Seth Lakeman
Origin	Dartmoor, Devon, England
Years active	1994 - present
Genres	English folk music
Labels	iScream Music (pre 2006) , Relentless (2006 — present)

Seth (Bernard) Lakeman is an English folk singer, songwriter, and musician from Yelverton, on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. He was born on March 26, 1977.

Biography

Seth Lakeman began playing music with his parents and 2 brothers Sean and Sam at an early age.

As The Lakeman Brothers, the three brothers released their critically acclaimed debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Later that same year they were invited by two Yorshire based singers Kathryn Roberts and Kate Rusby to join them as a backing group on a tour of Portugal. After the tour the five musicians became a permanent group and called themselves Equation. The group swiftly garnered much praise and hype and signed a record deal with Time Warner in 1995. After 3 full albums ('Return to me' - 1996, 'Hazy Daze' - 1998, 'The Lucky Few' - 2000), and touring around the UK, Europe and the USA, Seth left Equation in 2001. He joined his brother Sam and Sam's wife Cara Dillon to record Cara's acclaimed, self titled debut album, which featured Seth on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The album won two awards at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including Best Traditional Track for "Black is the Colour" which Seth helped arrange. Cara and the brothers also won the Hot Press award for the Best Roots Act and the Big Buzz award for the Best Traditional Act.

In 2002 Seth Lakeman released his first solo album, The Punch Bowl, which received wide critical acclaim including a review in fRoots magazine which said: "The songs don't just glide smoothly by.....they get their claws into you".

Kitty Jay, Seth Lakeman's second solo album was released in 2004. The title track of the album tells the story of Jay's Grave, a well known location on Dartmoor. The album was recorded for a cost of less than £300. That same year he collaborated with Devon singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and young local singer Jenna Witts on the album Western Approaches.

A sell out UK tour in Autumn 2005 followed his Mercury Music Prize nomination, after which Seth and his ban৳d (regularly brother Sean (guitar), Ben Nichols (bass), Andy Tween (Drums), toured extensively with folk-rock giants The Levellers, who took to closing their set with a "fiddle off" between Seth and Levellers' fiddler Jon Sevink. Other support tours with Billy Bragg and Jools Holland brought Seth's music to a wider audience.

In March 2006 Seth Lakeman began a UK tour in order to promote his new album Freedom Fields which was released on iScream. He then changed to a major record company called Relentless and has released his new single Lady of the Sea in early August 2006.

In 2007, he played at the presigious SXSW festival in Texas, Hyde Park Calling, the Glastonbury Festival, WOMAD Charlton Park in Wiltshire, and provided support for Tori Amos on her European tour.

Awards

• In July 2005 Seth Lakeman was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for Kitty Jay.
• On 5 February 2007 Lakeman won 'Singer of the Year' and 'Best Album' awards at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards [1].

Style of music

Seth Lakeman's primary musical instruments are the violin, the tenor guitar, and the viola.

Discography

Name		Type	Date of release	Remarks
as principal performer
	The Punch Bowl	Album	2002 07/06/2004
	Kitty Jay	Album	2004 01/08/2005 09/10/2006	UK chart position: 100.
	Freedom Fields	Album	First edition: 20/03/2006 Re-release: 21/08/2006	UK chart position (27/08/2006) 32. Re-release cover:
	The Bold Knight	Single	2005	Released on CD single.
	Lady Of The Sea (Hear Her Calling)	Single	07/08/2006	UK chart position (07/08/2006) 52. Released on CD single and 7" vinyl.
	The White Hare	Single	21/10/2006	UK chart position (30/10/2006) 47. Released as a two part CD single and limited edition white vinyl 7".
	King & Country	Single	05/02/2007	Released only as a 7" vinyl single.
in The Lakeman Brothers
	Three Piece Suite	Album	1994
with Equation
	In Session	Promotional Only E.P.	1995
	Return To Me	Album	1995-96 24/03/2003	Recorded in 1995 - 1996, album was shelved days before release and finally issued in 2003.
	Hazy Daze	Album	02/02/1998
	The Lucky Few	Album	1999 17/11/2003
	The Dark Ages E.P.	E.P.	2001 14/06/2004	As guest musician
	First Name Terms	Album	2002 07/06/2004	As guest musician
with Cara Dillon
	Cara Dillon	Album	16/07/2001
	Sweet Liberty	Album	22/09/2003
with Steve Knightley and Jenna Witts
	Western Approaches	Album	27/09/2004

External links

• Seth Lakeman official website
• Equation official website
• BBC report on Mercury Music Prize nomination
• BBC Radio Devon interview
• BBC Devon Entertainment interview: New album for Seth
• BBC Devon: Jailhouse Rock
• The Independent: Seth Lakeman: Troubadour of the moors
• Performance/ Audio interview recorded February 2007
• Seth Lakeman live at the Cornbury Festival Oxfordshire 7-8th July 2007