watersmeet EP launch at the Cumberland Arms
On Friday, November 22nd, indie folk duo watersmeet launched their debut EP ‘carried away’. My housemate / adoptive mother, Ellie and I were lucky enough to grab tickets to the EP launch that evening. Our trek to the venue did not have the smoothest of beginnings... Take a moment to picture the scene: the pair of us frantically gunning it down the footpath, arms outstretched, mere steps away from the bus stop. Only to be blanked by not one but two bus drivers. After a short wait, we succeeded in boarding a bus and made our way into Newcastle's city centre. More specifically, we made our way to the Cumberland Arms. The historic venue always makes for a great evening out - cosy rooms, a lit fire, and a wide array of ciders to choose from. Ellie and I were content.
The music began with a beautiful set by Bertie Armstrong. Geordie / Welsh folk artist Bertie immediately captivated the crowd with his original song 'The Wheel’. Starting his set out on banjo before switching to guitar and finally finishing up on banjo again. Bertie is an extremely talented musician and played banjo on ‘carried away'. He is also one-third of Holly & The Reivers, a folk trio. They recently celebrated the first anniversary of their debut album ‘Three Galleys’. You should 100% give the album a listen.
Then Bertie departed the stage, although it wouldn’t be too long before he returned. Now, it was time for watersmeet. Composed of Anna and Jess, watersmeet began their set as a pair, later joined by the band. Partners in music and life, Anna and Jess first met at the Cumberland Arms and then began working on music together a few years after that. Their duo set was incredibly moving. Ellie and I teared up for a couple of their songs, but the title track of the EP ‘carried away,’ hit especially hard. The room felt alive with love and music. It was a special night, which I feel so lucky to have been there for.
Bertie made his reappearance with his banjo, along with the rest of the band - Callum on keys, Ted on double bass, and Francesca on drums. The band also played on the EP, which is available on Bandcamp - I cannot urge you strongly enough to go give it a listen.
After listening to the EP during the day on Friday, I was sure I needed to purchase a physical copy. I can now say I'm the proud owner of a ‘carried away’ CD, sorry if you’re jealous! For future watersmeet updates, you should give them a follow on Instagram @watersmeet_, or if you’d like to learn more about Anna and Jess, you should read their narc interview here! Be sure to check Bertie out too @bertiearmstrong !
Thank you, Anna, Jess, Bertie, Callum, Francesca, and Ted for such an amazing night of music.
