Warm , graceful, complex and personal. These are some of the qualities that first hit you when listening to the Liverpool-based, experimental folk/jazz trio The Hermit. Ahead of their performance at The Marsden Fringe Festival, I caught up with one of their members, Chris Lynn. Lynny is somewhat of a prodigal son of Marsden (well, West-Slathwaite as he points out) having been raised here before flying the (cuckoo) nest and forging a career in music. Sitting on the stage at The Mechanics, we discussed music, Marsden, and what it is that makes this village on the edge of the Pennines so special.
“Once you move away you realise what you have – coming back feels like a dream – it’s so beautiful. The hills give you a sense of perspective – you’re always going up or down a hill”
An artist’s up-bringing will always have an effect on the work that they create in later life, and it’s clear to see that growing up around Marsden, with it’s rich and varied cultural offerings, has done exactly that to Lynny. But what seems to have had an equal impact on The Hermit’s sound is the people of Marsden and the strong sense of community that is ever-present in the Village. Marsden, much like The Hermit’s music, offers a deeply personal experience.
As we sat in the Mechanics main hall, Lynny recalled watching the world-leading jazz outfit Polar bear in the same space:
“…it was a profound experience as it was so outside of my musical world at the time. It challenged me and stretched me in ways that I couldn’t have imagined. What’s brilliant is that you have a real contrast – I was with my friend Joe and his Dad was serving homemade chilli from the Mechanics kitchen, so it was something incredibly homely and familiar running alongside the music of Polar Bear – an unusual, world class jazz act playing in our village hall. Seb Rochford is still one of my favourite drummers! It’s hard to pinpoint the exact narrative of your musical life, but that was one of those moments”
The Hermit’s sound is both unusual and familiar. Exciting and personal. The singles that they have released have been recorded straight onto tape – informing their fuzzy, experimental sound. Their performances are unique and transient, with songs being executed in an improvisational style that reads the room and reacts to the shared atmosphere. A genuine dialogue with the audience takes place.
The Hermit will be playing at Arcade – one of the more intimate Marsden Fringe venues which happens to boast a selection of over 60 beers (handy to know!) This small, elegant setting, with its extension that perches of the river Colne, is certain to provide the perfect stage for the homecoming of The Hermit.
“The Jazz festival has been part of my musical make-up, so to go away and have a career in music, then to come back and play the Fringe with the Hermit, to be a part of the local community, which is really strong here, is amazing to tap into.”
The Hermit will play at Arcade, Marsden on Sunday 9th October as part of the Marsden Fringe Festival