Admiral Fallow

Fresh from their opening slot for Snow Patrol at the Glasgow SECC in front of 10,000 people and their sell out headline Celtic Connections gig at the 02 ABC in January 2012, the Shetland Folk Festival have booked the hotly tipped rising band Admiral Fallow for a one off gig on Thursday 3rd May.

Formerly known as Brother Louis Collective, they were formed by singer/song-writer Louis Abbott in 2007. Citing influences including Tom Waits, Elbow, Low, Midlake, King Creosote, and Springsteen, Admiral Fallow adds clarinet, flute, double bass and four jaw-dropping voices to the usual indie line-up to smash through their joyous, heart-filled, orchestral-tinged and beautifully well crafted songs. The band continues to attract admiring comparisons to Arcade Fire and Frightened Rabbit, while forging a sound that brims with originality. Having crafted their sound and fan-base from the grassroots up, this band certainly seem poised for the big time after winning favourite-new-band status across a broad swathe of folk, pop and indie opinion throughout 2011. Their richly distinctive mesh of acoustic and electric textures with multilayered harmonies has gained a fast-expanding fan base either side of the Pond, prominently including Guillemot’s Fyfe Dangerfied, Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and BBC2’s ‘Whispering” Bob Harris.

The single “Squealing Pigs” from their debut Boots Met my Face album was performed live on BBC television’s Hogmany Live Show on 31st December 2011 and has been used on NBC’s Chuck, featured in a commercial first aired at Super Bowl 2012.

Among the band's early successes were opening for the aforementioned Guillemots, winning a coveted Your Sound award at legendary Glasgow venue King Tuts, and extensive airplay for debut single 'These Barren Years', on Euphonios Records. After headlining the T Break Stage at T in the Park, they were crowned as Under the Radar act of 2009 by the Scotsman newspaper, having meanwhile recorded Boots Met My Face at Glasgow's Chem 19 studio, with award-winning producer Paul Savage (Delgados, Franz Ferdinand, Mogwai) at the controls. The band is in the process of recording album no 2 with the same producer.

They have already appeared at some of the UK’s most prominent Festivals including Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival and T in the Park. As well as supporting Snow Patrol, they have also opened for the likes of Futureheads, Paolo Nutini, King Creosote, the Felice Brothers and Frightened Rabbit. Joining Louis Abbott are fellow vocalist Sarah Hayes (also flute, piano), Kevin Brolly (clarinet, keyboards, backing vocals), Joe Rattray (bass, double bass, backing vocals) and Philip Hague (drums, vibraphone, backing vocals).

Take the opportunity to catch this band in Shetland now – before they are huge!!