Out Friday 5th April 2024 | On Adhyâropa Records
Talented Orkney fiddle player Louise Bichan is set to release her outstanding second solo album The Lost Summer on Friday 5th April 2024.
The Lost Summer boasts both traditional tunes and Louise’s original compositions, bringing new life and personal meaning to existing music as well as showcasing unique work self-penned in recent years. It comes almost eight years after the USA-based Scottish instrumentalist released her debut album Out of My Own Light in 2016.
Louise is joined on the album by Conor Hearn on guitar, Brendan Hearn on cello, and Ethan Setiawan – who Bichan collaborates with in duo Hildaland and transatlantic string band Corner House – playing mandolin, octave mandolin and octave tenor guitar. Special guest appearances come from Dan Klingsberg on double bass, Simon Chrisman on hammered dulcimer, Brad Kolodner on claw-hammer banjo, and fellow Orcadians Jennifer Austin on piano and Alice Tait, Louise’s cousin, on fiddle. Also adding his signature sound is Dingwall’s Ali Levack on whistle.
Standout tracks from the album include Adam and Eric’s, which sees Louise explore a new setting for an old composition – the tune was once a fast reel written for a wedding but has now been slowed down to a leisurely Strathspey, and sounds perfectly at home in its new pace.
On Deltingside, two traditional tunes from either side of the Atlantic come together – Deltingside, from Shetland and American tune Squirrel Hunters. The pairing highlights the similarities between the two despite the distance between their origins. Louise is joined by Simon Chrisman on hammered-dulcimer and Brad Kolodner on claw-hammer banjo, resulting in a rich and playful sound.
Title track The Lost Summer was written in 2020 when Louise was missing Scotland and her family but couldn’t visit due to the restrictions of the global pandemic.The tune captures the beauty of Scotland sonically, with a sense of longing and optimism both audible throughout.
Louise Bichan said: “Since the release of ‘Out of My Own Light’ I have completed a degree in performance at Berklee College of Music, studying with the likes of Bruce Molsky, Darol Anger, Matt Glaser and Joe Walsh. I’ve had the opportunity to travel and perform around the States with Corner House and more, met and played music with so many inspiring people and broadened my musical horizons.
“I felt it was high time I took all of these new experiences and inspirations and created a new record, and I’m lucky to have been joined by some fantastic musicians in the making of it. I hope people connect with and enjoy the album because we had a wonderful time making it, and I think you can definitely hear the joy throughout.”
Growing up in the culturally rich Orkney islands gave Louise a solid grounding in music – she started playing fiddle at the age of 7, and has since honed her craft at Glasgow’s renowned session scene while studying at the city’s Art School, before winning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA. Masterfully blending traditional and classical arrangements, her work is thoughtful and complex, curious and playful. She composes in response to her roots and the world around her, weaving through stories of connection to people, nature, the past and the possibility of the future.
The Lost Summer was recorded in Ethan Setiawan’s home studio in Maine, and Ethan also produced, engineered, and mixed the record. The album will be available to stream and download on all major digital platforms and on CD from Friday 5th April 2024.
