Unthank nominated for Mercury Prize

Jul 23 2008 By Sam Wonfor, The Journal

The shortlist for the Nationwide Mercury Prize was announced yesterday with Rachel Unthank and the Winterset flying the North East flag. Sam Wonfor reports.

FOLKWORLD darlings (and bona fide North-East treasures), Rachel Unthank and the Winterset have been shortlisted for the prestigious Nationwide Mercury Prize.

The Newcastle-based band – and more specifically their 2007 album The Bairns – will go up against a diverse field of fellow music makers including Radiohead, Adele, Estelle and Robert Plant for the accolade which awards a £20,000 prize tag alongside the obligatory explosion of credibility and CD sales.

The band, sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank, along with Niopha Keegan and Belinda O’Hooley have been together since 2004 (fiddle player Niopha replaced departing viola player Jackie Oates during the recording of The Bairns) and have already amassed an impressive awards cabinet.

In 2005 their debut album, Cruel Sisters was voted Best Folk Album by Mojo magazine; they were crowned Artists of the Year at The Journal’s inaugural Culture Awards in 2006 and in 2008 they notched up four nominations at the BBC Folk Awards (Best Group, Live Act, Album and the Horizon award)... scooping the last of the four. The Bairns, which like Cruel Sisters is a dedication to the living tradition of Northumbrian music, has been described as "a bewitching, dream-like, down-to-earth masterpiece"; "gorgeous" and "a classic in its own lifetime."

And yesterday’s nomination seems to have cemented its status.

Speaking as they made their way back to Newcastle for a bit of a celebratory knees up last night, 29-year-old Rachel said: "We just heard about the nomination a couple of days ago, but were sworn to secrecy."

The shortlist of 12 albums of the year, which was announced at an event in London’s Covent Garden, is chosen by an independent judging panel made up of musicians, producers, presenters and music journalists.

The panel’s decision is based solely on the music rather than sales. Previous winners include Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, Antony and the Johnsons, and Dizzee Rascal.

"It was a total surprise to be shortlisted," said Rachel. "When you’re making your little album under the stairs (she’s not speaking metaphorically – a selection of the tracks on The Bairns were recorded in the under-the-stairs cupboard at home) and you send it off, you really have no idea what is going to happen. So when this happens, it’s completely overwhelming.

"We were taken down to this room today with all these flashing cameras and different people wanting to talk to us... all a bit crazy really."

Although recognising that their latest album has opened doors which were previously only ajar, Rachel says it would have been impossible – and undesirable – to predict its success.

"All you can do is try and make something that you’re happy with personally, something you’ve put your all into and something that you’re happy for people to listen to. That has to be your focus.

"Then you send it out to big wide world and wait to hear what people think.

"We’ve been really lucky with reviews and airplay for the album and that has definitely opened us up to new listeners which is always nice."

As well as the award-ceremony back pats, 2008 has also seen the band spreading their wings and taking their sound to foreign climes, including European dates and sell out gigs in Sydney Australia.

Next up is America in September. "We’ve never been before – like at all," says Rachel before remembering, "Ooh no, wait a minute... Becky went to Disneyland once, but that’s it, so we’re really excited."

With dates booked in Chicago, New York, Boston and Minneapolis and Toronto, Canada, the girls are certainly making the most of their time Stateside.

But they may have to reschedule some of their travel arrangements given yesterday’s development.

The Mercury Prize ceremony, which will be broadcast live on BBC2, takes place on September 9.

"So we’ll all get to go down and have a nice evening," says Rachel.

But will they be planning to let their hair down in a fusion of folk and rock and roll shenanigans?

She laughs: "We’ll probably go down planning not to let our hair down... which probably means we will." And then some I wouldn’t wonder.

Rachel and Becky Unthank will join an eclectic bill at The Sage Gateshead on Thursday for the Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys.

Hollywood actor Tim Robbins, Suzanne Vega and Beth Orton are among those performing, as well as Newcastle-based singer (and former Mercury Music Prize nominee) Kathryn Williams.

Tickets are still available from the box office on (0191) 443-4661.

To hear some snippets from The Bairns, visit the band’s MySpace site at www.myspace.com/rachelunthank