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The Toy Hearts
Presented by: Green Note| 0 | LONDON: Green Note at The Old Queen's Head |
|---|---|
| P | Tuesday 3rd April, 2012 |
| N | 7:30pm |
Event information
The Toy Hearts have been making music together for over ten years, partly because the core trio of the band is made up of family members, and partly because they are old school when it comes to music. They have honed their skills the hard way by gigging across the UK, USA and Europe, the result being that they deliver an exciting, energetic
and dynamic live show, packed with just the right amounts of sweetness, sass and style.
Sisters Hannah (lead vocal/mandolin) and Sophia (guitar/harmony vocals) front the band, and along with their father Stewart (banjo/dobro) they carry on the established tradition of the family aspect within country music. Blood harmonies, original songwriting and arrangements, instrumental virtuosity and a deep love for that high lonesome sound means that despite being geographically removed from the bluegrass state, the Johnson family have successfully created their own kind of sound that encompasses both Bill Monroe in Kentucky with a dash of hot club straight from the Continent.
The Toy Hearts continue to get great coverage in the specialist press, Guitarist, Acoustic, R2, Country Music People but have also had extensive features in the more mainstream national Press such as, The Independent, The Sunday Express and The Star on Sunday. 2011 has seen The Toy Hearts profile going from strength to strength with performances at major UK festivals, amongst them Cornbury, Bestival, Shambala and Moseley Folk as well as a live BBC session with Bob Harris and a major feature in the Daily Mail.
Tonight, The Toy Hearts are celebrating the launch of their new album, ‘Whiskey’.
Press for their last album, Femme Fatale:
“One of my favourite bands” Imelda May
“Influenced by the Nashville guitar pickers and singers, they are two very sweet girls” Ronnie Wood
“It's a really lovely album, I like it very much. It's unusual to think that really great bluegrass music would come out of the Midlands from this country, but it's true” Bob Harris BBC (of ‘Femme Fatale’)
“They fully deserve to be the first British act nominated for a bluegrass Grammy. We should consider ourselves lucky, Nashville didn't confiscate their passports so they couldn't ever leave!” Mike Davis, Net Rhythms
“Fronted by sisters Hannah and Sophia Johnson, these are sweet harmonies and commendable forays into hot jazz and old-time swing” Uncut Magazine
“Sisters Hannah (mandolin) and Sophia (guitar) were a delight, highly personable, and proved they have what it takes for some serious cross over potential without compromising their music.” Michael Hingston, Live Review for Country Music People
“The vocals are pure and the musicianship is top-class... This group is going from strength to strength and I would recommend this album to all bluegrass fans” Maverick Magazine
“The overall sound is excellent, Hannah's vocal's quite superb and Sophia's guitar playing stunning. The album has a tremendous vitality about it and the elements of western swing that creep in here and there only add to the variety of a band who are as good to look at as they are to listen to.” Venue Magazine
Venue information
LONDON: Green Note at The Old Queen's Head| 0 | 44 Essex Road Islington London N1 8LN |
|---|---|
| > | www.greennote.co.uk |
