The real value of a full gig hit home tonight; one where you are absorbed in an artist's presence for a couple of hours. The music of Ellie Gowers has emerged over the last nine months. Firstly via a slot at last autumn's socially distanced staging of the Beardy Folk festival, and subsequently by performing in one of the twice-weekly Green Note streams that involved an in-the-round type setting for artists to interact with each other largely on the art of songwriting. A thirty minute festival slot and a four song showcase on the stream were sufficient to open the door to the music of this young Warwickshire based artist and now attending a full gig has sealed the deal.
Forty eight hours after live music had been given yet another kicking from the Government's lockdown strategy, at least the Kitchen Garden was persevering with a 'show must go on' philosophy and this gig went ahead within existing restrictions. An added bonus was the show moving performing space to the newly created outdoor patio stage in a beautifully curated covered setting. For those who know this iconic Kings Heath venue it is the outdoor space linking the cafe and the garden centre. The assembled audience were in the mood for some seriously good live music and Ellie Gowers didn't disappoint.
There are many fine facets to the way she goes about presenting her music. Not only equipped with a voice to awaken the dormant angels and guitar playing to adorn her finely spun songs, Ellie has quickly developed an engaging stage persona to warm an audience and build a strong foundation of projecting her beliefs, philosophies, feelings and fruits from a productive dive into the folk archives. In essence an all round entertainer.
As expected from artists emerging from the darkness of 2020-2021, lockdown plays an integral part of an artist's reflection on the last twelve months or so. Ellie was quite candid about some of the effects and alterations, but ultimately had the pleasure of the release of her latest EP to hold onto. PARTING BREATH came out in March and was the result of yet another tap into the services of Stroud's musical genius Lukas Drinkwater who provided the infrastructure and guidance to commit Ellie's latest music to a commercial format.
However like many folk artists, Ellie rarely stands still and musical influence and enterprise continues to flow from a multitude of sources. While understandably the recorded catalogue may yet be thin, we were treated to a healthy mix of collaborative work, newly worked material, a dip into the mystical world of the traditional song and a some well curated covers. All these are eloquently laid out in an affable stage manner that is also unafraid of tapping into that longstanding art of audience participation. The new world may soon be upon us, but don't count on everything from the old world being discarded.
By the time Ellie had finished her second set, we were well versed in what drives her to be a folk singer. From issues and folklore of her native Warwickshire to something more personal and open to sharing, the songs soared high in a Birmingham sky on a warm summer's evening. The future of folk music was never in doubt. Ellie Gowers just provides a name to that future. One to look out for whether you like to engage with your music in a live setting or choose to take a punt from the ocean-like pool of new music that floods an ever changing market.