BENJAMIN ZIęć & THE RAREBREEDS
PHLEXX RECORDS ANNOUNCE THE UPCOMING RELEASE OF NOTTINGHAM INSPIRED FOLK ALBUM ‘A REBEL’S STORY’
A Rebel's Story
OUT NOW ON ALL MAJOR PLATFORMS
Benjamin Zięć & the Rarebreeds are a U.K. Alt. Folk outfit that present their own unique blend of music fused with genres such as Blues & Grunge.
Tired of the modern restraints and throwaway value placed on releasing digital music, the group wanted to work on a body of music that honoured the history and heritage of their local surroundings.
A REBEL'S STORY cont...
OUT NOW ON PHLEXX RECORDS
In late 2021, Benjamin Zięć & the Rarebreeds set to work with local heritage specialists, uncovering local stories and tales, delving into the history behind Midlands folk song and the rebellious Nottingham characters that have walked the streets through the ages.
The group learned stories of Highway Rebels, Mad Dukes, Famous Boxing Legends, Shipwrecked Cannibals and merciless Hangmen. One theme that emerged was the rich musical Folk heritage of Nottingham – songs that have been lost through the years. The group worked hard to modernisation and rework these compositions with their own unique Rarebreed twist.
The group literally set sail, heading far North from the Midlands to the port of Ullapool. Boarding a ferry they hit the Atlantic Ocean, heading for ‘the end of the world’, to record their work on the Isle of Lewis. Nestled in a sheltered harbour on a tiny Hebridean Island, the group took residency at Black Bay Studio, surrounded by the ever changing beauty of the Atlantic Ocean.
Tired and weary from their travels the group re-calibrated and refreshed with the sea breeze, the cold waters, the open space and the silence. The Rarebreeds were gifted with the time, the space and the equipment to organically work on recording ‘A Rebel’s Story’. They were further blessed with the exciting opportunity to work alongside local Hebridean Fiddle player Alastair Caplin.
Over the course of the week residency the Rarebreeds recorded a 5-track EP.
The first track to be released via Phlexx Records on the 30th September is ‘The Old Angel’. A track that pays homage to the famous ‘Nottingham Ale’ ballad, first appearing in print in 1752. Written by an officer reffered to as Gunthorpe, the ballad praises and declares love for a barrell of ‘Nottingham Ale’. The Rarebreeds used only the hook, flipping the concept on its head and modernising the story to that of present drinking culture, telling a story of alcoholism where now the once Goddess Venus from the original song doesn’t play the same angelic character.
The second release will come in the form of ‘A Rebel’s story’ a song drenched in Nottingham history, featuring lyrics based around the famous Goosefair market, the Castle Gate walls and Speakers Corner the first public speakers platform outside of London. In rebelious nature the concept is taken from nearby rivals, reworking the hook from ‘The Derby Ram’ a tale and folk-song that dates back as far as 1739. Playing on the theme, the Rarebreeds nod to the footballing rivalry between the two Cities, with mentions of Guiseppe Garibaldi and ‘The Mist rollin’ in from the Trent’.
The third track ‘The Hangman’s Ballad’ is a complete rework of Ewan MacColl’s composition the ‘Ballad of Tim Evans’. A brutal song about the wrongful hanging of Tim Evans for the murder of wife and child. A story that still to this day has contrasting views on Tim Evans involvement in the murder, but an event that resulted in him being pardoned and wronfully accused and a case that also contributed to the abolishment of capital punishment in the U.K. The Nottingham link to this story lies within Syd Dernley, the last living hangman, who lived in Mansfield, a man who showed no remorse for his work.
‘ Working in this way, with professional heritage professionals. It
elevates the storytelling, it adds a sense of theatre and connection
to the characterisations ’
- Benjamin Zięć
The fourth track, ‘Home on the Green’, tells a story of the ship-wrecked cannibal John Deane returing to Wilford and bumping into his old poaching friend in the pub. His friend asks him from some truth of where he has been and what he has encounter along the way. A mysterious life that start when running away to the sea, commanding battles and fleets and resulting in being cannibalism of his crew on the Nottingham Galley. Though the track reflects on this incredible life and story, in a wider sense it holds a nostalgic romantisism of old friends and the life that they have all gone to pursue.
The final track, ‘Collingwood Park’ is a modern rework of an old folk song called ‘Thorneymoor Woods’, that through the ages has seen many rewrites and versions. The Rarebreeds focused on the Anna Briggs version, using its melody and concept. The group present a modern story of humble, rural, council estate living. The importance of community , activity and belonging. The version flips its predecessors concept switching the pack of dogs to a gang of friends, the track develops into a dramatic turn of events when the young boys don’t have a sense of place and belonging. As the original versions yearn back and nod to it being ‘a poachers life for me’, the Rarebreeds version looks back at Collingwood Park as a place of happiness, innocense and warmth.
All the tracks feature a diverse range of instrumentation and sounds spanning Irish Tenor Banjos, Fingerpicked Acoustics, Slide Steel Guitars, Harmoniums and Drones, all layered over driving rhythmic groove and percussion and cymbals. Vocally the Ep ouzes rebelion, packed with tales, characters and charm, whit and drama. With rich vocal harmonies throughout, and the whole Ep is tied together perfectly with the guest collaboration of Alastair Caplin on the Fiddle, added a Hebridean stamp in honour of where the music was recorded.
