"The resulting sound is dreamy... it just pulls you in." BBC RADIO OXFORD
"Like being sung to by an angel. An audio mug of hot chocolate" BBC RADIO SHROPSHIRE
NOVEMBER 10TH - LONDON HEADLINE SHOW - ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
Formed in 2019, The People Versus borrow from a variety of genres and traditions. Their combined voices and instrumental lines swoop, circle and support the beguiling voice and personality of the lead singer Alice Edwards. Each song is taut with utmost feeling and longing with many inspired by Greek myth and tales from Shakespeare. The People Versus formed of Alice Edwards (lead vocals), Jack Wilkinson (guitar + vocals), Ben Crone (Cello), Danny Evans (Keys), Cathy Ife (Bass) and Owen Stepney (Drums) have been quickly recognised as one of the most exciting talents coming out of the Folk Music scene in Oxford, UK with one journalist describing their music as “haunting folk fairytales powered by sheer pop euphoria.” Talking about the new single, Jack says, “When Alice left the rehearsal room to make a cup of tea, the music of Calypso was not written, when she returned it had escaped. The chord sequence was written with the intent to irritate Alice with its unrelenting upbeat sound, but Danny's synth part brought it to life.” Adding more, “Lyrically the song is about Odysseus' time trapped on Calypso's island in the Odyssey. It's a study on the feeling of unwanted attention and having to navigate the unsure social waters that accompany it. The line ‘you know she sits a little too close’ wasn't directly a reference to social distancing, but a decision to hinge a chorus on what could feel like an innocuous action representing something that once you operate in the realm of subtleties could present a real worry. Choruses are usually filled with sweeping statements of action, so turning the magnifying glass onto a small shred of intent kept it fresh.” Alice was keen to tell the tale from Odysseus' perspective, but with a feminine voice as it lends a particular power to the line "I cannot be the man for you". Moving on from the serious analysis of gender in previous single ‘Witch’, Calypso was written to be a playful and simpler counterpart. Filling large tents at Greenbelt Festival and Lakefest, completing runs of indoor venues and festivals, The People Versus have been welcomed by enthusiastic audiences across the UK. In addition, The People Versus further secured bookings for 2022 including Cambridge Folk Festival, Beardy Folk Festival, How The Light Gets In as well as Folk Expo UK. The People Versus are excited to announce the release of their fantastic new single Calypso, with a London headline show at the wonderful St Pancras Old Church in London on 10th November 2021 as part of a series of autumn UK dates.
Line Up
The People Versus are a narrative led harmony driven act, calling their sound 'Museum-Pop' it borrows from a plethora of genres and traditions. The band is effectively made up of four ex-lead singers whose combined voices and instrumental lines swoop, circle, and support theThe People Versus are a narrative led harmony driven act, calling their sound 'Museum-Pop' it borrows from a plethora of genres and traditions. The band is effectively made up of four ex-lead singers whose combined voices and instrumental lines swoop, circle, and support the beguiling voice and personality of Alice. Alice's asexuality provides her lyricism with a rare perspective from which to build poetry out of life. Each song is taut with feeling and longing, as Alice channels dreams, thought, and love through a kaleidoscopic medium of Greek myth and tales from Shakespeare. beguiling voice and personality of Alice. Alice's asexuality provides her lyricism with a rare perspective from which to build poetry out of life. Each song is taut with feeling and longing, as Alice channels dreams, thought, and love through a kaleidoscopic medium of Greek myth and tales from Shakespeare.
