Stephen gives you an insight into what you might have seen at our launch..

It’s half past six on a Saturday night in London. Outside the cold bites chunks out of London’s rosy cheeks. Inside it couldn’t be warmer. We went on about it for so long, it almost seemed that the day would never come. But it’s half past six on a Saturday night, and at the back of The Queens Head we’re watching the artists behind our first ever album gather together onstage. There, on the right, we have Woodford Green. They came up from Devon to be here tonight. And there, on the left, is the prococious Lucy Cait, who has a whiskey voice, and a Darjeeling heart.

Everyone’s gathered for a group photo. Camille and Josienne, who later will provide backing vocals for each other during their respective sets, stand side by side. One of our label trio, Robbie, stands by Lucy, who is an old friend. Still, when called upon to make them laugh for one photo, I call out “Go on then! Smile! Pretend you know everyone else’s names!” and there is a ripple of giggles. Nobody here knows everyone, but everyone knows someone. And everyone knows Ben, Robbie and myself. And that’s nice. For no reason other than it means everyone here is a part of Folkroom Records. Guilt by association, I suppose. But tonight, with the gang gathered in front of us, Folkroom feels like home.

The night falls flawlessly. We’re lucky enough to have every single act on the album here tonight playing for us (and in many cases for Ben, with us). Woodford Green open the evening. Matt and Zoe always enchant, and today is no change. There’s trumpet, and melodica and the introduction of a cheer that raises from the crowd like a beautiful pantomime every time someone mentions the record. Next up is Salwa Azar, who bewitches with her ukelele and Laura Boyle and her gorgeous, gorgeous harmonies that take your breath away and then give it back to you, wrapped up in silk and satin.

Jessie Moncrieff and Lucy Cait followed one after the other. There was something special about the set that perhaps came from the contrast between the gentle antipodean coolness of Jessie’s voice and the dark, warm richness of Lucy’s. Andrew Butler comes next. He is dying of a cold; the sort of cold only man is capable of (that is, not nearly as bad as we’d like to think – until we attempt to douse it in real ale and Italian liquors). Nevertheless, he takes to his songs with as much soul as a man may be capable of – though his album track ‘Love Is A Record’ features, it is his opening song ‘A Thousand Words’ that steals a few too many hearts in the crowded room.

Our favourite song of the evening might belong to any of the acts tonight, but Camille Delean puts in a most credible effort with her aching, longing, yearning cover of Little Willy John’s ‘Need Your Love So Bad’. The room falls silent, and stares with a quiet empathy. Camille means every word, and you can hear it in every note that escapes her. When she closes with her own track ‘Tomorrow I Will Leave’, there is more than an echo of ‘Need Your Love’. Delean’s own words are every bit as powerful, and every bit as beautiful.

O. Chapman takes to the stage. Tonight he presents two new songs. Like a few of our Folkroom friends, O. has a voice that you wouldn’t paint him with. Something that doesn’t quite add up, but sounds gorgeous nonetheless. He closes with Morning Song, a smart way to introduce the girl who has introduced all the night so far. Josienne kindly compères the whole night with her trademark dry wit, but comes into her own when on stage with our man Ben. Her voice is a world away from anything else here tonight – it could fill the room unaided. ‘Forever and More’ is a heart-wrenching ballad that enchants and haunts simultaneously. The launch would not have been the same without Josienne Clarke.

Special guests Worry Dolls occupy a very different space in folk than Josienne, but the stage is as much theirs as it is anyone else’s tonight. There’s a warm smile across several faces when they play ‘Oliver’, the Folkroom’s favourite song about falling in love with a crossdressing actor. ‘Burden’ storms along irresistably. Worry Dolls have never left a gig without more fans than when they arrived.

Our finale is saved for Dave Gerard. An old friend of the Folkroom, like everyone else here tonight, and with his band The Watchmen, he knows how to work our room. His set, furnished by a harp, provides a fair share of moments. Album track ‘Stables’ holds the ears of the room, and the band’s staple cover of Portishead’s ‘Give Me A Reason To Love You’ remains at least as good as the original. The best is saved for last, though, as Dave enlists the other acts from the night in a group take on Old Crow Medicine Show’s ‘Wagon Wheel’ – Josienne joins Dave front and centre, the guitars are out in force, and the crowd sings along every chorus…

The night was perfect, and thanks to everyone who came along! Special thanks go to all the acts, Nigel Owen and the gang at The Queens Head, Nigel Lupton for his wonderful photos and Orchard Pig, because their cider is ruddy excellent.

Our next gig will be on January 18th (more info here..), and the album is still available to download here. So that’ll do nicely, yes?