Muzyka

‘A very desirable artefact,superbly arranged and produced and a fascinating insight into Britain’s relationship with its historical closest ally, and a powerful collection of hugely original songs. ‘ fRoots

‘The Anglo-Polish singer brings a numinous reggae-kujawiak in honour of tank commander General Stanisław Maczek, who after the Second World War pulled pints at the Leamonth Hotel in Edinburgh.’ MOJO Playlist

‘Polonia is charged with romance, historical witness and courage, generating an experience that complements similarly inclined records by British Sea Power or Public Service Broadcasting.’ Q Magazine 4 stars ****

Track listing :

• Polonia
• When Charlie met Pola
• Got a Little Bit of Love
• We Can Go dancing
• Bomba
• Jumping with Zo
• Hands of Time
• Exiles
• My Beloved General
• Christine the Great
• The Mathematician
• Mr. Trebus
• Quo Vadis
• Poland Calling Polonia home
• Snow is Falling
• Red Wine

Press release

Polonia, the title of the inspirational new album from Katy Carr, is the Latin name for Poland and this is the realm the artist is celebrating in her music and song. As Katy Carr explains, ‘A strong brave, sovereignty proud of her freedom fighters and warriors who march to bring justice and peace to troubled times. Part of Katy Carr’s intention in making Polonia is to promote the longstanding, deep friendship between Britain and Poland, one threatened by present political and social prejudices. In a broader sense Polonia is a response to hate crimes endured by so many immigrants.

The record’s subject matter employs a large cast. This includes: Charlie Chaplin and the actress Pola Negri; the legendary Polish female spy Krystyna Skarbek, who inspired Ian Fleming’s Bond girl Vesper Lynd; the British composer Sir Edward Elgar; the first mathematicians (Polish) who deciphered Enigma in 1938 and Polish 1st Armoured Division General Maczek who was reduced to ‘Barman Stan’ in Edinburgh post WWII.

Polonia takes its title from Sir Edward Elgar’s gesture of devotion and loyalty to his close friend the fellow composer, and later president of Poland, Ignacy Paderewski GBE. Elgar wrote his Polonia piece in 1915, precisely 100 years ago this year, to benefit the Polish Victims Relief Fund: in 1915 Poland had been erased from the map of Europe, a consequence of having been partitioned 120 years previously between her neighbours Russia, Germany and Austria. At the end of World War I Poles were granted their country back.

The stories used to inspire Katy’s songs come from notable moments in Polish history and life – aspects of culture, military and intelligence exploits and incidents, intellectual invention, and science, as well as the loyalty and bravery that were the character traits required to carry them out.

Polonia, Katy Carr’s fifth album, is inspired by an under-developed area of Western historical research: World War II’s Eastern Front and the mighty military force of the free- dom fighters of Poland. Carr’s songs on Polonia explore those very people who during World War II fought not only for an independent Poland but also for the freedom of the West, especially Great Britain: Poland was not only Britain’s only ally for the first two years of the war but her largest military coalition force after the USA at the end of World War II.

Yet in the 1946 Victory Parade in London, every nation was celebrated that fought along- side Britain, except for the Poles, omitted by the new British government so as not to upset Stalin – only the Communist government elected in Moscow to rule Poland was invited.

In the song ‘My Beloved General’ Katy Carr portrays the devastating effects that the 1945 Yalta Conference, which ceded Poland to Soviet influence, had on the Polish World War II freedom fighter heroes. One of these was General Maczek, the subject of ‘My Beloved General’; stripped of his Polish citizenship, he worked in an Edinburgh bar to support his family. Known as ‘Barman Stan’, the humble Maczek was a grand Polish war hero; he had fought valiantly in the Polish Bolshevik War of 1920, helping stop the spread of Bolshevism throughout Europe. The lyrics ‘And we fought altogether for Freedom,’ offer apt words here.

‘I was first inspired to write this song when the late Lord Fraser invited me to perform at a charity to raise money to build a memorial to General Maczek in Edinburgh. From there my fascination grew and I met some of the Polish 1st Armoured Divisiom veterans at the British Embassy in Warsaw. My connection with the Division grew and grew: in December 2014 the veterans appointed me an honorary member.’

Sonic treasures like ‘Christine the Great’ emerge like an aural personification of Polonia. Told from the point of view of a British soldier, Carr pays tribute to Krystyna Skarbek, Winston Churchill’s favourite spy and the inspiration for the character Vesper Lynd in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale.

Clearly Katy Carr’s inspiration is Poland’s very difficult history. But her music and author- ship is more an act of renaissance rather than requiem. She represents a new generation of light who no longer have to carry the heavy burdens of the past but can translate these ex- treme histories into acts of healing. At the push of a button this generation can change the world and this is what Katy Carr is endeavoring to do.

The excellent musicianship on this album is pronounced. In ‘Polonia’ and ‘Red Wine’ BJ Cole graces us with his pedal steel guitar, adding his unique and distinct quality, providing the music with an added ethereal quality. Steve Beresford gives sonic delight with electric insects on ‘Red Wine’ and a magnetic sounding plane from his electrical wizardry, setting the scene for Carr’s ‘Jumping with Zo’, in which General Elzbieta Zawacka, the only woman to jump with the Cichociemni (Silent and Dark), the Elite Polish Parachute regiment, jumps into the ‘dark sky.’ The tune contains a small hint of the ‘Hejnał,’ a Polish national musical symbol, which is played on a bugle in Krakow town square four times every hour on the hour. Beresford also adds mathematical flavours in a machine-like manner to the song ‘Bomba’ to which Herbaliser‘s Oliver Parfitt also brings vintage keyboard flavours.

In a lighter tone, the reference made to Charlie Chaplin in ‘When Charlie Met Pola’ is delightful – in his book My Trip Abroad (1921) Chaplin wrote that his fiancée Pola Negri was the most beautiful ‘thing’ that he had seen in Europe. Here renowned folk musician Guy Schalom performs the additional spoon playing.

Historically diverse and touching on until recently very controversial subjects, the songs ‘Bomba’ and ‘The Mathematician’ pay homage to those Polish mathematicians who in 1938 first deciphered the Enigma machine ciphers: Bomba was the name of the first Enigma counter-machine, designed by the Polish Cypher Bureau in 1938, by mathematician Marian Rejewski.

Katy Carr’s music and songs on Polonia open us up to a world that largely has been forgot- ten. Yet remains part of living history: Polish veterans of Stalin’s slave trade during WWII inform Katy Carr’s work.

The Polonia songs were written during Katy Carr’s residency at the Polish Institute and the Sikorski Museum in Kensington, London, whilst sitting at the desk of the great Polish Gen- eral Anders. Katy Carr is definitively a leader for the renaissance of Poland: she is no author of requiem. If Polonia and Britannia met again one can only imagine what the exchange would be. Just like Elgar’s Polonia symphony, Katy’s music also has a timeless and epic quality. Musicians BJ Cole, Steve Beresford, Guy Schalom, Oliver Parfitt (Herbaliser), Jez Coad (Simple Minds) and her music producer Nigel of Bermondsey have helped her to create an album that could have been written about any age of Poland, such are its epic truths.

Polonia is set to ignite Katy Carr’s path on fire. Written by Chris Salewicz.

For more information please contact EvansAbove PR on +44 (0) 207 241 5010 // +44 (0)7909901322 Lizzie@evansabovepr.com

Technical information :

All songs written by Katy Carr

Produced and engineered by: Nigel of Bermondsey

Arranged by: Katy Carr & Nigel of Bermondsey

Mixed by: Jez Coad

Mastered by: Chris Cawte

MUSICIANS:

Vocals and Piano: Katy Carr

Bass guitar: Nigel of Bermondsey

Accordion : Anja McCloskey

Drums: Sam M. Kelly

Moog, Hammond, Wurlitzer and keyboards: Oliver Parfitt

Additional male vocals on ‘Polonia’ and ‘Poland Calling Polonia Home’: Nigel of Bermondsey

Spoons, shakers, gaffer tape, tambourines and other percussion: Guy Schalom Pedal steel guitar: BJ Cole

Trombone: George Simmonds

Tuba & trumpet: Paul Tkachenko

Free improvisation on electric insect, wine glass, electronics and toy instruments: Steve Beresford

Sleeve notes: Chris Salewicz

Recording and Engineering at Sugar Cane Studios: Even Fromreide

Artwork and design: Susan Burghart susanburghart.com

Photography: Ben Wright at www.benwrightphotogaphy.co.uk

___________________________________________________________

• Best Concept Album Independent Music Awards (2014)
• Nomination for Best Artist Songlines Music Awards (2013)
• The Polish Daily People of the Year Award for Culture (2013)

‘One of the most intriguing concept albums of the year’ THE GUARDIAN

‘Tender and brave’ THE OBSERVER

‘Angular, theatrical, Klezmeric. Intriguing.’ THE INDEPENDENT –

‘Never less than immaculate’ SUNDAY TIMES

Mala Little Flower

Kommander’s Car

Track listing :

• Katy Carr meets Kazik Piechowski
• Kommander’s Car
• Paszport
• Weronika
• Wojtek
• Mała, Little Flower
• Czarne włosy, zielone oczy
• Red Red Rose
• Alicja
• Motylek
• Dziś do Ciebie przyjść nie mogę
• Travelling to You
• Wejmutka
• O mój rozmarynie
• Chodźmy, Partyzanci!

Press Release

Katy Carr’s beautiful, romantic fourth album ‘Paszport’ is an epic, poetic journey through her past and that of her parents’ nation, Poland.

Nominated for the London Music Award 2012, alongside Kate Bush, PJ Harvey and the Arctic Monkeys, and also for The National Lottery Awards 2012 for her Arts Council-funded ‘Escapologist Tour’, British-born songwriter Katy Carr’s heartfelt ‘Paszport’ album tackles areas and issues long considered too politically delicate to mention.

‘Paszport’ begins with a short extract in Polish from Kazik Piechowski, Carr’s main source of inspiration to whom she dedicates her record. Listening to Kazik’s voice, we not only hear a 92-year-old man who made a remarkable escape from Auschwitz in June 1942 – in Commandant Rudolf Hoess’s car dressed in SS uniforms – but also realise that the intergenerational link between Carr and Piechowski is key for the creating of this sensitive liaison. For it is the first time in Kazik’s life that someone has been inspired by his life to create something meaningful for him.

The first song is ‘Kommander’s Car,’ a fierce, pulsating, folk ballad describing Piechowski’s emotions in the last eighty metres of his escape. This song, initially released on Katy Carr’s previous album Coquette, has been remastered, but is crucial to this album as it is the point from which Carr’s current journey into discovering her Polish roots began.

‘Meeting Kazik changed my life. When I met him in 2009 and first played him my song Kommander’s Car, I had no idea that I would be taking this mammoth trip of discovery into my own Polish roots. Kazik’s story is therefore my key to gaining access to my own Polish heritage. Through the film I made with fellow British film maker Hannah Lovell, Kazik and the Kommander’s Car, we met Kazik for the first time. I have learnt through him how Polish people are so cool and fight for what they believe in. I am so very proud to have met Kazik and thank him forever for giving me back my love of Poland and my Polish blood.’

Dedicated to the Polish World War Two experience Carr has drawn on all her musical influences and performances in the British vintage 1920s, 30s, 40s scene and mixed them with hardcore Polish World War Two history topics that have remained silenced since then – due to the Iron Curtain’s rule over Central and Eastern Europe for over 45 years.

‘I am interested in bringing history into the contemporary through the form of song. It is with great pleasure that I have been described as an ambassador for Polish History by the Polish media and I intend to continue this role through my creative work. I want to help inspire people globally to learn all that Polish people and beautiful Poland has to offer.’

The album ‘Paszport’ explores themes of Polish WW2 experience and pays homage to the Polish soldiers and pilots who fought so hard for Poland’s independence only to have their country taken over by the Soviet Union at the end of World War Two – resulting in the mass displacement of Polish refugees across the world. In the song ‘Wojtek’ we catch a glimpse of the mascot of 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps during WW2: Wojtek was a Syrian brown bear who was made an honorary ‘private’ by the Polish Army, due to their affection for him; later he helped soldiers lift ammunition boxes at The Battle of Monte Cassino, 1944.

‘Red Red Rose’ is a song inspired by the mass transport of 1.8 million Poles to Siberia throughout World War Two : it centres on the theme of a ‘black black train taking my baby away…’ Note the red star on the train in the artwork.

The lyrics of these emotive songs are contained within the CD, printed in a mini-booklet designed by Central Illustration Agency artist Susan Burghart, who is married to a Pole. Carr insisted that Burghart was taken to Warsaw on an inspirational artistic trip to create the artwork on this album, ensuring that inspiration was taken from such archival institutions as Warsaw’s State Ethnographic Museum, and the archives of the London museum, The Polish institute and the Sikorski Museum.

Musicians that have played on ‘Paszport’ come from a wide variety of sources. They include Klezmer cellist Francesca Ter-Berg, who was also Carr’s musical director; classical and gypsy violinist Flora Curzon; and Klezmer, Egyptian and Eastern European percussionist Guy Schalom [Schalom was nominated for Best Group in Songlines World Music Awards 2012 for his Baladi Blues Ensemble]. Wojciech Wentura was hired by Carr to help with her Polish pronunciation and to sing as the Opera singer on ‘Alicja’. And the voices of Polish soldiers from the 22nd artillery company are heard on ‘Wojtek’, whilst the Polish Partisan choir perform on ‘Chodźmy, Partyzanci!’, which translates as Let’s Go, Partisans!

Produced by Nigel of Bermondsey, this is a tight indie record exploring themes of love, refugee status, loss of passport, country, resistance, hope against adversity and patriotism.

‘It’s time the voices of the past were heard. ‘ Katy Carr 2012.

We leave you with a quote from the poem by Jerzy Harasymowicz that is printed in its entirety in the CD booklet:

‘You own a passport therefore you exist.’

Technical information :

• In November 2011, Katy Carr’s third album ‘Coquette’ was nominated for the London Music Award 2012 alongside Kate Bush, PJ Harvey, Arctic Monkeys, The Good, the Bad & the Queen, Metromony, Ed Sheeran, Jim Jones Review, The Unthanks and Laura Marling.
• Coquette was listed by Brett Anderson of the English alternative rock band Suede (band) as one of his top ten albums of 2011 alongside The Horrors, Björk,Kate Bush, Bon Iver, Wild Beasts, The Kills and Little Dragon.

‘Carr is a fine example of that much-maligned beast we call Authenticity’ London Music Award nomination (2012)

‘This album is a scrapbook of characters, places and stories from deep inside Carr’s imagination and it has been a mesmerising experience to glimpse into her world. I can’t fault this album. Quite simply it is a masterpiece.’ ***** The Music Critic

‘Quite simply a masterpiece’ ***** MUSIC CRITIC

‘Exquisite, original and lovely.’ **** PSYCHOLOGIES

‘Coquette is an original and fascinating work,’ **** DAILY EXPRESS

Carr’s ‘bald subject matter distances her from the kooky crowd.’**** Q MAGAZINE

‘This is Carr’s most fully-formed music yet.’ **** MOJO

Army

Berliner Ring

Track listing :

• Star Song
• Sparkle
• Berliner Ring
• Erotic Days
• Violetta
• Butterfly
• Orchidophile
• Kommander’s Car
• Belladonna
• Army
• The White Cliffs
• Sleepyhead

Press Release

‘Definitely one for the Mercury Music Prize to consider’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘Second album from English dance-folk prodigy’ **** UNCUT

‘This is singery-songwritery fare with a difference. Carr writes ribald songs about sex’n’drugs’n’rock’n’roll… but it’s the screwy leftfield arrangements that really grab you’ ****MOJO

Track listing :

• Paper Castle
• Druggie
• Sharkesville
• Alsation
• Spaceboy
• Borderline
• Jellybean
• Turpin
• Snake
• Kiss
• Reddle Woman

Technical information

All songs written and arranged by Katy Carr Produced by Katy Carr Co-produced, engineered by Jeremy Vass Drums recorded by Steve Cooper Photography by Savan mogha Make-up and styling by Ida Akesson Recorded at Maple Street StudIos London W1 Musicians Vocal, Piano, wurlitzer, keyboards : Katy Carr Drums, percussion, moog : Jeremy Vass Guitar, male vocal : David Okuniew Wurlitzer, moog : Oliver Parfitt Double bass : Benjamin Nicholls Dick Turpin : John Hegley Tablas, tanpura : Manjit Singh Rasiya French horn : Isabel Schmitt Violin : Calina De La Mare Cello : Dinah Beamish Trombone : Stuart Bates Electric bass: Craig Gogay

Press release :

Passion Play is a sensuous ten song musing upon the highs and lows of life : namely love, death, drugs, alcohol, sex, ambition and highwaymen. Katy conjures a magical world of cruising sexual predators, interstellar relationships, religious junkies and erotic vampires.

Style wise Passion Play retains he alt-folk mood of debut album ‘Screwing Lies’ whilst introducing electronic elements due to Katy’s growing interest in the dance scene. The work of 4- Hero, A Guy Called Gerald and Micatone (Sonar Kollektiv) have been particularly inspirational.

Outstanding tracks include the Kruder & Dorfmeister influenced ‘Paper Castle’ featuring Olly Parfitt of The Herbaliser, performance poet John Hegley as the infamous highwayman on ‘Turpin’ and ‘Sharkesville’ with Calina De La Mare violinist with the Tindersticks. brass, double bass, cello and violin add depth and light to arrangements. The moog brings a touch of Jean-Jaques perry retro feel to the dance-floor friendly Borderline.

Passion Play is peoples with a menagerie of hot-headed, cold-blooded and starry-eyed characters obsessed with fulfillinf their desires. Not unlike the real world, but with a touch more magic. Katy Carr is committed to bringing trills and folk thrills to the 21st century.

‘An accomplished debut album from a fascinating new voice in the acoustic world ‘ TNT

‘Sensual and Sultry’ **** UNCUT

‘Raw, unpredictable debut by English alt-folk star in waiting’ **** Q

For Screwing Lies

Album : Screwing Lies Label: Deluce Recordings Catalogue no: MDL 117 Date of Release: Oct 2001 Track listing :

• Ramble My Rose
• Push
• Screwing Lies
• Shine
• Moscow Child
• Black Widow
• Knickers
• Flower
• Shark
• Marmalade
• Duke
• Ramble My Rose

All songs written by Katy Carr

Produced by Katy Carr

Engineered by Jez Larder

Mastered by Martin Giles

Photography by Gina Birch of The Raincoats

Visual concept by Vit Hopley

Digital design by Oskar Vizan

Musicians

Vocal, piano : Katy Carr

Cello : Shimrit Atad

Guitars, electric bass, drum machine : David Okuniew

Double Bass : John Edwards

Drums : Paul Soden

Concertina, bassoon, flutes : Robert Harbron

Violin : Erik Lieglersschmidt

Violin : Helen Davis

Viola : Brendan Lawless

Press Release

Katy’s debut album ‘Screwing Lies’ chronicles the madness of sexual relations, from unrequited love to lonely hearts, how it feels to be ‘the cheat’ or ‘the cheated’. Songs of infidelity and murder, transvestism and female insanity sung in a soothing, intoxicating voice.

Impossible to classify. ‘Screwing Lies,’ eclectic influences take the listener on a journey from the repressed Victoriana of the title track to the trip-hop cheekiness of ‘Knickers’. A dark, folk-pop muse, carr believes in the power of stories. Traditional tales are updated ad subverted with voyeuriem taking a front seat. The meaning of each story is elliptical, always in sight yet tanatalisingly just out of reach.

Arrangements are carefully chosen to compliment each song without being overpowering. The sparce rich cello of ‘Black Widow’, the gallic concertina of ‘Screwing Lies’, john Edwards’ double bass that drives ‘Ramble My Rose’ a groove to make Pentangle proud, and ‘Moscow Child’s’ waltztime piano, Eastern European style.

Beautiful on the surface with a delicious dark centre, ‘Screwing Lies’ is an accomplished debut album from a fascinating new voice in the acoustic world. Katy Carr is a welcome anomaly.

At noon on June 20th, 1942, a Polish prisoner stole an SS commandant’s car and fled Auschwitz with three others. Kazimierz Piechowski, then 22, was dressed as an officer. Yet hardly anyone outside Poland has known this until now. Katy Carr, a British-Polish songwriter who heard the story on television in Poland two years ago, has written a song about it… Carr’s song recounts the final stretch… Until recently his memories were too searing to share. Hearing Carr’s song, he felt soothed. “It’s my voice,” he said. “I will play it to anybody who will listen.” THE TIMES