Here's Five: The Lonesome Pine Specials

The Lonesome Pine Specials, a local trio made up of fiddle player Flora Knight (The Eastern), folk musician Hannah Harding (Aldous Harding) and multi-instrumentalist Ben Woolley, are currently midway through traipsing around on an extensive New Zealand tour with Australian bush poet Archer. Together the two acts will ring out old-timey Appalachian-style tunes in concert halls around the country, warming the cockles with saddening songs from long ago. UnderTheRadar asked the four musicians to share some of their favourite tunes from back in the day for our Here's Five feature and give showgoers a taste of what to expect...

1. Ernie Carpenter - Elk River Blues
A lament written by West Virginian fiddle player Ernie Carpenter. The Carpenter family's old homestead that had been around since the 1700s was flooded out when damning the Elk River in West Virginia to create the Sutton Dam. Ernie tried to protest the government and keep his home place, with no success. It's a beautifully sad tune and will put one in a sort of trance after a while. Chosen by Flora.

2. Fiddlin John Carson - It's A Shame To Whip Your Wife On Sunday
This song hasn't aged very well, I think that's why I like it. We make sure to introduce it in a way that conveys the right thing when we play it at gigs. Its more of an historical document than a message to be taken seriously. People generally find it pretty funny. I certainly do. I guess the song is about taking a day off once in awhile. Chosen by Ben.

3. Keith Whitley & Ricky Skaggs - All I Ever Loved Was You
Bloody hell, Keith Whitley is one next level bastard. I love this song because it swells and falls perfectly between them and you can't go wrong with a shameless confession. Chosen by Hannah.

4. Harry Choates - Allons A Lafayette
Deemed the 'Godfather of Cajun Swing' Harry Choates was a masterful Cajun fiddle player, as you can hear in this old Cajun standard. He died at only 28 years. An old Cajun fellow I met told me that he was put in prison and was left to die in unknown circumstances, makes us think of the great Bessie Smith who died from car accident injuries 'cos a white's only hospital would not treat her....just another two specks of stardust screwed over by the modern system of humanity.....Harry Choates is not forgotten. Chosen by Flora.

5. The Mississippi Sheiks - Sitting On Top The World
'Cos the old tree shore feels good whenen a woman leaves. Chosen by Archer.

The Lonesome Pine Specials and Archer are playing the following dates:

Friday 13th March, St Peters Hall, Paekakariki
Saturday 14th March, House Concert, Wellington
Tuesday 17th March, The Common Room, Hastings
Thursday 19th March, House Concert, Hawkes Bay
Friday 20th March, House Concert, Hawkes Bay
Sunday 22nd March, Freida Margolis, Auckland
Tuesday 24th March, Whangateau Hall, Whangateau
Wednesday 25th March, Totara North Hall, Totara North
Thursday 26th March, Venue TBC, Waimamaku
Friday 27th March, Kauaeranga Hall, Kauaeranga Valley
Saturday 28th March, Rogue Stage Folk Festival, Rotorua
Sunday 29th March, The Bluegrass Society, Wellington
Tuesday 31st March, The Mussell Inn, Onekaka w/ Pokey Lafarge
Wednesday 1st April, The Dux Live, Christchurch
Thursday 2nd April, The Wunderbar, Lyttelton
Friday/Saturday/Sunday 3-5th April, Waipara Folk Festival, North Canterbury
Thursday 9th April, The Grain Store, Oamaru
Friday 10th April, Long Beach Hall, Dunedin
Saturday 11th April, Taste Merchants, Dunedin
Sunday 12th April, Tokanui Tavern, Caitlins
Monday 13th April, Great Southern Songhouse, Invercargill
Thursday 16th April, Venue TBC, Karamea
Friday 17th April, Dharma Bums Club, Wairau Valley
Saturday 18th April,Venue TBC, Marlborough

Tickets to selected shows available HERE at UTR