Nature and the elements have long provided rich inspiration for folk singers and musicians – and this is certainly true for North East artist, Aaron Duff.
Duff performs under the name ‘Hector Gannet’ both as a solo artist and with his band. Their second album, ‘The Land Belongs To Us’, was released at the start of the year with a launch party at The Cluny. The album reflects a deep love of nature and respect for the land and is a rallying call to action for us to live harmoniously with the natural world.
North Shields-based Duff first came to wider attention after writing the score to accompany vintage footage of the North East and its iconic shipbuilding, mining and fishing heritage for a British Film Institute live music project.
Subsequently, tours with Sea Power and fellow North Shields musician, Double Brit Award winner, Sam Fender, have seen their recognition and popularity rise.
The band is attracting acclaim from all quarters. In the music world, Sea Power and BBC 6 Music presenter Tom Robinson have both hailed their work, while naturalist and TV star Chris Packham has also shared their music across his social network. Following their debut album, ‘Big Harcar’, the band played dates across the pond in the United States too. Having recently joined pop band Pale Blue Eyes for three of their national tour dates, Hector Gannet head back to America shortly to play a series of dates at venues across Texas.
Ahead of their date at Sage Gateshead, Hector Gannet will also perform at the one-off event, Pilgrimage to the Islands, on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. As well as curating the event, headlined by Kathryn Williams, audiences can hear them sing tracks from their new album in this unique setting.
The link to nature and the ethos of the band is evident with their gig at Sage Gateshead. The evening, entitled ‘There Aches a Bridge’, is a collaboration with local wildlife educational company, Wild Intrigue, to raise further awareness around the Tyne Kittiwake project. The Tyne kittiwakes are the world’s most inland breeding colony of this seabird and Hector Gannet have been loyal supporters of this project for a number of years.
Hector Gannet performs at Sage Gateshead on Saturday 6th May.
Tickets, priced at £16.50 in advance, are available from sagegateshead.com.
