Barry Hyde shares ‘Last Dance (AtLandlord’s Ball)’, taken from solo album, ‘Miners’ Ballads’

BARRY HYDE

SHARES ‘LAST DANCE (AT LONDONDERRY BALL)’

THE CONCEPT ALBUM ‘MINERS’ BALLADS’

IS RELEASED ON 21ST MARCH ON SIRENSPIRE RECORDS

“What started off as an interesting local arts commission, became a personal journey into the folk tradition and my family history, which  uncovered a terrible tragedy that occurred to my ancestors.” – Barry Hyde 

“Folk-punk-pop concept album about Sunderland’s mining history from The Futureheads frontman. More fun than it sounds and frequently rather moving too.” – UNCUT

The Futureheads’ frontman BARRY HYDE shares ‘Last Dance (At Londonderry Ball)’, taken from his sophomore solo album, ‘Miners’ Ballads’, released on 21st March on his own label Sirenspire Records. The concept album, which has been commissioned by Sunderland City council and Paul Emerson, is inspired by the coal mining heritage of the north east of England with emphasis on Sunderland and Washington.

While working on this project, Hyde was astonished to uncover direct past and present connections to the stories he was telling. ‘Last Dance (At Londonderry Ball)’ is, Hyde says, “a standout track on the album and it follows a narrative that emerged as the album evolved. Following on from the track ‘Collier Laddie’; a song about a love struck coal mine owner, the protagonist descends into a jealous rage of madness after being unsuccessful in wooing a local pit village girl, even after offering her unthinkable wealth and privilege. She remains true to her collier sweetheart and the Landlord goes insane.” In 2020, Hyde launched Birdland Music CIC with Dan Donnelly (Celtic Social Club, The Wonder Stuff, The Levellers). It houses Birdland Studios; a rehearsal and recording space and The Peacock; a bar/restaurant, 220-capacity live music venue. The Peacock used to be named The Londonderry, after the Marquess of Londonderry – who was an exploitative mine owner.

Hyde drew on various resources and people for inspiration. His friend Keith Gregson, a retired history teacher, historian and musician, who worked with The Futureheads on their 2012 a cappella album ‘Rant’, wrote a book with Jim Moreland called ‘Just One Man’ about songs on experiences in coal mining. Jim, now a teacher, was a miner as a teenager and is credited as a lyricist on the album. When Hyde approached Gregson, who has researched Hyde’’s family tree in the past, Keith asked him if he’d ever mentioned that while doing his previous research he had discovered two of Hyde’s ancestors – Thomas, 13 and Joseph, 14 – had been killed in a mining disaster in February 1882 in Trimdon, County Durham. Suddenly the project became very personal to Hyde. He found a poem, written by ‘The Pitman’s Poet’ Tommy Armstrong called ‘The Trimdon Grange Explosion’ about the day his ancestors lost their lives. The final track on the album ‘Trimdon Grange 1882’ is dedicated to them.

Last month Hyde shared lead track ‘The Miner’s Life’, which is, Hyde says,  “a traditional colliers song about the dangers, hardships and bravery of those that worked underground. Hyde used the Cello Suite in G by JS Bach as a harmonic template and inspiration point.”

Elsewhere on the album there’s ‘Collier Laddie’ – a song about a landlord trying to woo a local girl who is in love with a miner. ‘Come All You Colliers’ is a rallying cry to the unions, and ‘What Happened To The Ponies’ is about the ponies that used to live in the mines. Often going blind, they had a sixth sense and knew if the mines were going to collapse, a theme also explored on ‘The Endless Rope’.

Musically, the album – which Hyde self-produced, engineered and played most of the instruments on – sits somewhere between his 2016 album ‘Malody’ and the more acoustic/folk moments of The Futureheads. The result is a beautiful ‘narrative’ of songs that could be viewed as the life story of a young collier; a tale of love, toil, hardship, innocence, community and tragedy.

TRACKLISTING 

1. The Miner’s’ Life

2. Putter’s Lament

3. Collier Laddie

4. The Endless Ropes

5. Come All You Colliers

6. What Happened To The Ponies

7. Working Man

8. Last Dance (At Londonderry’s Ball)

9. Trimdon Grange 1882