The Show: Live from the UK will be out August 19th! This double live album was recorded while on tour in the UK in 2019. It features Barry Walsh (piano, vocals, co-producer), Conor McCreanor (bass, vocals) and Colm McClean (guitar, vocals), and a Scottish string quartet consisting of Seonaid Aitken (violin), Amira Bedrush-McDonald (violin), Sarah Leonard (viola), and Alice Allen (cello). The Show: Live from the UK is a beautifully presented double-CD, featuring a hardback cover and a collection of evocative live photographs documenting the concerts at which the recordings took place. CD 1 captures 10 tracks Gretchen and her band performed with the string quartet and CD 2 highlights 8 tracks from Gretchen and her band.

Commenting on her new album, Gretchen said: “The whole time we were on the road, I was so aware of the privilege it was to play with these musicians every night. And it was really important to me to document that with this live record. We knew from experience that we would have enthusiastic and supportive audiences in the UK. And that’s, frankly, probably the main source of the energy and the joy that we played with.”

“Living through the last two years of this pandemic, sifting through these recordings which sounded more and more precious to me the further we got from live music, I became convinced that there’s nothing – absolutely nothing – that can replace the magic of several musicians and several hundred people in a darkened room having a moment together.”

The Band
Gretchen Peters, acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Barry Walsh, piano, vocals
Colm McClean, electric guitar, vocals
Conor McCreanor, electric and upright bass, vocals

The Strings
Seonaid Aitken, violin
Amira Bedrush-McDonald, violin
Sarah Leonard, viola
Alice Allen, cello

Disc One:
Arguing With Ghosts*
Hello Cruel World*
The Secret Of Life*
Revival*
Love That Makes A Cup Of Tea*
Blackbirds◊
When You Love Someone‡
On A Bus To St Cloud◊
To Say Goodbye◊
When You Are Old◊

Disc Two:
When All You Got Is A Hammer*
Disappearing Act ‡
Wichita◊
Say Grace‡
Everything Falls Away*
The Matador* (featuring Seonaid Aitken, violin)
Five Minutes* (featuring Alice Allen, cello)
Idlewild*

Performances took place on:
19 April (St. George’s, Bristol, UK)*
22 April (The De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill-On-Sea, UK)‡
23 April 2019 (The Apex, Bury St. Edmunds, UK)◊

Recorded and mixed by Dom Monks

Assistant engineers:
St. George’s, Bristol:
Oscar Dash, Tom Lewington

The De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-On-Sea:
Becca Hordern, Ben Gardiner

The Apex, Bury St. Edmunds:
Eve Morris, Paul Anders

Mastered by John Baldwin

Photos: Andrew Newiss
String arrangements: Conni Ellisor, Patsy Reid

Huge love, thanks and many bouquets to our road manager, Rebecca Kemp, for gently herding eight musicians, often hungry, tired or in need of a cup of tea.

Much gratitude to Dom Monks for the beautiful recordings and grace under pressure.

Thanks to Andrew Newiss for documenting the entire Strings Attached tour from Bristol to Edinburgh.

Thanks to Nigel Morton at Moneypenny Agency and Phil Jones at Edge Street Live for making a dream come true.

Thanks to Gary Harries, Ben Bowdler, Drew Hill and everyone at Proper Records for their encouragement and support through the years.

Thanks to the staff and crew at St. George’s, The De La Warr Pavilion, and The Apex for bearing with us for the recording of our performances there.

And finally – to the fans in the UK at these shows and everywhere – you have always welcomed me with open arms, ears, and hearts. This record is for you, with all my love and appreciation.

– Gretchen