Seth Lakeman

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Seth Lakeman

Origin Dartmoor, Devon, England
Years active 1994 - present
Genres English folk music
Labels iScream Music (pre 2006) , Relentless (2006 — present)

Seth (Bernard) Lakeman is an English folk singer, songwriter, and musician from Yelverton, on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. He was born on March 26, 1977.

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[edit] Biography

Seth Lakeman began playing music with his parents and brothers Sean and Sam at an early age.

As The Lakeman Brothers the three brothers released their debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Later that same year they were invited by Kathryn Roberts and Kate Rusby to join them as a backing group on a tour of Portugal. After the tour the five musicians became a permanent group and called themselves Equation. The group swiftly garnered much praise and hype and signed a supposedly £1M record deal with Time Warner in 1995. After 3 full albums ('Return to me' - 1996, 'Hazy Daze' - 1998, 'The Lucky Few' - 2000), and touring around the UK, Europe and the USA, Seth left Equation in 2001. He joined his brother Sam and Sam's wife Cara Dillon to record Cara's acclaimed, self titled debut album, which featured Seth on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The album won two awards at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including Best Traditional Track for "Black is the Colour" which Seth helped arrange. Cara and the brothers also won the Hot Press award for the Best Roots Act and the Big Buzz award for the Best Traditional Act.

In 2002 Seth Lakeman released his first solo album, The Punch Bowl, which received wide critical acclaim including a review in fRoots magazine which said: "The songs don`t just glide smoothly by.....they get their claws into you".

Kitty Jay, Seth Lakeman's second solo album was released in 2004. The title track of the album tells the story of Jay's Grave, a well known location on Dartmoor. The album was recorded for a cost of less than £300. That same year he collaborated with Devon singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and young local singer Jenna Witts on the album Western Approaches.

A sell out UK tour in Autumn 2005 followed his Mercury Music Prize nomination, after which Seth and his band toured extensively with folk-rock giants The Levellers, who took to closing their set with a "fiddle off" between Seth and Levellers' fiddler Jon Sevink.

In March 2006 Seth Lakeman began a UK tour in order to promote his new album Freedom Fields which was released on iScream. He then changed to a major record company called Relentless and has released his new single Lady of the Sea in early August 2006.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Style of music

Seth Lakeman's primary musical instruments are the violin, the tenor guitar, and the viola.

[edit] Discography

Name Type Date of release Remarks
as principal performer
The Punch Bowl Album 2002
07/06/2004
Kitty Jay Album 2004
01/08/2005
09/10/2006
Freedom Fields Album First edition: 20/03/2006
Re-release: 21/08/2006
UK chart position (27/08/2006) 32. Re-release cover:
Lady Of The Sea (Hear Her Calling) Single 07/08/2006 UK chart position (07/08/2006) 52. Lakeman's first single proper.
The White Hare Single 21/10/2006 UK chart position (30/10/2006) 47. Released in 2 CDs and 7" versions.
King & Country Single 05/02/2007
in The Lakeman Brothers
Three Piece Suite Album 1994
with Equation
In Session Promotional 1995
Return To Me Album 1995-96
24/03/2003
Hazy Daze Album 02/02/1998
The Lucky Few Album 2000
17/11/2003
The Dark Ages E.P. Album 2001
14/06/2004
As guest musician
First Name Terms Album 2002
07/06/2004
As guest musician
with Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon Album 16/07/2001
Sweet Liberty Album 22/09/2003
with Steve Knightley and Jenna Witts
Western Approaches Album 27/09/2004

[edit] External links