Meet The Artists!

We are delighted to welcome The Memory Band.

Answers by Liza Bec, Olie Brice, Hannah Caughlin and

Stephen Cracknell who will be The Memory Band at The Wake.

The Memory Band play the Woodland Stage.

Since the release of their first EP in 2003 The Memory Band has been navigating its own path through the folk music landscape of the digital age. Led by producer Stephen Cracknell with a fluid cast of collaborators The Memory Band blend songs and instrumentals, the traditional with the modern and the sacred with the profane. Their two-decade adventure has produced six studio albums as well as side projects such as The Balearic Folk Orchestra and The Accidental album ‘There Were Wolves’.

They have a long history of performing music from Paul Giovanni’s soundtrack to The Wicker Man as well as other film and archive related projects.

In 2024 The Memory Band released ‘Never The Same Way Twice’ and ‘A Common Treasury’ two volumes of unreleased archive recordings on their own Hungry Hill label and in 2025 make their return to live performance.

What was the first record, cd or book that you bought?

Liza: The X files theme by Mark Snow

Olie: Bill Haley, Rock Around the Clock

Hannah: Five Star – ‘System Addict’ single on vinyl

Stephen: ‘Hotter Than July’ by Stevie Wonder on vinyl

Where did you buy it from?

Liza: Not sure- it was on cassette. Probably Woolworths.

Olie: Hackney Fair

Hannah: From a shop around the corner from our flat in Fulham that was also a news agents where I got my sweets! I remember my older brother wanting to buy a single and my mum saying I could get one too, so I think I picked one at random! The cover was cool, and they were siblings, so I think that appealed. I was 5 or 6 at the time. I also remember being very attached to a vinyl single of Madonna’s ‘La isla bonita’ which got a lot of plays, and I was allowed to put on the record player myself.

Stephen: I can’t remember. The record shops of my youth were Elephant Records in Aldershot, Venus Records in Farnham and the chain stores in Guildford.

Is there a piece of music / artist you love which you feel not enough people know about?

Liza: Koyaanisqatsi by Philip Glass

Olie: Julius Hemphill – Dogon AD

Hannah: The Accidental – the band myself and Stephen were in together is becoming an undiscovered gem 😉

Stephen: A couple of records are Hum Dono by Joe Harriott & the Amancio D’Silva Quartet as well as Syreeta‘s first album. Recently we played a concert with Lucine Musaelian whose music is inspired by the Armenian ashugh storytelling tradition and her set just magical.

What was the first gig you went to?

Liza: Supergrass in Portsmouth

Olie: I saw a lot of live music as a young child, but the first I definitely remember was Ya Basta! A free jazz band with my uncle on bass, and the amazing saxophonist Alan Wilkinson

Hannah: Ben Harper at the Jazz Cafe – we had to sit upstairs at a table in the balcony area because we were too young to be in the standing area and my mum and our friend’s dad had to come with us. I was with my brother and his two friends, Ben Harper made a point of coming up to say hello to us after the gig and even mentioned during the show how great it was to see kids at the gig – I think I was maybe 11… it was a big moment for us all. Ben’s performance was absolutely mesmerising. It felt a bit like watching an angel and his band The Innocent Criminals were absolutely amazing, especially the percussionist!

Stephen: The Teardrop Explodes at Guildford Civic Hall on the Wilder tour. The Ravishing Beauties were supporting which was my introduction to the music of Virginia Astley.

What is the best gig or performance you’ve been to?

Liza: Not Supergrass tbh. It’s tricky to pick one. I really enjoyed Nelken (Pina Bausch) last year and have thought about it a lot since.

Olie: This year – Peter Evans & Craig Taborn at the Vortex. Ever – too many to choose from!

Hannah: Probably that Ben Harper show at the Jazz Cafe – it was his first album, I think, and before he started playing electric guitar and being all virtuoso, which I wasn’t so into.

Stephen: I saw Bo Diddley do a tent show in my teens and later on saw Don Cherry live in London, those take some beating.

What are you listening to at the moment?

Liza: I’m currently more into audiobooks than music just to give myself a break from mixing and playing. I’m listening to Design Social Change by Lesley Ann Noel, who is part of the Keychange Talent Leadership programme which I’m a part of, Walk Through Walls by Marina Abramovic and Le tour du monde en 80 jours to remind myself of some French.

Olie: Myriam Gendron – Ma Délire

Hannah: It’s a pretty mixed bag. I have had Angie Stone ‘Wish I Didn’t Miss You’ on repeat lately. I find myself returning often to a Julie Byrne record called Natural Blue. I also have a seven-year-old who keeps me well rooted in pop music, which I like and we have a great time singing along at volume.