Bonfire Radicals - The Space Between (2022)

The Space Between is the second album from Birmingham's fiery (un)traditional folk band Bonfire Radicals. This new release captures the adventurous breadth of their musical imaginations, revels in enthusiasm for folk traditions from around the globe and delivers it with the effortless dynamism that permeates their live shows.

From brooding vocals to raucous woodwind and fiery fiddle, driven by a punchy backline, The Space Between takes you on a journey through time and place with its dedication to intertwining traditional music with contemporary imaginings. It urges you to dance with abandon, ears wide, hairs raised.

The album features a collection of original, traditional, and borrowed tunes all arranged by the band and given a new life and direction.

It positions well known tunes such as Brenda Stubbert’s Reel by Jerry Holland and klezmer favourites Sha, Sha, Di Shviger Kumt (Shh, the mother-in-law is coming) and Freilacher Nashele, alongside quirky originals - including a guest appearance of an old Bulgarian-inspired favourite (Coffee Countdown) reworked for pipe organ.

Despite the joie de vivre evident here, Bonfire Radicals are not afraid to hit hard and tackle tough issues with an emotional adaptation of the true stories of two Birmingham women in the murder ballad Mary Ashford.