Unlike here in the States—where trad folk and indie-pop are separated by a Berlin Wall of narrow thinking—folk music in Scotland and Ireland thrives in an environment where a rich hybrid of old Celtic and new folk can interbreed. From this fertile brew comes Heidi Talbot’s second solo album The Last Star, set to be released October 4th 2010 on Navigator Records. In close collaboration with her partner John McCusker, Heidi has produced a beautiful crossover record that successfully spans modern folk and traditional Celtic themes.
Navigator Records is giving away a free download of this old and now refurbished song “Hang Me” from The Last Star. “My good friend Kris Drever wrote the melody for this song and joins me on vocals,” says Heidi. “He gave me a Garageband version of him singing it when I told him I was on the hunt for songs. The lyrics are traditional. I added the last verse from a version Peggy Seeger recorded.”
LISTEN: Hang Me
A native of rural County Kildare in Ireland, Heidi now calls Edinburgh her home. Following a 5-year stint with New York’s Cherish the Ladies, she released her first solo release In Love + Light at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival in 2008, to broad critical acclaim. Comparisons to North England’s famous singer Kate Rusby are inevitable: her vocal style is similar, and Rusby has also worked closely with the ubiquitous producer and multi-instrumentalist John McCusker. The Last Star is a lovely Sunday-morning record: a low-key, mellow soundtrack for sipping tea and stroking your cat.
LISTEN: Willie Taylor
FIDDLEFREAK 
Damn, what an awesome cover of Hang Me! I thought I was sick of that song. Kudos to Kris Drever for the melody and Heidi Talbot is a great new talent for me to discover. Thanks!