Sue Harding
Early Life
Harding was born in London on 12/11/1965, but grew up in the rural paradise of the Cotswold Hills. She went to school in Daglingworth and then Cirencester and her first instrument was probably a triangle! She doesn’t remember a time when she couldn't sing; falling in love with roots & folk music initially when studying English in Manchester. Later, when living in Wales and then Bath, Sue found sessions and folk clubs, learning traditional songs and developing her craft along the way. The guitar playing began when she was a teenager, progressing song by song and chord by chord.
Career
For some years, Sue taught English Literature and Language in British secondary schools. before making music her way of life; this literary background is evident in her songwriting. Bath based duo Angel Ridge, named after one of Harding’s songs, was influenced by all things Americana. Sue wrote songs, sang and played guitar and mandolin. The band gigged extensively from 2006 to 2012. This period marked a time when the Bath Folk Club flourished and Sue was part of that.
Sue’s solo career began after a time travelling abroad. She came back with a collection of new songs and began playing with Ali George a fellow Bath singer song writer and guitar player. Her first album "Flight" released in 2016 with George on second guitar and backing vocals was well received. Recorded by Josh Clark of Get Real Audio, also Kate Rusby’s sound man, the record features, stripped back arrangements and intimate vocals. The influence of American folk music & the poets of the 1960s and ‘70s is evident. Neville Farmer, Music Journalist said, "Wonderful! We felt as if we were hearing the spirit of Laura Nyro, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Woodie Guthrie and more all rolled into one."
In 2022 Sue released a second album, ‘Darkling’. Described in The Financial Times as ‘An Ode to the English Landscape’, This album marks a return to Sue’s roots in the West Country where she now lives and to her literary influences. Again recorded by Josh Clark, these songs have at their heart a gentle romanticism and a contemporary folk feel described in The Financial Times as ‘An Ode to the English Landscape’. Harding celebrates a renewed connection to the English landscape & late Victorian poetry, which inspires so much of it. “Hauntingly beautiful - A fine example of the new revival in English-style traditional folk music" - Julie Nash, Folk & Tumble
Darkling received excellent reviews and extensive radio play. Today Sue Harding is busy playing regular concerts across the UK and writing for the next album.
Music Listen
Spotify [1] YouTube [2] Soundcloud [3] Bandcamp [4]
