Arctic Circle Present...

Vashti Bunyan + David Kitt

Now based in Edinburgh, Vashti’s story tells of the thwarted promise of early fame, disenchantment, long-term exile and eventual rediscovery. In the mid-‘60s, after quitting art school to concentrate on music, she was discovered by The Rolling Stones’ guru, Andrew Loog Oldham, signed to Decca and recorded a single written by Jagger / Richards. Reviews touted her as ‘the new Marianne Faithful’ or the ‘female Bob Dylan’ (though Vashti claimed to be neither), yet further singles remained unreleased, leading to a sense of despair and a rejection of the music industry.

After living under canvas in the bushes behind Ravensbourne College of Art, she bought a horse and cart and set off in 1968 with her boyfriend for the dream of a creative colony that the singer Donovan was setting up on the Scottish Isle of Skye. It took them nearly two long years to get there, by which time Donovan had left, but the experience formed the songs for ‘Just Another Diamond Day’, the album recorded by Joe Boyd (and featuring members of The Incredible String Band and Fairport Convention) in November ‘69, during a trip back to London. On the album’s muted release in 1970, rather than hang around to promote the record, Vashti left the city again to live with the Incredible String Band in the Scottish Borders, and then (with horses, wagons, dogs and children) on to Ireland and back - to obscurity in the Scottish hills.

A host of young, new admirers emerged citing her influence, and Vashti has since recorded with Piano Magic, The Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde, Devendra Banhart, and with Animal Collective on the ‘Prospect Hummer’ EP that FatCat instigated in 2003 and released in May 2005. Following our contact with Vashti, we began chatting and offering advice on some new songs she was writing and looking for a home for. After a while, it occurred to us that instead of advising her on other labels, maybe FatCat could be that home. Vashti happily agreed and the result was her album, the truly beautiful 'Lookaftering' released in October 2005

David Kitt (born in Dublin, Ireland) grew up surrounded by music, as his father and uncles formed a successful touring folk group when he was young. He began performing live sets while studying at Trinity College, Dublin, where he completed a postgraduate course in music technology. He then recorded and mixed the eight tracks of his debut release in his bedroom. This debut LP ‘Small Moments’ was followed by ‘The Big Romance’, his biggest selling record, ‘Square One’ and ‘The Black & Red Notebook’, a cover LP. His most recent album is The Nightsaver which will be released in the UK in 2010.

Tickets via:
http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/events.php/276/vashti_bunyan_with_david_kitt

Listen:
http://www.myspace.com/vashtibunyan
http://www.fat-cat.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/davidkitt
http://www.jointhecircle.net

Venue: Union Chapel