01 December 2025

THE OWL SERVICE – A Tribute To Sandy Denny (2025, 7”, Fruits de Mer Records)

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Fruits de Mer Records

Format: 7”, Single, Limited Edition, Random Color 1, 150 copies

Format: 7”, Single, Limited Edition, Random Color 2, 150 copies

Release Date: 15 Dec 2025

There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when a band traces its bloodline straight back to the source, and The Owl Service have never been coy about where their own ley lines lead. Formed in 2006 by multi-instrumentalist Steven Paul Collins and named after Alan Garner’s occult-tinged 1967 novel, the collective has spent nearly two decades carving out its place in the modern alt-folk underground. Now, for their debut appearance on Fruits de Mer, they return to the wellspring that sparked the whole journey: the voice—and the myth—of Sandy Denny.

Fruits de Mer’s affection for Denny is practically a tradition at this point, but this 7″ feels especially fated. Not only does it gather two of Denny’s most iconic moments—Fotheringay’s rolling “The Sea” and Fairport Convention’s haunted “Genesis Hall”—but it also brings back longtime Owl Service collaborator Alison O’Donnell, whose own history with the label stretches back to its second-ever single. With Dorothy Chappell on lead vocals and Collins handling every shimmering, chiming instrument, the trio deliver faithful yet quietly charged renditions that honour the classic folk-rock architecture without embalming it.

Staying close to Fotheringay’s 1970 original, The Owl Service treat “The Sea” with a quiet reverence, letting its natural tides roll rather than forcing any new currents. The soft, folkie atmosphere feels warm and breathable, and in that space the band manages to slip a little fresh air into the song’s lungs, an understated but genuine revival.

Drawn from Fairport Convention’s Unhalfbricking (1969), this version of “Genesis Hall” drifts in on a mellow folk-rock breeze—gentle, unhurried, and beautifully shaded. Again, The Owl Service breathes new life into the piece without disturbing its original bones, offering a tender, soft-focus rendering that honours the classic while opening it up just enough for the light to move through… TimeLord Michalis