Field and Dyke

I grew up in Herefordshire, a place that, like South Holland in Lincolnshire, missed the post-war migrants who came to work in the factory towns of the Midlands and the North. But neither place missed the Eastern European agricultural labourers who have arrived this century.

Field and Dyke grew out of an oral history project in which Pedler interviewed over 40 people living in the deeply divided agricultural region of South Holland, which saw some of the largest votes to leave the EU. Greg Russell brings his vocals, guitar and usual strong social commentary (he put together the Shake the Chains project reviewed in #132). The rhythm and sounds of farm machinery are the bedrock of the music, with spoken-word excerpts and incisive lyrics getting to the root of the current state of community relations.

‘Poverty Knock Retold’ takes a traditional Lancashire factory song and reimagines it with Piotrs taking the place of Peters. ‘Ready Hands’ – a song based on interviews from either side of the immigration debate – is neatly set to a Polish dance tune called ‘Haciok’. And the wonderfully named ‘Delta 3000 LD SB XY Plastic Presser’ is a tune by Pedler on accordion and hurdy-gurdy for the farm labourers who have to listen to this machine all day.