Folk Radio
A big thank you to Folk Radio for their attentive review of our album ‘All One Breath’
Click on the button to read the full review below
“Using traditional grounding, they travel on pathways far less rooted in the old ways. For a band born in England before moving to Wales, they seem more honed in on the culture of the American West. That dichotomy rests at the heart of their music. Wanders in worlds of the unfamiliar, they imbue their music a similar sense of rootlessness.
No one seems to know melancholy the way Samana does; it rests in every pore. The guitars that open “Melancholy Heat” are like old friends, yet as Harris and Mockett sing, it all becomes clear, “I’ve come to understand, the pain in all I’ve known/ The importance to be rooted down/ The art of letting go.” Like an old blues guitarist, Mockett imbues “The Glory of Love” with a downhome slide work. Yet, the piece takes off in directions that incorporate the blues while not feeling particularly bluesy, which seems to be Samana’s secret gift.
The languid opening to “Patience” has the feel of old Fleetwood Mac, circa “Albatross,” yet thanks to a guitar solo, ends up going down roads that Peter Green and Danny Kirwan never imagined. Yet, at no time does the song feel out of place or forced into directions that stray from the pathways Samana have established.
Harris can sound almost like the ghost of Nico at one point, but in the following line, her tone and texture is miles away, making for an interesting blend of the foreign and familiar.
At the heart of Samana and All One Breath opposite worlds seem to coalesce forming contradictions that are part of the very fabric of life. They travel emotional pathways through a constantly changing landscape, documenting moments that may never come again.”
Album Review
Thank you Outline Magazine for the review on our album ‘All One Breath’
“Both the album title and the duo's name encapsulate the essence of their sound, as well as highlighting the route of their spiritual path. 'All One Breath' traces a circular journey and embraces a panoramic range of style and influences, ranging from progressive folk to transcendental blues. It serves as an exploration of silence, solitude and time, as well as a recollection of personal experience and memories. By the time we reach 'Leaving', and 'Begin Again' (with its gently strummed guitar, and cello accompaniment), it is almost as though the listener has been taken on their own enlightening journey of discovery as well.”
Album Review
A big thank you to French magazine: Sound Of Violence for their beautifully intricate review of our album ‘All One Breath’ - which they gave 4/5 stars.
Release day ~ 11th March
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“The choirs of The Glory Of Love rise in the middle of a beat-up guitar crushed like on a New Orleans porch, in the form of an incandescent prayer to love. On All One Breath, the piano stroll extends towards songs of multiplied whales drowned by a cloud of smoke. The reasoning drum of The Spirit Moving beats the measure of a guitar à la Chris Isaac impregnated with a mystical voice seeming to address the beyond. The Beach still slows down everything with its acerbic and apathetic resonances. The violins appear at the end of the disc with a certain force impregnating the title Leaving, which tackles the themes of departure and absence, despite the spring softness of the strings. Some additions of cello come to elevate Begin Again as a sign of eternal renewal. Orchestrations handled to millimeters, even to microns, for a record that has decided to stop time and evaporate in a fog, somewhere between the Pyrenees and Brecon Beacons.”
Still Listening Interview
We did an interview with Still Listening Magazine about our approach to music, our inspirations, and artistic philosophy. Here is a snippet: Read the full interview below.
“Born on the road, Samana is a creative child of Rebecca Rose Harris and their partner Franklin Mockett. What sounds like a psych-folk dream, is a real-life account of their days filled with busking, writing in the mountains and hiding away from the chaos around them. Immersing in the dream-states, philosophy and poetry, they’ve set themselves upon a mission of exploring the mystery in the core of the subconscious. In the end, as their new album, ‘All One Breath’ suggest, it was never about finding the answers but the journey. Breath in, breath out. Samana left their laid for a while to let us look within before we’ll look out.”
Live Review
A review of our stripped back performance in February whilst on tour by Rockwell Unscene Magazine
☆
“Samana are a duo from the Welsh valleys who explore an array of musical styles whilst maintaining a tranquil essence at the core of their work. To limit them to music would be doing a disservice as its evident from the website that Rebecca and Franklin's artistic journey incorporates other avenues including intriguing photography. Tonight, Samana are unleashing tracks from their new album ‘All One Breath‘ beginning with an alt-folk number called ‘Glory Of Love.’ Slide guitar beautifully complements the alto vocals which remind me of Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde with the rich lower register surging up to reach the higher notes. ‘Harvest‘ sees a move into a more up tempo number, as the finger picking guitar contrasts with Rebecca’s swooping voice which she uses more as an instrument than for the lyrics as the song crescendos to its finale. Samana effectively use delay and reverb with both instrumentation and vocals to produce a dreamy wave of sound that allows the listener to drift to alternative landscapes. The final song, ‘Live For The Road,’ captures the ambience of driving along an open deserted road through middle America with a sense of freedom. Having experienced Samana’s live performance and now their recorded work, I can truly appreciate why Guy Garvey is championing them!”
Live Review
Another snippet from a live review of our performance at The Castle and Falcom in Birmingham
☆
“They are one of the most enigmatic support acts I have seen. The depth and richness of sound created by the trio (the duo are joined by a keyboard player) is phenomenal for a small venue which is supported by the presence of the band on stage. Rebecca stands in the centre with the other musicians seated either side like an alternative take on the Holy Trinity. Samana use vocal reverb for maximum effect to produce a celestial essence with a hint of eeriness complimented by the simple lilting piano chords in the magnificent song All One Breath which was the highlight of the set. This was a song you could have listened to for much longer, a sign of a great piece of music. I have been exploring Samana’s back catalogue since the gig which shows what impact they have had and for those who arrived later, you missed a treat.”
Live Review
Here are photographs from our time on tour in February and a snippet of a live review of our stripped back performance at the Deaf Institute in Manchester
☆
“The core duo of Rebecca and Franklin are present and correct though and the essence of this project is very much apparent as their half-hour set, performed barefooted, feels like a spiritual journey full of drama and passion. Vocal harmonies from the guys augment the centrepiece which is Rebecca's showstopping voice that stops you in your tracks and draws you in. That intensity is replicated in the visuals as the three of them are absolutely lost in the moment of their art. It's a statement that encapsulates what Samana are about and stand for - a means of escape through music that shuts everything else out and focuses on the mind and soul.”
Uncut Magazine
Thank you to Uncut Magazine for the album review!
“Mistaking Samana for a product of the Deep South is easy when their second album sounds so raw, rustic and drowsy, but it was actually recorded hiding in a barn in the French countryside at lockdown's start.”
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‘All One Breath’ is out on the 11th March and we literally can’t wait to share it with you and to perform it on tour in March charged with intense emotion and electric energy
On Tour
And so it begins.. we’ve hit the road, joining the Smoke Fairies on tour around the UK, performing as a stripped back three piece across the UK until the 16th February before heading off on our UK album tour with our full band from the 21st - 26th March
Mojo Review
Wow!!! A huge thank you to Mojo Magazine for voting our album one of the best of 2022 and for giving ‘All One Breath’ a mighty four stars! Pre-order the album here and get tickets to our up coming tour here.
~ All One Breath is out on the 11th March ~
★
“Just when the album seems locked into an alluring cycle of rustic guitar creak and murmured vocals - think Nico, Jarboe, Mazzy Star - the spare piano-led title track and squalling finale to Patience, puncture the reverie, if not its anaesthetising reach”
-Mojo Magazine
Louder Than War
Thank you to Louder Than War for their article about our new video for ‘Patience’
“The new video for their recent track Patience was created in collaboration with director and filmmaker Benjamin Wigley. Although hinting at eerie scenes of folk horror, the video casts a spell and conjures up a dreamlike scenery of Andrei Tarkovsky and Sergei Parajanov’s films. In terms of the plot, the ten-minute film contains three parts, where six minutes of the original song are followed by a hypnotic ambient soundtrack.
The band elaborates on the concept of the video: “The film is a metamorphosis; a pilgrimage between the realms of the seen and the unseen. It draws upon the mysticism of ancient mythology and folklore and pays homage to the silent magic that exists within the immemorial wisdom of nature.”
Patience
’Patience’ the latest track to be taken from our forthcoming LP 'All One Breath' (now out March 11th) is released today!
Patience is a poem that manifests the velocity of movement; the movement of the body, the mind and the spirit. The song feels like a confession, a release and a realisation, with the words and music running parallel in dialogue to navigate a journey of transcendence between a pendulum of two states.
The video for Patience was a collaboration between ourselves and brilliant film-maker Benjamin Wigley, created with ceremony and ritual during the transitioning of the summer solstice in the vast landscapes of North Wales. The film is a metamorphosis; a pilgrimage between the realms of the seen and the unseen. It draws upon the mysticism of ancient mythology and folklore and pays homage to the silent magic that exists within the immemorial wisdom of nature.
Changes
Hello beauties,
This past year has been somewhat similar to a hike in the mountains, an undulating landscape full of ascents and descents, twists and turns through different terrains. Sadly due to worldwide delays hitting vinyl manufacturing as a result of Covid-19, the release date of our album ‘All One Breath’ has been postponed until the 11th March. You will likely hear from the store you have pre-ordered from and likewise, if ordered directly from our site, albums will be dispatched for the new release date. The wait will be well worth it, we promise you that! Exciting times are ahead, with new releases, new news and our UK tour drawing ever closer. Join us for some shamanistic, hypnotic, poetical magic; get hold of your tickets here!
BBC 6 Music
A huge thank you to Guy Garvey for championing ‘Melancholy Heat’ on his amazing Sunday show on BBC 6 Music
“ I absolutely love these guys”
. If you missed it you can listen here
New Music/Film
The beautiful, mystical, folklore enshrouded video for our new track ‘Patience’ will be with you soon, weaving dimensions of time and perception into a beautiful 16mm short film in collaboration with the brilliant Benjamin Wigley. We shot this conceptual piece over the transitioning of the summer solstice at some very sacred locations in north Wales. Stay alert.
New Show
We have the pleasure of announcing that we have added a new date to the tour: The wonderful ‘Hot Tin Church’ in Faversham on the 26th March.
New Material This Month!
Our album ‘All One Breath’ is out in 3 weeks on the 28th of January on numerous formats, there will also be some bundle options to get your hands on, including the exclusive dinked version, of which only 400 are available. The creation of this album was such a precious journey, forged during of the first lockdown. It conjures distant landscapes, internal monologues, the interpretation of dreams and musings. Pre-order yours now!
February Support Tour With The Smoke Fairies
We are so thrilled to announce that we will be supporting the Smoke Fairies on their UK tour, kicking off on the 8th February before our album tour in March! We’re so excited to have the opportunity to share wonderful and memorable evenings with you all through the connection that is music over the next couple of months! Get your tickets whilst they last.
BBC 6 Music
A big thank you to Guy Garvey for playing Harvest on BBC 6 music and coining it his most played song of 2021. We always appreciate the steadfast support of all of you who stand beside and behind us as we voyage forwards with our creations. It has been a difficult time for musicians and artists, but to feel your love and energy always resonates deeply with us. Our second album ‘All One Breath’ is coming out on January 28th and we welcome the newfound journeys this will take us on with you all. Harvest is a song about belief, feeling and trust - “you must feel to believe” and this is something we really wish to take forwards into the next year. Here is a photograph of us at the beginning of Samana, sitting in a field deep in the heart of Wales with the light of the full moon illuminating the horizon behind us