The Rowan Amber Mill?

The Rowan Amber Mill started out in March 2007 initially as a solo project by Stephen following the demise of his previous band miller.

After writing and recording 10 tracks of extended demos during throughout the course of 2007, Stephen went about putting together a band to take up the weird folk mantle (whatever that is), after some initial line up and name changes (The Amber Folk Mill, Rowan's Amber Mill, and finally, The Rowan Amber Mill), Stephen recruited Bass player and percussionist Terry (who had played in the final line up of miller).

In early 2008 The The Rowan Amber Mill expanded into a trio, with the addition of Kim as proper singer, guitarist and recorder player extroadinaire.

With the initial tracks being made available on the bands own website (www.millersounds.co.uk) and on Myspace, a degree of interest grew in the music and the bands music started to receive airplay on some "weird folk" friendly radio shows, in addition to receiving some encouragement from some fine musical people (you know who you are). They were also asked by the people behind a new totally ethical downloads website (the indmill) to release some Rowan Amber Mill music on their newly launched site.

So, in August 2008, the first release by The Rowan Amber Mill was a 6 track mini album entitled 'folk devils and moral panics'. The mini album was made available as a download only on the downloads website the indmill.

In 2009, The Rowan Amber Mill contributed the track  'Blood and Blones to a rather wonderful compilation CD released entitled Beyond The Pale released by Sideways Through Sound, which featured some top weird folkists (including some of our own faves such as Arborea, Silver Pines and The Gentle Good).The legendary Terrascope Online (Terrascopic Magazine) reviewed Blood and Bones on the compilation and said "Working to an epic scale, The Rowan Amber Mill are intense and magnificent on “Blood and Bones”, a hypnotic banjo adding menace to the tune, whilst an incessant drone nags away at the back of your mind ".

June 2009, saw the release of their debut CD 'midsummers', a 10 track CD themed around feelings and elements eminating from Summer.

The latter half of 2009 saw The Rowan Amber Mill expand into a four piece band with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Sharon into the band, and for the remainder of 2009 they are in full swing recording tracks for a 12 track album that will be released in early 2010, and also preparing for the odd live date or two.

In summary:

The Rowan Amber Mill are Stephen, Kim, Terry and Sharon, purveyors of Pastoral Folkadelica / Strange Folk (delete as appropriate). The sound is, in various incarnations, produced by Acoustic Guitars, a Bouzouki, an Electric Guitar, a Banjo, a Wobbly Bass, paint pots and percussion, a voice and some whistles being recorded in a disused sheds in the heart of the Westcountry. The music is their own brew of Pastoral Psychedelic Folk. Music produced out of love of both the authentic and innovative Sixties and Seventies folk of Fairport Convention, Martin Carthy, early Steeleye Span and Trees; and the delight of the current crop of "acid folkists" such as Espers, Tunng and Circulus. To sum up then - Modern tales of the timeless. Images hidden within pastoral landscapes. Music first and last. Expansive and Free. Cheese and Onion.