Pagan folk band PerKelt released a music video for Robin and Parakeet, a song from their latest album, Air & Fire.
The video was shot in “a secret mansion house, north of London (UK)”, the city where this international band is based (PerKelt members hail from the Czech Republic, France, Scotland and Australia).
Having already released four albums, PerKelt changed the usual pace of their songs in Air & Fire, which used to sound like “furious pagan speed folk” as stated in a review-interview by Cliff de Booy from CeltCast. Guitar player and vocalist Štěpán ‘Steppy’ Honc explains in the same article what happened:
“Did we plan this style change? Not really, we always write songs as they come and once we have enough of them for an album we go to the studio. It’s hard to call it a conceptual work then” He laughs. “But indeed, some of these songs were written slightly differently than before. Writing poetry became my big passion as a child and I have been writing poems and little stories pretty much constantly ever since. When our fiddler Duncan joined the band a couple of years ago, we naturally started writing songs together. He was bringing his melodic ideas, often with unusual rhythm changes like you can find in the new songs I’ll Be Right Back or Betrayal, and I opened my notebook with lyrics… and it just worked together really nicely. Paya then came in and, as always, she brought some crystal-clear Celtic melodies on top of that. Together, including David we would then arrange and polish all the ideas until everything felt just right (…).”
You can order Air & Fire directly from PerKelt’s web store.
Lineup
- Steppy Honc (guitar, vocals)
- Paya Lehane (recorders, vocals)
- Duncan Menzies (fiddle, vocals)
- Jay Fraser (didgeridoo, vocals)
- Dave Maurette (drums, percussion)
See also:
-
The Castlefest Collective releases new album
-
Folk musicians record exclusive song in support of Castlefest
Lyrics – Robin and Parakeet
One silent night the parakeet slept in her cage of gold
The moon was new and breeze so sweet, she let to fly her soul.
But then she heard a sweep of wind, the open window creaked,
A tiny robin, prince of streets, Came nosy, as you’d be.
“Why are you here, in the cage of gold?” the little bird so asked
For he never saw another soul being locked behind bars.
“Why don’t you fly like the leaves? Why do you stay in here?”
But instead of the parakeet Answered her silent tears.
My soul, my sweet little singing friend,
It’s not your fault, that you cannot understand.
That with the eyes closed, I can see what the life could be
And there’s no rules around the world, but the wind and you and me.
“Why don’t you fly above the roofs like any other bird?
Why don’t you try to put in use the wings you’ve got since birth?”
The little robin pecked the bars, the cage was made of gold
And hiding from the glare of stars the parakeet him told:
“I saw you flying in the streets and playing with the breeze
But unlike robins I’m not free, I wasn’t born for trees.
Look at my cage, it’s made of gold, and so’s the golden key
The stars are shining through my tears, I’ll never become free.
My soul, my sweet little singing friend…
And so spoke little parakeet but robin couldn’t hear
For when you’re born singing and free you get afraid of fear.
So the robin left the golden cage and the beautiful sad bird
Thinking “when I don’t understand it’s too easy to hurt.”
My soul, my sweet little singing friend…
Steppy Honc & Paya Lehane | PerKelt | Photo: Kees Stravers
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