Following on from the success of their epic triple album The Saving Of Cadan last Summer, Cornwall’s HANTERHIR return with not one but TWO new anthologies.
Each of the compilations compiles songs from the band’s decade-plus career.
Songs We Learned In Cornish features eleven tracks with a direct link to the band’s home county, be it Cornish lyrics or title or location. ‘Carn Marth Song’ is one of the band’s oldest songs, referring to the hill outside Redruth, while ‘St Day Song’ is about the feast dance held annually in that village.
“I’ve always thought that bands should sound like where they’re from,” explains frontman and songwriter Ben Harris. “Singing in Cornish is a connection for me to where I’m from and a much more genuine feel…even though I can’t really speak Cornish. One of the main things I wanted Hanterhir to portray was the fact that Cornwall has this whole non-English identity, and although I love the idea of the UK and Europe etc, there is a definite difference between Cornwall and the rest of England. Singing In Cornish just reinforces this.”
The release will be accompanied by a sister album, Our Hour, featuring fifteen English language favourites, the best of their previous releases, including the 10-minute ‘Omgonfort’ and the now rare singles ‘Radio Song’ and ‘F#’.
Available on CD and download, both albums will be released on Tuesday 5 March, St Piran’s Day, in honour of Cornwall’s Patron Saint.
‘Radio Song’ will be issued as a download single on 29 March.
Coalescing in the deep Cornish countryside around Redruth, free from the fashions, foibles and fripperies of the mainstream music scene, Hanterhir have grown a sound all their own dipping toes in the waters of psych, prog, folk, post-punk and alt-rock. They released their fourth album The Saving Of Cadan in July 2018 to widespread international acclaim.
