The Broadside Hack: think you know folk?
Enter the British Underground archive and stumble upon ‘The Broadside Hack’, the short documentary film exploring the impact of traditional folk songs on new musicians as the UK emerged from the 2020 pandemic, capturing performances, dances, and conversations to reveal new vitality and stories in folk tradition.
Premiered at SXSW in March 2022 and funded by Arts Council England and PRS Foundation, ‘The Broadside Hack’ is directed by Crispin Parry (CEO, British Underground), filmed by The Northern Cowboys and made in collaboration with Broadside Hacks, featuring Shovel Dance Collective, Thyrsis, caroline, Broadside Hacks and Boss Morris.
“The sessions were electric and full of joy and The Broadside Hack captures some of that journey through performance, dance and conversation”, says Crispin. ‘The Broadside Hack’ was filmed at Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, as part of ‘Looking for a New England’, British Underground's first online music showcase of 2021. “An archaeologist once said ‘Every age has the Stonehenge it deserves or desires’ and the same could be said of folk music today – forever re-inventing itself as this wonderful recording of ancient tunes, songs and hidden stories reveals.”
Broadside Hacks is a collective founded by Campbell Baum, encompassing music, distribution, live performance, promotion & more.
This community of musicians have created their own folk club, as well as their own understanding of the tradition of storytelling and deepening connection with music. Broadside Hacks supports, incubates and amplifies and musicians, approaching folk music with creative freedom and respect for the past, and is composed of brilliantly talented individual artists – among them Katy J Pearson, Shovel Dance Collective, Naima Bock and members of Goat Girl, Sorry and caroline.
Released in 2022, look out for The Broadside Hack at screenings in 2024. Watch this space.
In the meantime, catch The Broadside Hacks Folk Club live this summer.
