Rachel Newton

Singer and harpist Rachel Newton specialises in reworking poems and ballads that are hundreds of years old, weaving them into her contemporary compositional style to create a rich sound that is ambitious, original and unique. A skilled collaborator, Rachel is a founder member of The Shee, The Furrow Collective and The Lost Words: Spell Songs. She has recently launched the new duo project Heal & Harrow with long time friend and colleague Lauren MacColl. Rachel has been awarded Musician of the Year at both the Scots Trad Music Awards and the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

To The Awe

To The Awe places women at the centre of its narrative, drawing on old poems and traditional song lyrics to follow the various stages of a woman's life, often marking a coming of age and an acquisition of power. The record is a tribute to the women who have inspired Rachel and is influenced by her own recent work around representation in the music industry. Composed, recorded and mixed in lockdown, it was a challenging album to make, but ultimately a welcome focus and a vital connection with others in such strange and uncertain times.