Gry Maritha by Kelsey Michael

Gry Maritha serenades the Isles Of Scilly freight ship of the same name and sister ship sleek passenger ferry The Scillonian. I see these two ships come and go every day from my window. The beauty of the vocals in Lesley Duncan’s 1970’s ‘Love Song’ had an influence on the arrangement, inspiring me to fill the chorus (each boat gets one!) with subtle shifting layers of harmony. Gry Maritha tells multiple stories, touching on the folklore of the waters of the Penzance to Scilly crossing whilst simultaneously uncovering hidden moments spent with young children, daily rhythms which overlap with the ship’s departure and return. The song navigates gently over the ocean in the instrumental section, with a magical bubbling wake conjured from the strings of harpist Benjin Musiq. By the outro, the squall is unleashed.

My band and album - due for release on Dimple Discs 12th July - take the name LETHOWSOW an old Cornish name for the Seven Stones reef between Lands End and Scilly. The word means ‘the milky ones’, referring to the white water which always froths over these treacherous granite rocks which have been compared to sharks’ teeth. For me, Lethowsow represents the awesome and humbling power of nature

Lethowsow singles one and two caught the ear of Gilles Peterson who played Mounts Bay Morning on both his BBC 6 music and Worldwide FM shows in spring 2024. The first single Music Of The Waves was released December 2023, with a video shot on my camcorder during cliff ramblings. Seeking a nutshell description, Rob Hughes chose the phrase ‘Nyro-esque rapture’ for his June article for Uncut.

Many thanks go to Brian O’Neill and Dimple Discs for getting the music out there.

Kelsey's music laces her love for classic singer-60s and 70s songwriting with folk drones and a contemporary edge. She records and performs solo and with her band Lethowsow. The songs capture the essence of life in an elemental place.
You’ll find Kelsey’s voice on many a High Llamas album. She also features on Jocelyn Pook’s soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’