21/02/25
On his new album Wasteland, Jim Ghedi has created something huge. Intense, brooding, bold, at times apocalyptic, and remarkably
vast. A profoundly bold sonic statement that is some of the most rich, far-reaching and ambitious work that Ghedi has created to
date - pushing the boundaries of what what folk music can be in 2025.
Wasteland is a record that is unafraid to plunge into the darkness of the modern world and embrace the weirder, edgier and more unnerving
moments that come from doing so. It is an album that captures all the enormity of life from the micro to the macro, zooming in on the personal
as well reflecting on broader societal issues.
“Wasteland is about the idea of a place once known or familiar that is now broken down and unrecognisable,” says Ghedi. “It’s about exploring
the process of watching someone’s surroundings and environment collapse.” And within that you have a lot going on. “It also explores death,
personal loss, grief, mental health and how the natural world provides solace and meaning for that loss and how these worlds blur into one
another.”
Ghedi has always been an artist that in many ways perfectly encompasses folk music in its purest form but he is also someone that frequently
pushes the boundaries of that label and no more so is that apparent than on this record. As like previous albums, such as 2018’s A Hymn for
Ancient Land and 2021’s In the Furrows of Common Place, Ghedi uses traditional folk songs as a means to explore contemporary issues via
modern and experimentally-leaning music. “With the traditional material on this album I wanted to find songs with content that resonated with
me,” says Ghedi. “But also that were based roughly around the north of England.” This is a central underlying theme to the album for Ghedi.
The feelings of loss, erosion, and degradation are often most pronounced in working class communities and this was something he wanted to
weave in. “It was important to voice and choose material that represented or expressed issues that correlated with things going on around me.”
However, as remarkable as some of the traditional material is, some of the most arresting work on the album is Ghedi’s entirely original
compositions. Lead single ‘Wasteland’ is a stunning piece of work that while rooted in an environment being corrupted and broken – “there’s
violence on these hills” Ghedi sorrowfully sings, before claiming this is no longer somewhere that can be called home – it is also a stirringly
beautiful composition that soars and glides as it opens up, as sweeping strings swoop and in and out of Ghedi’s twangy electric guitar.
The decision to incorporate more fuller sounds, such as electric guitar and huge drums, results in a notable shift and evolution in tone for
Ghedi. “The lyrical content needed something more band-driven and loud to deliver them,” he explains. “Incorporating the electric guitar in my
songwriting was also a big part of opening the sound up, using drop tunings pushed me to use my voice in a wider range, which forced me to
use falsetto a lot which I haven’t previously done before. That then opened the sound up and gave me creative ideas for bigger arrangements
and to sonically really push things.”
Recorded over 2 years at Tesla Studios in Sheffield, with David Glover engineering and producing, it also features a wide cast of musicians
such as David Grubb (fiddle), Daniel Bridgwood-Hill (fiddle), Neal Heppleston (bass), Joe Danks (drums), Dean Honer from I Monster (synths),
Cormac MacDiarmada from Lankum (vocals), Ruth Clinton from Landless (vocals) and Amelia Baker from Cinder Well (vocals).
What Ghedi has done in creating his masterpiece is construct a remarkable space where deeply intimate and personal feelings coexist with
reflections on environment, place and society, while also interweaving historical context via traditional songs. Wasteland is as much of a world
to explore and exist in as much as it is an album, with Ghedi carving out his distinctly unique sonic language and voice to explore that singular environment.
- 3
rd album from Sheffield folk artist blending traditional songs and original compositions to remarkable effect
- 180gm heavyweight black vinyl / download code / gatefold sleeve
- Full press / radio campaign from In House Press
- UK / European tours being organised by Earth Agency
-
1. Old Stones
2. What Will Become of England
3. Newtondale / Blue John
4. Wasteland
5. Just A Note
6. Sheaf & Feld
7. Hester
8. The Seasons
9. Wishing Tree
10. Trafford Road Ballad
● ‘Wasteland’ heavy weighted debris constructed vinyl *
● ‘What Will Become Of England?’ art print – hand numbered & signed
by Jim Ghedi *
● Gatefold sleeve / inner pic sleeve
● Limited pressing of 400 *
