Michael Martell

Mike Martell of Milltown Cross has moved another step upward in his musical career after receiving accolades in several European publications.
Mr Martell, a long-time fisherman, has released three CDs since he began his songwriting career in 2001, including his most recent CD entitled She Waits for Me released late last year.
One of his most recent successes included receiving a standing ovation following his performance on the East Coast Music Awards Discovery Stage earlier this year in Newfoundland.
But he’s now receiving acclaim from the other side of the world. Mr Martell and his wife Tami had sent promotional CDs to a number of magazines earlier this year, including several in Europe. The result was that the CD was reviewed by music magazines such as Maverick and Folk Diary, both from Great Britain, and Folk World, a publication from Germany.
The review from Maverick gave She Waits for Me its highest rating of five stars, saying the songs are “sweetly sung in Mike’s unmistakably smoky-rich voice” and compares the harmonies on the album to that by classic music acts such as the Louvin Brothers and the Everly Brothers.
Folk Diary compared Mr Martell to the legendary Stan Rogers, adding that he would “win loads of new followers around the world.”
And Folk World said of the recording, “This is how folk music should sound, a singer who sings reflections of his own life. The things that touch him, the sea, the people, all straight from the heart. She Waits for Me is a very special album with a seldom seen pure kind of music.”
Mr Martell said he is flattered to receive the positive reviews and considers it to be his biggest success so far.
“This is done by independent reviewers. He doesn’t know me, I don’t know him, and not every CD they get gets reviewed,” he said. “To get a five-star rating means you have to have the vocals, and the quality and content of the songs.”
Besides the positive reviews from publications, Mr Martell’s music has also received airplay on a number of stations including a folk music station in Kamloops, British Columbia, a radio station in Ohio which is heard online, as well as stations in Italy and Sweden.
Ms Martell said she contacted the Ohio radio station after an individual from Great Britain told her he had purchased Mr Martell’s CD after hearing Fisherman’s Soul on the online broadcast. Ms Martell thanked the radio station for playing the song, and received an encouraging response.
“The reason I get the response that I do is simple – I only play the best, always,” the reply to the Martells said.
While the Martells wouldn’t say how many CDs they’ve sold, they say sales have been good as a result of the positive response to their music in Europe.
Mr Martell said he’s already written two dozen new songs since the release of his CD and hopes to record a second CD in the near future. He adds that Bill Garrett, the producer of She Waits for Me who is also responsible for producing more than 70 albums by many other artists, has expressed interest in working on the new project.
She Waits for Me is available at the Friendly Pharmacy in Montague and on Mr Martell’s own website at www.mikemartellmusic.ca.


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Mike Martell of Milltown Cross holds up two magazines which contain rave reviews for his CD She Waits For Me. The two magazines shown here are Maverick and Folk Diary, both originating from Great Britain, and Mr Martell’s music has also received accolades from various other publications around the world. While Mr Martell hasn’t received much in the way of airplay on PEI, his music has been played on several radio stations in Canada, the United States, and throughout Europe. - The Eastern Graphic-David MacDonald-Ocotber-2009

Mike Martell "She waits for me"
Label: Own label; 2008
Mike Martell is a singer-songwriter from Prince Edward Island, Canada. He has been a fisherman for over forty years and in 2001, at the age of 47 he wrote his first song. Since that moment he kept on writing with the Sea as one of his main theme’s. Now the time was ripe to record some of his songs and offer them to lovers of the genre. From the first moment his deep voice impresses me. Not the best trained voice in the world, but with emotion and a very personal sound and style. He is beautifully backed by Tami and Sophie Martell, who with their light voices, are the perfect counterbalance for Mike’s deep voice. This is how folk music should sound, a singer who sings reflections of his own life. The things that touch him, the sea, the people, all straight from the heart. She waits for me is a very special album with a seldom seen pure kind of music.
Eelco Schilder, Folk World, Germany - Folk World-Germany-Eelco Schilder--2008

Mike Martell, a Milltown Cross singer/songwriter released his third CD entitled She Waits for Me last week. Many of the 12 songs on the recording are inspired by life on the sea, either from his own experience as a fisherman or the experience of others.
Fishing is in Mr Martell’s blood. He has fished everything from cod, hake, flounder, mackerel and herring. He just retired from the silverside fishery, which he has been involved with since 1990. He also grows 36 acres of clams. His father was a smelt fisherman, and Mr Martell worked on the lobster boats with his brother.
But Mr Martell only became a songwriter and musician in the past several years. While he played a bit of guitar in his youth, it was only in 2001 that he had the urge to pick it up once again and put his thoughts to music.
“All of a sudden I found my voice,” Mr Martell said.
It happened one day while he was sitting in his truck waiting for his wife Tami. He was suddenly inspired to write the lyrics to his first song, The Ballad of the Garden Trip.
“I had nothing to write on except a roll of toilet paper and a crayon,” he said.
Three months later he recorded his first CD, The Old Man and the Tide, which was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2002 PEI Music Awards, and some time later recorded his second CD Ten Knots or More.
Mr Martell said his major musical influences are Stan Rogers and Archie Fisher, with other influences including James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot.
His most recent CD, which includes re-recordings of four songs from each of his two previous ones as well as four new songs, includes many stories about fishing and family. The CD includes back-up vocals from Tami and their daughter Sophie.
The first song, Fisherman’s Soul, came about after Mr Martell spoke to a number of Newfoundlanders about the demise of the province’s cod fishing industry.
“You have people who’ve been crushed, by relocating, by the fishery being taken from them,” Mr Martell said. “I wanted to try writing a song where people could say, yeah, I feel what they feel, I feel what it’s like to lose a livelihood.”
Other songs such as Ten Knots or More and Ballad of the Garden Trip are inspired by Mr Martell’s own experiences at sea, which included some harrowing moments on the water.
“They (fishermen) could relate to a rough sea, sloppy weather, fog,” Ms Martell, who has fished with her husband for many years, said.
Mr Martell’s family play a role in several of the songs. When We Meet Again is about Mr Martell’s mother, while The Smelt Fisher song is about his father, and Thoughts of September is about when he and Tami first met. The song Pencil is about one of the Martells’ daughters, and Mr Martell was inspired by the song when he went to his daughter’s room to practise. It was the only room in the house that was quiet and he then noticed a purple pencil on the floor.
She Waits for Me was produced by Bill Garrett, a guitarist and a music producer with more than 75 CDs in the folk, blues and jazz genres to his credit, including recordings by Stan Rogers, Nancy White and Amos Garrett.
Mr Garrett, who lives in Montreal and is a partner in the Borealis Records label, said he met the Martells at the East Coast Music Awards in Charlottetown in 2006 and expressed interest in recording a CD.
Mr Garrett returned to PEI this past spring to record the songs at the Martell residence. He then returned to his studios in Toronto and Montreal to record backing tracks with Tom Leighton originally from New Brunswick and who plays accordion and whistle, and Gaston Bernard, of Montreal, who plays mandolin.
Mr Garrett said the two things that really impressed him about Mr Martell were the sound of his voice and the content of his songs.
“He’s a really good singer,” Mr Garrett said. “His songs are all about what he does and who he is. He gives a straightforward honest view of the situations he writes about.
“I hear an awful lot of singer-songwriters who submit songs to the label (Borealis Records), and to run across someone who writes songs that are not all about me, my trials and my love affairs and so on is really refreshing. He (Mr Martell) writes about real life subjects.”
Mr Garrett said he would love to record another CD with Mr Martell in the future.
Mr Martell said he is flattered to gain the interest of a top-notch producer, and he expects his work to be more widely noticed as a result of recording his CD with Mr Garrett.
Mr Martell expects to focus a lot more on his music. He said he’s written more than 36 songs but isn’t quite ready to record them as he wants to see how well this CD will do. Over the past several years, he and Tami have performed at a number of concerts including the Kings Playhouse in Georgetown, the Confederation Centre, the ECMA 72-Hour Jam, and even a performance in North Carolina where they visited this past summer. Mr Martell hopes to take part in some folk festivals next summer.
She Waits for Me is available f - Eastern Graphic‏ 2008

These songs are written by a fisherman born on Prince Edward Island and are very much in the Gordon Bok and Stan Rogers tradition. Like Bok, Martell celebrates and weeps for the fishermen of the past. With little instrumental embellishment, he, too, relies on his wonderful baritone voice to carry him through. He may have fished commercially but these are not written for quick sale to others; these are introspective songs about his life. Martell departs from the fishing theme to dwell on love, his coming of age daughter and a bit of prospecting history in ‘Klondike Gold’. Martell’s lyrics work best when sung although ‘Fisherman’s Soul’ can stand alone as poetry. This is a pleasant look into Mike’s soul. [J.W. McClure] - Victory Music-J. W. Mc Clure--Seattle, WA -2010

Mike Martell isn't a full-time musician. He's a commercial fisherman, born and bred on P.E.I.

He's always had a strong, barrel-chested baritone, but was too shy to sing in public until he began writing songs seven years ago at the age of 47.

She Waits for Me brings together for the first time a dozen of Martell's songs about friend and neighbours who make a living from the sea. With Martell on vocals and guitar and his wife Tami, and daughter Sophie, on harmony vocals, it doesn't get any more authentic.

Produced by Bill Garrett, one of the founders of Borealis Records who also plays guitar, and featuring Gaston Bernard on mandolin and Tom Leighton on accordion and whistle, She Waits for Me is unadorned music from the heart.

It would be misleading to suggest Martell is another Stan Rogers. However, the late, great singer-songwriter would appreciate the comparison.

ROBERT REID
FOR NIGHTLIFE--Guelph Mercury Paper
- ROBERT REID FOR NIGHTLIFE--Guelph Mercury Paper

Mike Martell
"She Waits For Me.." Own label,

More often than not, when singer-songwriters create material based on their own lives, the songs are so personal, it's almost impossible for the other singers to adopt them.
However, although the twelve songs on this new cd by Mike Martell are mainly based on his days as a fisherman, I can easily see them being picked up and sung by others.
The songs really do paint a wonderful picture of life at sea around Prince Edward Island, On Canada's Atlantic Coast, where he lives and works, although I've no doubt it's not always quite as romantic an occupation as his songs sometimes suggest.
There's a hint of the late, great, Stan Rogers in Mike's performance and on this CD he's sensitively backed by Tom Laighton on accordion and whistle, Gaston Bernard on mandolin and Bill Garrett on guitar, whilst backing vocals are provided by wife Tami and daughter Sophie.
I'm sure that, if he could bear to tear himself away from what sounds like an idyllic life in PEI, he'd win loads of new followers around the world. Perhaps this excellent CD will do the job. (JM) Jim Marshall, UK
- The Folk Diary-UK, Jim Marshall-NO 237-June-July 2009

Sweetly sung in Mike’s unmistakeably smoky-rich vocals that sound as good as Dale Watson and on several occasions more than matches Don Williams.

Born and raised in Georgetown on Prince Edward Island, the first profession of this Canadian artist was not in music but in coastal fishing which he has done for 40 of his 53 years. Many believed him to be a shy character, but it was when he wrote his first song in 2001 that people started to listen to what Mike had to say. Songwriting really is his way of getting his voice heard, and judging on this album it is one heck of a voice that Mike has. Helped out on backing vocals by his wife Tami, the sound they both create is one which is as beautiful that you’ll ever hear.

As his profession is fishing, elements of the ways and methods that he practised in order to put food on the table penetrates his songs on more than occasion. His rich and extremely listenable voice is best demonstrated on Europa. With the harmonies akin to The Louvin Brothers or possibly The Everly Brothers, historical traces of those who once sailed the sea or ruled the lands are mentioned on more than one occasion or another and are sung with such love and affection that Mike’s admiration for these historic people is evidently shown in his vocals which seem to wash over his captured audience much like a Caribbean liner sailing idly in the swell of Bermuda. With no instrumentals used throughout, Ballad of the Garden Trip was the first song Mike ever wrote and it certainly is one fine track to start your songwriting career with. The quality of his vocals seem to immediately make you picture yourself soaring over the Atlantic whilst Mike’s workmates ply their trade. Including only minimal instrumentals may be a barrier too much for some musicians to try and jump over, but for Mike it is not as evident on Ten Knots or More. Continuing the theme of basing his music on his previous oceanic experiences, this track follows the route of travelling somewhere else other than the place you are in right now which is perfect evidence that not all tracks need layers upon layers of instrumentals to compose a fine song; this is a pure example of the latter and a treat of a track it is.

His awareness of the world around him is certainly heightened here, with some quite beautiful tracks delicately painting the world in which Mike has plied his trade nearly all his life. It sure is one handsome place that he sings so fondly about which gives you the urge to go and see for yourself the locations which are described so lovingly. Russel Hill-Maverick-country Magazine, England


- Russel Hill, Issue 87, October 2009

Sweetly sung in Mike’s unmistakeably smoky-rich vocals that sound as good as Dale Watson and on several occasions more than matches Don Williams.

Born and raised in Georgetown on Prince Edward Island, the first profession of this Canadian artist was not in music but in coastal fishing which he has done for 40 of his 53 years. Many believed him to be a shy character, but it was when he wrote his first song in 2001 that people started to listen to what Mike had to say. Songwriting really is his way of getting his voice heard, and judging on this album it is one heck of a voice that Mike has. Helped out on backing vocals by his wife Tami, the sound they both create is one which is as beautiful that you’ll ever hear.

As his profession is fishing, elements of the ways and methods that he practised in order to put food on the table penetrates his songs on more than occasion. His rich and extremely listenable voice is best demonstrated on Europa. With the harmonies akin to The Louvin Brothers or possibly The Everly Brothers, historical traces of those who once sailed the sea or ruled the lands are mentioned on more than one occasion or another and are sung with such love and affection that Mike’s admiration for these historic people is evidently shown in his vocals which seem to wash over his captured audience much like a Caribbean liner sailing idly in the swell of Bermuda. With no instrumentals used throughout, Ballad of the Garden Trip was the first song Mike ever wrote and it certainly is one fine track to start your songwriting career with. The quality of his vocals seem to immediately make you picture yourself soaring over the Atlantic whilst Mike’s workmates ply their trade. Including only minimal instrumentals may be a barrier too much for some musicians to try and jump over, but for Mike it is not as evident on Ten Knots or More. Continuing the theme of basing his music on his previous oceanic experiences, this track follows the route of travelling somewhere else other than the place you are in right now which is perfect evidence that not all tracks need layers upon layers of instrumentals to compose a fine song; this is a pure example of the latter and a treat of a track it is.

His awareness of the world around him is certainly heightened here, with some quite beautiful tracks delicately painting the world in which Mike has plied his trade nearly all his life. It sure is one handsome place that he sings so fondly about which gives you the urge to go and see for yourself the locations which are described so lovingly. Russel Hill-Maverick-country Magazine, England


- Russel Hill, Issue 87, October 2009

This is the real deal. Fans of East coast music have a new reason to pay attention, as this 53-year-old PEI fisherman weighs anchor long enough to release a first-ever recording that sounds like he’s been doing it all his life. If that wasn’t accomplishment enough, it’s notable that all 12 tracks are originals, and his first foray into songwriting was as recent as six years ago. Retired from the sea, he and his harmonizing wife work in the mainland fisheries but this is clearly no escape plan — the degree of introspection and observation found within these songs reflect a love for the solitude of the sea and a passion for this way of life. And, in the tradition of Stan Rogers’ authentic ability to capture the Canadian mystique, his deep, rich vocals sing of what he knows best while wife Tami’s harmonies offer sweet, gentle contrast to this hardy, satisfying fare. Mandolin, guitar, accordion and tin whistle provide minimal support yet keeping things simple underlines the subtle sophistication of this release. Friends, family, fishing, farewells and the fond memories of a life spent on the sea — this is an exceptional catch. - Eric Thom Exclaim Magazine, Dec. 2008

The results of Billboard Magazine’s 17th annual Billboard Starmaker 360 WorldWide Song Contest have been announced and local fisherman/singer-songwriter Mike Martell from Milltown Cross has earned an Honourable Mention In the category of Excellence in Composition for “Fisherman’s Soul,” the single from Martell’s latest CD, She Waits For Me.
Billboard Magazine is one of the world’s most prestigious, relevant and long-running music magazines devoted to the music industry. Judges are selected from a group of music industry insiders knowledgeable about songwriting, current music trends and the music business in general, according to Billboard Magazine. Since its release, “She Waits For Me” has received worldwide recognition, radio play in Italy, US and the UK
- Buzz On, PEI, October 2010

Think of fishing boats at a dock. Imagine waves lapping at the shore. Feel sunshine on your face. Hear the seagulls screech. Then you’re ready for Mike Martell music.

A muscular fisherman with a rich, folksy voice, 53-year-old Mike, from Milltown Cross, Prince Edward Island, Canada, has released a new album, She Waits For Me, with his best recordings yet. His four decades of fishing echo in each song.

Adept as a singer/songwriter and competent on guitar, Mike wrote all 12 tracks. The best ones include: “Fisherman’s Soul”, “The Napier”, “Thoughts of September”, “Ballad of the Garden Trip”, “Love’s Hope” and “The Smelt Fisher Song”.

Built from the pine at Georgetown,
Built by a very skilled man’s hands,
The Napier’s keel lie,
Bound for grimy London town….
You know, we nearly lost it all,
To a whale of a gale.
We left the old port on a dark, dreary night.
Every man was three parts tight.
At least we knew we had a place to stay,
Be it far away.
The food on board be worse at best.
I can still see the flies in the whole-wheat bread.
The Captain gave a mighty roar,
Hard to the sou’west.
From “The Napier”, Mike Martell, 2008

For Mike, songwriting forms the bedrock. “I want to write my own stuff because I’ve spent my life on the sea, and I have a lot of ideas about what makes a great song,” he said.

The music supports Mike’s poetic lyrics, not vice-versa. His messages and delivery are deep like the ocean, soothing like gentle waves and conducive to thoughtfulness.

Mike issued two earlier albums: Ten Knots or More (2004) and The Old Man and the Tide (2002). The latter competed for album of the year at the PEI Music Awards.

Only in 2001 did Mike write his first song and begin to take music seriously. Now it’s a preoccupation.

I met the girl, the girl I would marry,
Down by the river where I did lie.
We fell in love by the oak and the heather,
In a Glenn, misty and wild.
All alone not far from home,
Blessed with God’s love that night,
She gave me her hand. Now I understand
Love will make it all right.
From “Love’s Hope”, Mike Martell, 2008

Tami (Mike’s wife) and Sophie Martell provide backup vocals, Tom Leighton plays accordion and whistle, Gaston Bernard is on mandolin and the producer Bill Garrett plays guitar.

Partly recorded in Mike’s living room, the CD was mixed at Studio Fast Forward in Montreal. In fact, the project’s weakest aspect has nothing to do with the writing or sound. Instead, it’s the cover design that disappoints. By relying on blurred images, it creates an annoying clash because there’s nothing blurred about Mike or his songs.

Mike’s gentle touch – in crafting lyrics, singing them, telling tales and strumming his guitar – makes the CD special. Anyone lucky enough to listen will wait eagerly for whatever this singing fisherman writes and records next.

For more information: www.mikemartellmusic.ca

Quote--"Mike’s gentle touch – in crafting lyrics, singing them, telling tales and strumming his guitar – makes the CD special. Anyone lucky enough to listen will wait eagerly for whatever this singing fisherman writes and records next". (She Waits For Me Album) Cairns Media December 17, 2008-Hong Kong
- Cairns Media NEW Review (NEWS) 2008

Think of fishing boats at a dock. Imagine waves lapping at the shore. Feel sunshine on your face. Hear the seagulls screech. Then you’re ready for Mike Martell music.

A muscular fisherman with a rich, folksy voice, 53-year-old Mike, from Milltown Cross, Prince Edward Island, Canada, has released a new album, She Waits For Me, with his best recordings yet. His four decades of fishing echo in each song.

Adept as a singer/songwriter and competent on guitar, Mike wrote all 12 tracks. The best ones include: “Fisherman’s Soul”, “The Napier”, “Thoughts of September”, “Ballad of the Garden Trip”, “Love’s Hope” and “The Smelt Fisher Song”.

Built from the pine at Georgetown,
Built by a very skilled man’s hands,
The Napier’s keel lie,
Bound for grimy London town….
You know, we nearly lost it all,
To a whale of a gale.
We left the old port on a dark, dreary night.
Every man was three parts tight.
At least we knew we had a place to stay,
Be it far away.
The food on board be worse at best.
I can still see the flies in the whole-wheat bread.
The Captain gave a mighty roar,
Hard to the sou’west.
From “The Napier”, Mike Martell, 2008

For Mike, songwriting forms the bedrock. “I want to write my own stuff because I’ve spent my life on the sea, and I have a lot of ideas about what makes a great song,” he said.

The music supports Mike’s poetic lyrics, not vice-versa. His messages and delivery are deep like the ocean, soothing like gentle waves and conducive to thoughtfulness.

Mike issued two earlier albums: Ten Knots or More (2004) and The Old Man and the Tide (2002). The latter competed for album of the year at the PEI Music Awards.

Only in 2001 did Mike write his first song and begin to take music seriously. Now it’s a preoccupation.

I met the girl, the girl I would marry,
Down by the river where I did lie.
We fell in love by the oak and the heather,
In a Glenn, misty and wild.
All alone not far from home,
Blessed with God’s love that night,
She gave me her hand. Now I understand
Love will make it all right.
From “Love’s Hope”, Mike Martell, 2008

Tami (Mike’s wife) and Sophie Martell provide backup vocals, Tom Leighton plays accordion and whistle, Gaston Bernard is on mandolin and the producer Bill Garrett plays guitar.

Partly recorded in Mike’s living room, the CD was mixed at Studio Fast Forward in Montreal. In fact, the project’s weakest aspect has nothing to do with the writing or sound. Instead, it’s the cover design that disappoints. By relying on blurred images, it creates an annoying clash because there’s nothing blurred about Mike or his songs.

Mike’s gentle touch – in crafting lyrics, singing them, telling tales and strumming his guitar – makes the CD special. Anyone lucky enough to listen will wait eagerly for whatever this singing fisherman writes and records next.

For more information: www.mikemartellmusic.ca

Quote--"Mike’s gentle touch – in crafting lyrics, singing them, telling tales and strumming his guitar – makes the CD special. Anyone lucky enough to listen will wait eagerly for whatever this singing fisherman writes and records next". (She Waits For Me Album) Cairns Media December 17, 2008-Hong Kong
- Cairns Media NEW Review (NEWS) 2008

.."Atlantic waters gurgle and splash behind Mike’s folksy music. As he sings, listeners may rock to the motion of a boat or raise their feet away from imaginary waves lapping at their toes.." - Cairns Media, Hong Kong, 2007

Leicester Folk Diary--UK
CD released October 2008
Reviewed by Peter Burnham, November 2009
Canadian Mike Martell, from Prince Edward Island, has been a fisherman for over 40 years. He presents 12 of his own songs on this CD, accompanying himself on guitar on all but one of the tracks. His wife and daughter (Tami and Sophie Martell) provide gentle and effective harmonies on many of the songs. Additional accompaniment is ably provided by Tom Leighton (accordion and whistle), Gaston Bernard (Mandolin) and by the CD’s producer Bill Garrett (Guitar).
If you expect a seasoned fisherman to be rough, raucous and coarse then think again as none of those attributes are evident on this CD. We have here someone with a calm strength, deep feelings for his family and a willingness to open himself up through song. The overall feel is gentle and contemplative.

I’m surprised to learn that he only started writing in 2001, at the age of 47. There’s certainly more craft in these songs than this might suggest. Although described as a shy person, his lyrics portray the inner workings of both the sea farer and the family man. He writes and sings about what he knows. I’ve never met him, but after a few plays of the CD I feel I am getting to know him and very much liking what I hear.

The CD opens up with one of my favourite tracks "fisherman’s Soul", the story of the old Newfoundland fishery where people worked hard salting cod but ended up being relocated from their homes. This track, along with a couple of others, is available to listen to on Mike’s web site at www.mikemartellmusic.ca/ . This also gives a link to his Sonicbids web site where you can hear a couple more songs and get a bit more background to Mike and his songs. Whilst I might hear resonances with Dan McKinnon and perhaps Archie Fisher, I’d urge the reader to go to Mike’s web site to learn more about him, give him a listen and, if suitably tempted, order the CD.

A couple of other songs that stand out for me are "Klondike Gold" and "When we Meet Again". The latter is a particularly moving reminiscence of his parents which, although personal to Mike, is one that many of us will be able to associate with. The CD might be considered pleasant background music, but you are really missing out at this level. The words are clearly sung, but you need to give it your full attention to absorb the feel and the meaning of the songs. The lyrics are all included in the booklet that comes with the CD, although Mike’s rendition brings more out of them than is on the printed page.

Overall it’s a very pleasant CD which rewards the attention given. It would perhaps have benefited from a couple of more direct, up tempo songs to add variation. More information about the background to the songs would have been welcome, although there are a few snippets available on the web sites.

For me, this music belongs late at night shared amongst family and friends over a quiet drink. It’s gentle and it’s intimate. I don’t know the Martell's but I’m left feeling they’ll provide a welcome to anyone joining them for such a session. It’s a long way, but a trip over to PEI is sounding attractive especially if there’s a fish supper as well.
- Leicester Folk Diary--UK-Peter Burnham