Mermaid Kiss

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Mermaid Kiss is a band formed in the small Herefordshire (UK) market town of Kington in 2000.

[edit] Biography

The initial line up was: Evelyn Downing (voice, harmonies, flute, and loops) Jamie Field (guitar and bass) and Andrew Garman (keyboard, bass and drums). In the beginning the band was envisaged purely as a studio project and in June 2003 they released a 14 track debut CD, The Mermaid Kiss Album, and following many requests they made their live debut on 21st December 2003 at The Rock Cafe 2000, Stourbridge supporting Karnataka . For this gig they were joined by Nigel Hooten on lead guitar and he continues to play with the band.

In September 2004, Evelyn left Kington to further her studies initially at University in Manchester and currently in London, though she continues to work with Mermaid Kiss. The band recruited a second vocalist, Kate Belcher (also from Kington), and they've also invited a number a number of guest vocalists to play and record with them. The band's second release in February 2006, a 7 track EP entitled Salt On Skin contains songs featuring vocals by both Evelyn and Kate, together with guest singer, Kate Emerson. The artwork and photography for the CD is by Chris Walkden. One of the songs on the EP, The Blushing Bride features the guitar work of Panic Room (and former Karnataka) guitarist Paul Davies.

A second full length album entitled Etarlis was released on June 18th 2007. Etarlis is an ambitious and complex work described by the band as a series of musical illustrations of the fantasy story of the same name, written by Jamie and Evelyn over recent years. The music features vocals from founder member Evelyn Downing as well as Kate Belcher, first heard on the band’s previous release, the ep Salt on Skin.

The album’s 11 tracks, written and arranged by Jamie Field and Andrew Garman, range from progressive pieces, full of melodies, counter-melodies, sweeping strings and orchestral sounds, to simple piano based arrangements. An added edge is supplied by lead guitarist Nigel Hooton and a range of woodwind instruments played by Wendy Marks. Guest performances from Troy Donockley (Iona) and Jonathan Edwards (Panic Room & ex-Karnataka) also feature in this hour long journey through a mesmerising landscape.

Field and Garman are also writing and recording a number of separate projects, for instanceAmerican Images, which will feature a number of different vocalists: Mermaid Kiss vocalist Evelyn Downing has recorded a song called This Trail Of Tears, and writer / singer Kristen Kissinger flew over from Boston MA in spring 2005 to record two songs Nomad and Seattle. Classical singer Penny Hawkins travelled from San Diego to record The Secret Knowledge Of Water and Ex Fula vocalist Zoe Stafford will be singing a track entitled L.A. Aria.