We are proud to announce our line-up for this years Celtic Connections festival, which takes place in Glasgow. The line-up is yet another incredible one, featuring Daughter, Bear’s Den, Matt Hegarty (of Matthew and the Atlas) and Rae Morris.

DAUGHTER
Daughter is the combined work of Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli & Remi Aguilella. They have just released their second EP on Communion records, the stunning ‘The Wild Youth’ produced by Ian Grimble. The EP shows off their beautiful, dark sounds and the haunting voice of Elena. 2012 is sure to be a big year for them, and the band soon head out on the road supporting Ben Howard on his Sold Out UK tour.

BEAR’S DEN
Bear’s Den combine the songwriting and unique voice of Andrew Davie with big day-dreaming sounds, killer harmonies and incredible musicianship.

MATTHEW & THE ATLAS
Matthew and the Atlas is London based Matthew Hegarty.

Hegarty filters his textured and dreamy take on Americana through a distinctly English folk sensibility, and – with his bruised and raw vocal to the fore – tells stories that sound like they’ve been handed down through the ages.

RAE MORRIS
At only 19, Rae Morris is blessed with a huge voice and some incredibly mature which are impressing anyone who manages to see her play. Originally from Blackpool, Rae started playing piano at an early age and has recently supported the likes of Michael Kiwanuka. She tours the UK with Communion this February.

More info at www.celticconnections.com

We are delighted to be promoting the Ellen and the Escapades album launch for their debut album ‘All the Crooked Scenes’ at London’s Lexington on Monday 16th April.

The 5 piece who have spent the last few years touring extensively and playing countless festivals including a main stage slot at Glastonbury Festival have captivated many audiences with their unique blend of folk pop, fronted by Ellen Smith’s smoky yet wholesome voice. The Leeds-based band will release their long awaited debut album in April.

Supports to be announced soon.

Tickets are £8 and now on sale here

Communion also returns to San Francisco in 2012 with a stellar lineup!

The Soft White Sixties
http://www.thesoftwhitesixties.com/
San Francisco’s The Soft White Sixties are a hard-driving, original rock and roll band that delivers R&B grooves and pop hooks with the transformative power of raw soul.
They have been described as “a perfect mix of on the side of a railroad track blues and early seventies psych-meets-arena-rock” (Owl Mag) and likened to “a feast of Hamm’s ale and cheap cigarettes on the porch with Duane Allman and Dan Auerbach” (Sacramento Press).

Zane Carney
http://www.zanecarney.com/
As a guitarist, Zane is sought after for his unique combination of jazz sensibility and rock and roll abandonment. And it makes sense considering that when growing up he spent equal times listening to Aerosmith, Queen and The Beatles as he spent transcribing Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis and Bill Evans. But, it is his deep knowledge of jazz and classical theory mixed with his almost careless lack of inhibition that seem to most directly influence this unusual amalgamation of musical taste.

Big Eagle
http://www.mrgrecordings.com/artists/bigeagle.html
Hear Robyn Miller sing, and it’s clear she has country in her heart and something wild in her veins. It’s there in the tender folk ballads and the free-spirited rockers on her debut full-length, “Willow Creek,” which she wrote and recorded as Big Eagle. Miller is singing what she knows. The daughter of an artist and a naturalist, she grew up among the towering redwoods of Humboldt County, California. And even though her path took her far afield from her rustic roots, they still bubble up in her songs, along with hints of the many adventures she has had along the way.

Gabriel Kelley
“The Truth Of It” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qroD0ysYLzQ

Amy Blaschke
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Blaschke-Music/
“Lonely Cahoot” - http://youtu.be/K4kE5CQg-f0

Doors @ 7:30PM – Show @ 8:30PM
Age: 21+
Tickets: $14 door / $12 adv from here

We’re pleased to announce the first Communion show in Brooklyn, NY in 2012.

CLARE AND THE REASONS
http://www.facebook.com/clareandthereasons
“Clare and the Reasons played sweetly intricate chamber-pop that somehow mingled folk-pop, Philip Glass, cabaret oompah and the Beach Boys — for starters — behind the songwriter Clare Muldaur Manchon’s poised high voice, with an endearing quaver ” – The New York Times

NATALIA ZUKERMAN
http://nataliazukerman.com/
With diverse influences that include Folk, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Bluegrass, Country and even Classical, Natalia Zukerman has been described by public radio as “an example of the finest Americana.” She combines her unique slide guitar playing style with seductive vocals, a painter’s observing eye, unapologetic writing, and sharp wit. “Natalia’s voice could send an orchid into bloom while her guitar playing can open a beer bottle with its teeth.” –New Yorker

SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION
http://www.facebook.com/spiritfamilyreunion
“Spirit Family Reunion has only been a band for three years, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to their songs. All dusty acoustic guitars, wailing fiddles and weeping accordions, with a woozy-yet-skintight rhythm section—and topped off with burr-edged vocals that sound like they’ve been soaked in a Mason jar for generations—it’s the type of music that blurs the line between past and present so thoroughly, and so deftly, that time feels irrelevant.” – Jeff Giles, Paste Magazine

LEVI STEPHENS
http://www.levistephens.com/
Levi Stephen’s debut album, “This Way” goes far beyond the confines of R&B and seamlessly melds a variety of genres, from soul to rock to gospel to folk while always remaining honest, clever and conversational.

SYDNEY WAYSER
http://www.sydneywayser.com/
Raspy, sweet vocals atop songs that are fun and quirky yet simultaneously somber. A music box in a haunted house. Intimate and playful, placid and serene. Melancholy and dark, with occasional hints of passing sadness. This is the sound of Sydney Wayser, a twenty one year-old singer-songwriter who with her French father and American mother has lived her life between Paris and Los Angeles. Sydney’s music is rife with tales and adventure; it quite simply draws you into her world, delicately.

Doors @ 6PM – Show @ 7PM
Age: 18+
Tickets: $12 from publicassemblynyc.com

Communion Oxford on 15th January 2012 at Jericho Tavern

Lineup:

King Charles
Josh Flowers
Amber States

Lineup:

Panda Su
Adam Holmes and the Embers

28th December at Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh

Lineup:

Yes Cadets
Southern
Napoleon

22nd December at Limelight, Belfast

Communion are proud to present Juan Zelada at the Borderline on January 19th! Hot off the back of being touted by BBC1 Evening News as One To Watch and signing a major record deal with Universal’s Decca Records, Juan Zelada will be headlining the Borderline on Jan 19th ahead of his debut album release ‘High Ceilings and Collar Bones’ with Decca on 30th Jan and his single ‘What Do I Know’ released on Feb 5th.

Arriving in the UK from Spain 8 years ago, with just a guitar on his back, singer songwriter Juan Zelada has worked hard to get where he is now. He started off in London playing piano in restaurants, bars and weddings in an effort to survive in the city. After a considerable amount of time on the road honing his sound, Juan formed his own band of talented musicians and the rest is history. 2011 has been a really exciting year for Juan, seeing him quickly become one of the most talked about names on the music scene. His first two singles released this year, ‘Breakfast in Spitalfields’ and ‘The Blues Remain’, both received Record of the Week and A-playlist status on Radio 2 alongside rave reviews in the music and lifestyle press.

Now, with his timelessly crafted sound and classic good looks, the multi-talented pianist, guitarist and songwriter is ready to charm 2012.

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Take Canada’s hottest fiddle player, add an intrepid guitarist with Rage Against The Machine and Radiohead in his roots cellar, season with a percussionist who grooves on sawblades as readily as he does cookie sheets, stir vigorously with one of the most versatile double bass players in the country and you’ve conjured up the tasty and eclectic brew that is NEW COUNTRY REHAB. Driven by John Showman, James Robertson, Roman Tome’ and Ben Whiteley, the band’s unique sound at once channels time-out-of-mind Hank Sr. as it deftly flirts with the edge of indie-rock. Add Showman’s keenly observed, street smart tales of love and loss, and the effect is as compelling as it is resonant.

Their debut, self-titled album was released in Canada in January 2011. Recorded by Roots and Indie – Rock producer Chris Stringer (Obijou and Timber – Timbre), NEW COUNTRY REHAB highlights the group’s original compositions and broad musical palette.

Following a summer of touring as a favourite act at key music festivals across Canada, the band’s performance at the AMA’s in Nashville in October garnered a great deal of new attention for them in the Americana community. In January 2012, New Country Rehab will make its debut appearance in the UK at Celtic Connections in Glasgow and perform at The Wilmington Arms in London as part of a European tour. Early UK press signposts a group on the rise in Europe, consistent with the current buzz being generated in North America.

Communion are delighted to announce another brilliant line-up with Communion at Notting Hill Arts Club on the 8th January!

Opening the night we have the charmingly pretty sounds of Cara Sebastian. You can download ‘Wolves’ for free, the title track from Cara’s from forthcoming EP due Spring from this link carasebastian.bandcamp.com! After a Willy Mason support tour and Maida Vale session, we are delighted to bring Leeds based Sam Airey to the arts club. Spring Offensive have just finished their first tour of Europe and site their influences as The National and Wild Beasts. Next up is London based experimental rock band Eyes & No Eyes who will be treating us to a set after having supported Peggy Sue at their recent Bush Hall show. Pale Seas’ (formerly Netherlands) dream-pop sounds are not to be missed and headling the night, are Burning Beard who will wow you with their Led Zeppelin riffs and Pearl Jam vocals. All in all, we will welcome 2012 with a bang!

DJ sets by TV Nights and ATFL

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