Sealionwoman
BUTCHERS BROOM - Recorded and filmed at Arcus Sounds in London
Sealionwoman, is vocalist Kitty Whitelaw and double bass player Tye McGivern. Together they craft a unique and defiantly uncategorisable sound. Whitelaw’s rich and beguiling vocal delivery and McGivern’s atmospheric, inventive approach to his instrument creates melancholy soundscapes, torch-song transgressions and rapturous drama. In late 2018 they released their first album “Siren” with Antigen records, and their second album is currently in production.
Kitty and Tye have been collaborating for many years and have played numerous live venues in the UK including EARTH Hackney, Union Chapel and Cafe Oto. They have also had the opportunity to support incredible acts such as Meursault, Tanya Tagaq, Bohren and der Club of Gore, Sarathy Kowar, and Collocutor.
Latest News
Recent Interview for The Quietus
Recent Review
Sealionwoman recently supported Gazelle Twin at Bush Hall.
Read the review here.
GISELLE
Giselle is the haunting and atmospheric new stand alone, self released digital single by Sealionwoman, inspired by the ballet of the same name.
The near nine minute track delves into Act II of the ballet’s storyline, where Giselles’s ghost is awakened from her grave by the vengeful spirits known as the Wilis. The heartbroken spirits unable to find peace, seek to make her lover dance till death in revenge. However Giselle intervenes to dance and show forgiveness, this act of compassion and sacrifice allows her lover to be freed from the grasp of the Wilis. Giselle can finally find peace and rest in her eternal slumber.
Recorded in a freezing studio in Leith that contributed to the ghostly ambiance of the track. The track was mixed by Luce Mawdsley, and the artwork was taken from a photograph of Kitty by Jo Wells at Nunhead Cemetery.
Premiered on The Quietus, read it HERE
Second Album
Sealionwoman recently went into the studio at Lightship 95 to record their second album.
More news soon…
Siren
Sealionwomans debut album Siren was released late 2018 on Antigen Records. Siren was recorded at Soup Studios in London. The sleeve is a beautiful print from a wood engraving by Gertrude Hermes, used with the permission of her estate.
“Sealionwoman’s music flips folk music on its head, taking traditional Scottish music and moving it into a darker, more atmospheric direction… their debut LP Siren is a record quite unlike any you will hear this year. “
- THE QUIETUS
“Björk, Billie Holiday and The Anchoress come to mind while listening to Kitty Whitelaw’s exquisite vocals… It’s Mercury Prize bait, this – haunting, monolithic soundscapes…”
-Prog Magazine
“Sealionwoman’s Siren is an extraordinary thing. Strange, seductive, and heartbreaking, its title makes complete sense. Go get shipwrecked”
- Closed Circuits
“the duo experiment with a sound that’s challenging to categorise, and for that reason, Sealionwoman should be commended”
- Loud and Quiet
SELKIE
In 2016 Sealionwoman won Vault Festival’s, VAULT "Festival Spirit" award for their narrative concert “SELKIE” that had been developed over several years of traditional folk music research at Cecil Sharpe house. The show was written, produced and performed by Sealionwoman with costume design by Naomi Oppenheim.
