling and, dare I say it, finest work yet.” In contrast, their new album is an unrestrained celebration, enjoying wider sonic vistas and a return to collaboration. They are joined by 11 special guests, all of whom are familiar faces to KLOF Mag; they include Jon Thorne (Lamb, James Yorkston), Findlay Napier, Jess Morgan, Jade Rhiannon (The Willows) and Liz Simmons (Low Lily).

We get our first taster of what’s to come with their new single The Youngest Sailor, which is accompanied by an animated video, Directed by Suzie Hanna. The deep, lush arrangements are colourful and vibrant, heightened by a full-blown ‘Sail On’ chorus that makes this an irresistible and promising offering.

Discussing the sea change from the previous record, Ben (who also produced the album) says, “We tracked the previous album in 2020, so inevitably we were looking inward. The Fairport Convention tour last year, jamming on stage every night with those guys for six weeks, was a beautiful reawakening of the joy of the big music family… We’ve had the pleasure of playing music with some of the guests on this album all over the world in so many different guises over many years – it’s wonderful to share some of those relationships on these recordings.”

They straddle the folk and Americana genres so well, and on the strength of this enticing new single, I’m sure this is going to win favour with many and broaden their fanbase still further.

Stream the Single: https://sungrazingrecs.lnk.to/TheYoungestSailor

In The Dark We Grow Tracklisting

1. Border Widow’s Lament (Trad. Arr. Sanders/Savage)

2. Castles and Old Kings (Dickinson)

3. First Footing (Sanders/Savage)

4. The Youngest Sailor (Savage/Sanders)

5. Quiet Joys of Brotherhood (Farina)

6. Save My Life (Savage/Sanders)

7. Say Darlin’ Say (Trad. Arr. Savage/Sanders)

8. The Lilac Bloom (Savage/Sanders)

9. The Lavender’s Ready – Instrumental (Sanders/Savage)

10. Marbletown (Trad. Arr. Sanders/Savage)

Pre-order the album here: https://www.hannahbenmusic.com/store

Tour Dates – Full Band Shows

Tickets and more details: https://www.hannahbenmusic.com/shows