SELK @ the Cobblestone with support Bradley Lauretti

For this show, SELK will perform as a trio - Anna Jordan, Dennis Cassidy, and Dave Redmond on bass - with support from Bradley Lauretti (This Frontier Needs Heroes).

SELK are the alt-folk ensemble spearheaded by lead vocalist/songwriter Anna Jordan. Their sound weaves between genres, drawing from jazz, classical, electronica, avant-folk, ambient rock, and more. SELK’s otherworldly sound juxtaposes Jordan’s stark, emotionally raw lyrics and hypnotic acoustic with percussive grooves from Cassidy and the band. The group’s expanded line-up, featuring Barry Brady on guitar and Dave Redmond on bass, has added a powerful rhythm section that has transformed their sound since their debut album Beast, which was recorded as a duo (Anna Jordan and Dennis Cassidy).

SELK released their second album Shed The Skin in 2023, featuring striking string arrangements by Kate Ellis and Cora Venus Lunny, scored by Judith Ring.

“Whilst they are often tagged with the Alt-Folk label, this does little justice to the unusual arrangements and sublime instrumentation SELK achieve through Anna’s careful composition… the first comparisons I can draw for Shed The Skin would be Linda Perhacs. Personal highlight Pure ebbs and flows subtly, a water sprite dancing above a pool against the caustics of a low lit cave.” The Goo Magazine

“A record that dances between delicacy and muscularity… Seconds showcases Jordan’s voice, so full of clarity, while folding in gorgeous percussive elements by Cassidy,” while Pure was noted for its “sober piano melody that heaves and sighs in discordance, bringing to mind early Joan as Policewoman.” The Irish Times

Anna's most recent release, Born With Colours, has been described as:

“A truly gorgeous piece of music that deserves your attention… a wonderful return to form following the remarkable Shed The Skin, and further proof that SELK are one of the most remarkable projects you might not yet know about.” Adhamh Ó Caoimh

Support: This Frontier Needs Heroes (Bradley Lauretti)
Bradley Lauretti emerged from the legendary Brooklyn music scene of the early 2000s. His project, This Frontier Needs Heroes, blends folk-rock, indie folk, alt-country, and intimate storytelling in one electrifying show. Influenced by John Prine, Billy Bragg, Kris Kristofferson, and Townes Van Zandt, Bradley’s songs weave humor, protest, and heartbreak into timeless melodies. He has performed across the U.S. and Europe, including festivals such as Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Folk Alliance International, End of the Road (UK), Live at Heart (Sweden), and Savannah Stopover, and has supported artists including Sarah Lee Guthrie, Dar Williams, and Tallest Man on Earth.

"This Frontier Needs Heroes have been releasing music for over a decade and you can hear that lived-in feel in the playing and the maturity of the arrangement and sublime vocal melodies of singer-songwriter Brad Lauretti on this new song ‘South Dakota’. It’s a mix of gorgeous, folk-tinged vocals, the grit and electric twang of the guitar, combined with a sweet soul groove that Levon Helm would be proud of, that makes this such a great sound." -Post to Wire

"With the vocals raw and echoey, it opens with the title track, a laid back number about going where life takes you, inspired by floating downstream on tubes on North Florida’s freshwater springs and with a decided John Prine feel to it, fleshed-out by piano and bar-band guitar." -Folk Radio UK
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