Johnny's On The Water by Remorae published on 2024-01-19T15:53:29Z Johnny’s on the Water was learned from the singing of Appalachian folk singer Jean Ritchie (1922 - 2015). It twists the archetypal story of a woman left behind by a sailor, the singer rejecting grief and finding empowerment: ‘if he can live without me, I can live without him’. This line became the heart of our arrangement. We created this arrangement in residence at Snape Maltings in 2022. In slowing down the tempo, destabilising the rhythm, and replacing Ritchie’s sparse dulcimer accompaniment with an ensemble of modular synths, guitars and affected strings, we explore the way that the open sea warps our understanding of time and distance. The trumpet solo was played by Lissie Daly, a tireless campaigner for women in brass. Musicians: Lauren Spiceley - fiddle and vocals Joseph Woods - guitar and vocals Martha Wiltshire - cello and vocals Denis Wouters - electronics and vocals Lissie Daly - trumpet Tom O’Connor - fretless bass Florence Brady - vocals Trad. arr. by Lauren Spiceley, Martha Wiltshire, Joe Woods, Denis Wouters, Lissie Daly, Tom O’Connor and Hannah Jacobs Recorded at Pony Studios by Upcycled Sounds Mixed by Denis Wouters Mastered by Felix Davis Artwork by Floortje Kattemölle, photographed by Martijn Petrus Genre Folk & Singer-Songwriter