Kenneth J Nash returns with ninth album written following family bereavements

The folk singer-songwriter released For Sarah last week, an album recorded in Northamptonshire and a remote Welsh log cabin.
Kenneth J Nash's new album, For Sarah, is out now. Photo by Mark O'Connor.Kenneth J Nash's new album, For Sarah, is out now. Photo by Mark O'Connor.
Kenneth J Nash's new album, For Sarah, is out now. Photo by Mark O'Connor.

Singer-songwriter Kenneth J Nash has released his new album – a record three years in the making and written to help his wife deal with the loss of members of her family.

For Sarah was released last week, with Nash recording the record both at his home studio in Northamptonshire and in a remote log cabin in Lake Vyrnwy in Wales.

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Talking about the record, Nash said: “I initially started with a couple of songs written about our honeymoon in Snowdonia when tragedy struck my wife’s family and we had a succession of close family bereavements.

“I decided my next album would be a tribute to my wife and be memories of our good times to help her with the loss and grief.

“I started writing the songs that made up the rest of the album and recorded some of the basic tracks both at my home studio and while tucked away in a remote log cabin in Lake Vyrnwy.”

For Sarah is the folk singer-songwriter’s ninth album and follows 2017’s Luna.

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With a knack for blending his smooth, emotive voice with a lyrical prowess heavily influenced by his time spent on the road, Nash’s songs of love, loss regret and renewal draw on influences including Damien Rice, Townes Van Zandt and Lou Reed.

The songs throughout For Sarah are built on Nash’s skill as a singer and acoustic guitarist, however the record features a number of guest musicians including Veronika Rauchfussova on violins, Nye Parsons on double bass, Amber India Frost on cello, Stephen Price on trumpet, J M Jones on mandolin and backing vocalists Fran Taylor, Chanel Williams and Emily Fedorowycz.

Nash said: “I spent a long time finding the right session players to compliment the songs and build the orchestral arrangements I had in mind.

“In the end I am very proud of this work and believe it to be my best yet. My wife agrees.”

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The album’s opening track, Spencer Park, was written about a summer night Nash shared with his wife in his home town of Rushden.

He said: “My wife and I visited our local park for some fresh air, we saw a series of events that seem almost impossible looking back but it’s all real - from the sightings of Venus and sun dogs to the coven of witches.

“Rushden is not known for its sights, but I like to dig deeper to record the things I witness as a good memory of an event or trip.”

Talking about the inspiration behind other tracks on the album, Nash wrote And Around Again about the ups and downs of a long term relationship, explaining, “How even when faced with the darkest times that love can find a way through,”.

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He added: “I wanted this song to focus on the word Again. I felt it was a positive word about how love was continuous and everlasting despite life’s waves.

“I wanted the chorus to be a positive hook despite talking in part about the bad and good parts of the course of love.”

Sunflower Zen Blues was written about moving in with his wife’s mother to help and look after her.

“In that first summer we spent a lot of time in the garden, having moved from living in a flat for over a decade we welcomed the outside space,” he explains.

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“My wife grew some Sunflowers and they inspired me to write this song about her growing them.”

In recent years, Nash has played at the Isle of Wight Festival, at Seth Lakeman’s Hootenanny party and at HowTheLightGetsIn - the world’s largest philosophy festival.

He has also supported the likes of Eliza Carthy, Mark Morriss, The Wonderstuff and Mad Dog Mcrea.

Receiving airplay across the world and nominations by magazines and websites for past records, last year Spotify chose two of his songs to appear on their new release radar.

For Sarah is out now and available on streaming platforms including Spotify, Youtube Music, Amazon, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and on CD.

For more information, visit www.kennethjnash.com