Bethany Weimers
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Bethany Weimers

Oxford, England, United Kingdom | INDIE

Oxford, England, United Kingdom | INDIE
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"Silver Moon Review // Fresh on the Net // April 9th 2012"

Bethany Weimers creates a haunting atmosphere with quirky instrumentation and distinctive vocals. Think Florence without the Machine or Kate Bush in a cathedral. Silver Moon is a shimmering piece of Alt-Folk with delicate falsetto harmonies and the gentle sound of a harpsichord permeating the whole piece to beautiful effect. Perhaps that’s why the Oxford based songstress’ latest EP is entitled Harpsichord Row. Either way you can listen to the whole EP and more on Bethany’s website. - Fresh on the Net


"Harpsichord Row Review // Colcifer // April 16th 2012"

I was born to like this album. It’s Weimers’s debut, so there are a few rough spots, but it sounds great. One of very, very few albums recorded in a bedroom that you couldn’t have guessed was recorded in a bedroom (I don’t know how the myth that it’s easy to make a few K sound like an M got started…), this is a brilliant showcase of an artist I hope to hear more from.

I suppose I could tell you that she sounds like a folksy-Regina Spektor and that her musicianship is top notch (she played everything but electric guitar on the album, including singing the perfectly executed vocal harmonies, which never go out of style) but I trust you’ll save me the trouble by previewing the album below (four tracks the whole album is available!) and then pre-ordering (use this link-iTunes takes a far bigger cut). The album is out May 7. - Colcifer


"Harpsichord Row Review // A Musical Priority // April 30th 2012"

‘Harpsichord Row’ is the debut album from Oxford based alt-folk artist Bethany Weimers. The album was recorded throughout last year in Bethany’s spare room. It soon becomes obvious how much this album means to Bethany, the thought and effort put in has resulted in a wonderful collection of songs.

The album opens with the mysterious ‘Silver Moon’ which instantly sucks you into the heart of the album with its dark melody. Bethany’s vocals float perfectly throughout. ‘Lucky Day’ is a song that you simply can’t live without. The soft piano melody and the soothing vocal delivery combine perfectly to create a song that deserves to be heard by the entire world. ‘William and His Ghost’ highlights Bethany’s talent for creating songs that have a pop feel to them, the cheerful sound and the infectious chorus are the perfect mix for radio playlists everywhere.

From this point on you are completely oblivious to the rest of the world, your entire focus will be on the beautiful sounds emanating from your speakers, as the album continues to deliver song after song of such high quality.

A new national treasure in waiting?
- A Musical Priority


"Harpsichord Row Review // Female First // May 9th 2012"

Bethany Weimers has been making quite a name for herself on the live circuit of late and now she is back with her debut album Harpsichord Row.

And it’s not hard to see why her live performances have been such a hit as this is a haunting and mesmerising album from start to finish.

Silver Moon is the opening track on the album and it has a dark melody and a stripped feel to it as Weimers’ vocals take front and centre stage.

This opening track immediately reveals what Harpsichord Row is all about; this is a singer-songwriters record where production is kept to a minimum while vocals are the most important element.

There is a really haunting feel to Lucky Day, which is one of the best tracks on the album, as Weimers’ pitch perfect vocals are supported beautifully by a lone piano.

There is a change of pace with William And His Ghost as this is perhaps the most upbeat and pop track on the album - there is a really infectious feel to the chorus.

And it’s great to see Bethany show off her versatility as an artist as she has not just stuck with one style throughout the album.

Desire is another highlight as it is a laid back acoustic track once again the production has been scaled back and Bethany’s vocals really will just sweep you away.

Harpsichord Row really does show off Bethany Weimers as an artist that we should all be getting excited about as she is a singer who can hold you with just her voice and her lyrics.

The sparse feeling to the album gives it a real depth as well as creating a truly haunting atmosphere throughout.
- Female First


"Harpsichord Row Review // Alt Country Forum // June 1st 2012"

De afgelopen jaren behoorde de 31-jarige eigengereide zangeres Bethany Weimers met een geweldige live-reputatie en een onafhankelijke status als artieste tot de culthelden van de Engelse anti-folkscene. Met het album “Harpsichord Row” maakt de vocaliste, die voor mij een van de vele muzikale ontdekkingen van dit jaar is, haar debuut. Een cd vernoemt naar een traditionele en vergeten straat in Oxford met een verleden, de muffe geur van leegstaande woningen met z’n oude geheimen en diepe emotionele littekens van de toenmalige bewoners. “Harpsichord Row” verscheen afgelopen maand op Weimers’ eigen platenlabel 1784, tevens het geboortejaar van haar oudvader.

Op het tien nummers tellende schijfje horen we het sterke vakmanschap van Bethany Weimers. Een plaat over onder meer verloren liefdes en het geschikt maken van de waarheid voor een ander. Ze brengt de luisteraar in vervoering met melodramatische pianoklanken en haar fingerpicking gitaarspel. Je vergaapt je aan haar innemende, etherisch en mysterieus stemgeluid en de oneindig gedubbelde vocale harmonieën. Meer moet het ook niet zijn. “Harpsichord Row” is een album balancerend tussen de sferische elementen van het folk-noirgenre en dromerige popmuziek. Op het elektrisch gitaarspel van Mark Stow (William and his Ghost en Protect) na, is deze plaat van eigen hand en het afgelopen jaar opgenomen in de intimiteit van haar slaapkamer. Petje af voor Bethany Weimers. Na het beluisteren van het album vraag ik mij af waarom vaak zoveel geld uitgegeven wordt in opnamestudio’s.
“Harpsichord Row” is een intrigerend stukje muziek geworden, waarop Weimers een bijzonder sfeer weet te creëeren. Alsof de stoppen ieder moment kunnen doorslaan van de onderhuidse spanning grijpen de uitgepuurde nummers als Silver Moon, The Letter en 30.000 Days waarop minder toegankelijke paden worden bewandeld, je bij je nek vel en dwingen de luisteraar de oren te spits. Je houdt ervan of vindt het vreselijk. Een middenweg lijkt niet te bestaan. Als je je door de alternatieve liedjesvormen en de simpele, directe aanpak niet laat afschrikken zal je aan het eerste album van Bethany Weimers vele uren luisterplezier beleven. “Harpsichord Row” is dan ook een veelbelovend debuut van een dame waar ik maar al te graag snel meer van wil horen. - Alt Country Forum


"Harpsichord Row Review // Nightshift Magazine & MTTM // May 24th 2012"

There’s something almost gospel about Bethany Weimers’ Harpsichord Row. As it swells and grows with each track, she mixes perfect pronunciation with tribal drum beats, and at times heavy piano accompaniments not dissimilar to Tori Amos. The stereophonic sound in opener Silver Moon creates a disorientating effect, adding to the otherworldly vibe of the album, whilst The Letter combines melodramatic piano to ghostly vocals, further adding to its despondent sound.

Elsewhere, William & His Ghost boarders on electro-pop territory, a more upbeat number which draws you in with each breath of the melody. Given that Bethany’s description of the album is “hidden truths; about our connection to the world around us, and about finding hope in small things,” it’s not surprising that it feels likes a collection of stories and voices framed around a forgotten Oxford street and, fittingly, nowhere is this more apparent than in the title track. A meeting point for many current residents, Harpsichord Row acts as reminder that we’re constantly treading on history without taking the time to realise it.

In 1784 Bethany’s layered vocals take you back to another place, exploring the idea of emigrating for a better life inspired by her great-great grandfather. Whilst in other tracks, she seems to continuously revisit what it means to be a woman, which combines to create an album with a sense of searching, for stories, for meaning and for hope, and with each listen these elements become more prominent. The recording took place in Bethany’s spare room, and it’s proof that talent overrides expensive production, her passion ringing out with each note. Though musically the album is diverse, it’s Bethany’s ability to continually reinvent her voice which carries the whole thing forward, her vocals bending and blending into each track. - Nightshift Magazine and MTTM


"Harpsichord Row Review/Blog // Now This Sound Is Brave // June 20th 2012"

NTSIBers, please meet Bethany Weimers, of Oxford, England. Harpischord Row is her first record; on it, she balances folk and pop in interesting ways, and weaves complex stories through delicate melodies. Every time one of her songs floats up on shuffle I pause for a moment to greet her characters properly, as they are compelling people. - Now This Sound Is Brave


"Harpsichord Row Review // Sputnik Music // July 1st 2012"

Bethany Weimers is one of the best discoveries I have managed to stumble upon in recent times. Listening to Harpsichord Row for the first time, I actually assumed Weimers to be a fairly established musician considering the high quality of both the compositions and their execution and was therefore rather shocked to discover that I was probably one of the first people in Finland to have even heard of her.

Stylistically we are in melancholic folky territories, but mixed with some pop sentiment that comes through especially in the choruses. It reminds me a bit of classic Joni Mitchell with a touch of PJ Harvey thrown into the mix. Weimers relies mostly on her acoustic guitar and piano to do the instrumentation while her expressive voice is the main focus. To spice up the performance, she also uses multiple tracks of backing vocals and well placed harmonies throughout the album, making the end result rather mesmerising and in part distinguishing her sound from her influences.

Additional electric guitar is provided by Mark Stow on two of the tracks, of which the album closer 'Protect' is also one of the definite highlights with its beautiful layered vocals. Other particularly memorable moments include the opener 'Silver Moon' with its hypnotising keyboard melody, and the dark and dramatic '30000 Days'.

Apparently recorded in a bedroom, the album nevertheless sounds absolutely professional and the stripped down production compliments the haunting atmosphere of the songs very well and represents Bethany's versatile voice with clarity that makes picking up the lyrics just by listening easy. There is still some rawness to be spotted at places, but that perhaps only adds to the charm; folk music is not meant to sound completely sterile after all.

At 35 minutes, Harpsichord Row is not a long album, but it does not contain any filler either. Every track is a tightly arranged package with captivating melodies and vocal hooks evenly spread on all ten pieces making you never feel like skipping a song. There is also a fair amount of variety going on with more up-beat and bright tracks like '1784' balancing the mostly sombre mood.

If you enjoy melodic folk or just well-performed female vocals over acoustic instrumentation, there is no reason not to give this little album a listen. It would be a shame for this very impressive debut to get completely overlooked by its potential audiences, which I am sure could be plentiful. - Sputnik Music


"Harpsichord Row Review // folking.com // July 9th 2012"

If you ever need justification for the technology that allows someone to make an album in their bedroom using a sofa and some sleeping bags for sound-proofing then this is it. Bethany Weimers plays piano and acoustic guitar, gets her drums from Pro-Tools and added some electric guitar from Mark Stow for some extra colour. And that’s all there is to it.

Bethany wrote all the songs and sings them in a voice that is flexible and interesting, strong without being strident. The opening track, ‘Silver Moon’, has been released as a single but my preference would have been for ‘Lucky Day’ which follows it. Then Bethany takes us out of our comfort zone with ‘William And His Ghost’, an upbeat folk-pop song, and ‘The Letter’ which feels vaguely sinister.

The name of her record label comes from another song; ‘1784’ is about a man called John born in Suffolk in that year. The only trouble with Harpsichord Row is that Bethany doesn’t give us lyrics or notes on the songs so it took some work to find that it was inspired by her great-great-grandfather. I have discovered that ‘30000 Days’ is the length of the average human life and I assume that is what is implied. ‘Harpsichord Row’ is a street in Oxford where Bethany lives. At least it was; it is long since built over.

So: intriguing words, and I apologise for going on about the songs but a songwriter has to be judged by what he or she writes, coupled with sometimes spare arrangements and an interesting voice – and I mean that it a good way, too – and you have a rather stunning debut. - Folking.com


"Harpsichord Row Review // Oxford Music Blog // July 27th 2012"

Harpsichord Row, Bethany Weimers’ debut release, is steeped in a sense of place, both in its sound and its subject matter. The Oxford based musician’s 10-track album is an exposition of her refined alt-folk, distinguished in its purity and elegance. The whole album has a lucid quality; every song is well refined and clear-textured, free from non-necessity. It is partly this stripped down characteristic that helps construct the haunting, otherworldly atmosphere, complimented by Weimers’ pure, glassy vocal. This quiet potency is composed into the music, and Weimers’ poised performance and simple production impart this aura most effectively.

This power is felt throughout the album’s spectrum of genres, ranging from the English folk of Fairport Convention, namely in ‘The Letter’, to the up-tempo pop found in ‘William & His Ghost’. Weimers’ powerful vocals liken her to Kate Bush and Florence Welch, both clear musical influences, with the piano oriented pop of ‘Lucky Day’ comparable to the former and the tribal drum-filled folk of ‘William & His Ghost’ to the later.

The originally composed folk songs have a timeless quality, but the production is far from nostalgic and is just as embracive of new technology as its self-distribution. Weimer’s employment of Pro Tools in her instrumentation may offend some traditionalist folk-lovers, but the album’s embrace of the here and now, and its sidestepping of a conservative view of authenticity, creates an interesting and individual aesthetic; both ancient and very much in touch with the present.

In fact, time and its passing is a core theme in Harpsichord Row, taking its name from a forgotten Oxford terraced street trapped in the past after its 1929 demolition (the patch of grass by London Place is its only visible remains). Many of the songs embody similar ideas and evocations of time; ’30000 Days’ takes its name from the length of an average human life, and ’1784' portrays a man named John, born in that year, allegedly Weimer’s great-great-grandfather.

Harpsichord Row takes the best from the past and the present and does so with both musical and conceptual clarity. This is a beautiful album and a very promising debut. - Oxford Music Blog


"Harpsichord Row Review // Music in Oxford // July 19th 2012"

As you approach Headington Hill on St Clements, a strip of grassland divides London Place from the roadside. It’s an unremarkable scene, easily missed, and appears to be nothing more than a decorative afterthought to the area. It comes as a surprise, then, to learn that this little stretch is actually all that remains of Harpsichord Row. Demolished in 1929, and with only the barest of mentions in subsequent local histories, the site is a relic of another time – a palimpsest of East Oxford’s past – and it is from this patch of land that the debut album of Bethany Weimers takes its name.

Just how far this place’s influence seeped into the record’s creation is something only she will know. It’s not difficult, however, to follow an atmospheric thread from beginning to end suggesting it pervades the entirety. This makes for a captivating listen and seems to evoke the interweaving of past and present lives that places like Harpsichord Row embody.

Weimers’ voice plays an enormous part in developing the tone. It’s assertive but tender, both powerful and nuanced, and it blends these qualities beautifully. ‘To The Land’ and ‘Desire’ are two entrancing numbers where that vocal mixture seems to weave a spell as it surges and dives around the guitar picking. Such instances are startling and would stand alone on other albums, far above the rest of the material. Thrillingly, that isn’t the case here. When not enthralling us with this stripped down elegance, it’s the straightforward impact of some great songwriting that’s most prominent. ‘William and His Ghost’, particularly, is a number that proves difficult to forget as verse and chorus both pull their weight in constructing an infectious and thoughtful song.

There’s a distinctive flavour to the lyrics, too. Weimers could probably sing about the most frivolous of things and produce a fairly profound-sounding result. As it is, we’re indulged with the biggest subjects; time’s passage, our yearning for a life not our own and the inescapable influence of the past on the present.

It’s this last theme that provides a clue to the success of Harpsichord Row. The modest slice of land lending its name to the record is the site of a daily fusion between past and present, and it’s something akin to this that Weimers has achieved here. Variations in vocal character merge together seamlessly while laments sit in peace alongside toe-tapping melodies and the result is brilliant. Ethereal and enchanting, it heralds the arrival of a gorgeous debut album from an exciting new talent. - Music in Oxford


"The Punt Festival, Oxford, May 2009"

[At the other end of the spectrum,] the beguiling Joplin-esque vocals of family-history obsessive and Punt-opener Bethany Weimers drift amidst the children's tomes section of Borders’ staid, sterile environment over sedate, mesmerising folk tunes littered with references to her relatives. Rumour has it she bakes great cakes too.... - The Fly Magazine


"The Punt Festival, Oxford, May 2009"

Following this Bethany Weimers took over with her gutsy brand of acoustic folk music. Her voice was amazingly powerful, with songs to match – each one telling a story, imparted on the audience like ancient folklore.
- Oxfordshire Music Scene Magazine, Issue Six, Summer 2009


"Supporting Dan Reed at The Bullingdon Arms, Oxford, 8th May 2009"

Bethany Weimers charmed the audience with a small medley of catchy songs; the strongest of which, ‘1784’ and ‘Little Minnie Rippengale’ – both based on stories from her ancestry – were tellingly retrospective in both sound and content. Though reminiscent of several popular folk heroines, Bethany’s fresh, breezy vocals retained a dark edge of originality that perfectly matched the tone of her lyrics. - www.dailyinfo.com


Discography

Harpsichord Row - LP, released 2012, 1784 Records
Silver Moon - single, released 2012, 1784 Records

Photos

Bio

Armed with a single microphone, Pro Tools, and a vocal booth fashioned from sleeping bags and an upturned couch, London born, Oxford raised alt-folk artist Bethany Weimers, spent much of 2011 as a bit of a hermit, performing, recording and producing her debut album ‘Harpsichord Row’. The result is a beautifully atmospheric collection of songs with both folk and pop appeal, that draw the listener in with hooky melodies belying their darker content, poignantly exploring the human condition whilst remaining uplifting and life affirming.

Bethany has steadily been building a reputation as a stunning live performer for several years and with Harpsichord Row she has now created something equally mesmerizing on record. Her background in composition (she has a masters degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and time spent working as an audio restoration engineer are both evident, as is her passion for story-telling and the craft of songwriting. Influences include The Civil Wars, PJ Harvey and Warpaint and fans have likened her to artists such as Amanda Palmer and Marissa Nadler.

Her songs have been heard on 6 Music and BBC Introducing Oxford, as well as on Amazing Radio and her performances have included repeat appearances at Towersey Folk Festival and Commotion Festival, plus the famous Oxford Punt and Cowley Road Carnival, as well as numerous smaller gigs and festivals.

Harpsichord Row was released by 1784 Records on May 7th 2012 to widespread critical acclaim.

The CD and digital download are available to buy on Bethany’s Bandcamp. Digital purchases are available from all the usual places. Full UK physical distribution will be announced in the Autumn.