What We Thought Was a Lake Was a Field of Flax

Tyler and Hill first met in Newcastle, singing as part of the Sacred Harp sessions, with Hill adding vocals to Tyler’s 2012 solo album We Sunk the Ship to Get Rid of the Rats. Since then, Hill has relocated to Brighton, where she’s sung with local folk trio Woven Sky, and the homespun recordings here – which were recorded by Newcastle producer Phil Begg in as unadorned and simple a manner as possible – make up an album, put together during Hill’s fleeting visits to Newcastle to work with Tyler.

The album is comprised of songs that the duo have long performed around Newcastle, alongside others that are new to their repertoire. They’re largely traditional songs from singers including Shirley Collins, Bob Copper, Martin Carthy and Peggy Seeger – the likes of The Young Tradition’s ‘Bold Fisherman’, Collins’ ‘Are You Going to Leave Me’, or the haunting night-visiting song ‘Willie the Waterboy’, while ‘Sweet Lemney’ comes with a new tune penned by Tyler, whose guitar, banjo and ukulele playing throughout is excellent. What We Thought Was a Lake… is a fine, stripped down set from this distinctive duo.