NEWS: Rachel Baiman @ The Cluny 2

Image: Rachel Baiman by Gina Binkley

For an artist whose musical journey took her from the blues-soaked streets of Chicago to the country music mecca of Nashville at just eighteen, it’ll be no surprise that Rachel Baiman is something of a wunderkind.

The singer-songwriter, fiddle player and guitarist has cemented her position in a wide variety of roles, from session musician with the likes of Molly Tuttle, Kelsey Waldon and Caroline Spence to a live side woman alongside Kacey Musgraves and Amy Ray, and the musical polymath is a whizz behind the production desk too. While she may be well known in the bluegrass world as a supreme fiddle player – thanks in part to her work with progressive acoustic duo 10 String Symphony – her lyrics often take a more political and personal angle, with new album Common Nation Of Sorrow, released on 31^st March, seeing the artist exhibit an anti-capitalist art folk style that she’s increasingly being celebrated for. Performing as Rachel Baiman ‘& Friends’ for the Cluny 2 gig on Saturday 11^th March, she’ll no doubt be in fine voice and high spirits.

Also joining the line-up are the lesser-spotted Mush Collective, whose interesting collaborative approach to music making has recently seen them work with Turner Prize winning artist Lubaina Himid. Made up of long-term members Nicky Rushton, Sarah Van Jellie, Penny Callow and Bernard Wright alongside regular special guests, and encompassing a multitude of instrumentation which could include guitar, keys, bass, cello, percussion and harmony-filled vocals, they’re a joy to watch.

Rachel Baiman & Friends and Mush Collective play The Cluny 2, Newcastle on Saturday 11^th March.