Amy Hopwood’s third album, Into the Woods, is a thought-provoking, harmony-soaked, exploration of forests and fairy tales.
In this latest album, Amy delves into the psychological themes represented in the old tales and applies them to the way we live now. So, we have the Sleeping Beauty inspired song “Brambles”, where sensitive Rosa has built a wall of thorns around her own heart as a protection from rejection; “The Liar and the Tailor”, a topical song about politicians and lying which draws on both the Cassandra myth and The Emperor’s New Clothes story; and “Happily Ever After” taking a wry look at the realities of life after the fairy tale wedding.
In this latest album, Amy delves into the psychological themes represented in the old tales and applies them to the way we live now. So, we have the Sleeping Beauty inspired song “Brambles”, where sensitive Rosa has built a wall of thorns around her own heart as a protection from rejection; “The Liar and the Tailor”, a topical song about politicians and lying which draws on both the Cassandra myth and The Emperor’s New Clothes story; and “Happily Ever After” taking a wry look at the realities of life after the fairy tale wedding.
The “Into the Woods” theme continues with more straightforward songs about forests, trees, birds and bees. In “The Woodpecker’s Song” we have a woodpecker weighing up the merits of the different trees in his wood, but choosing ultimately the dead tree… beauty being in the eye of the beholder. In “Where the Wild Bees Go”, Amy has created an acapella choir of buzzing bees for a song inspired by the folk tradition of “telling the bees”. A recording of birds singing in Ashclyst Forest, Devon provides an atmospheric backing for two of the album’s tracks, including the traditional folk song “The Seeds of Love”.
Amy sings her own songs and traditional folk, accompanying herself on the tenor guitar. She is inspired by the likes of Karine Polwart, Emily Portman, Alela Diane and Leon Rosselson. In 2023, Amy relocated to Dorset, but she has lived all over the country, including many years in Devon, Sussex, Yorkshire and Hampshire. She has studied social anthropology and folklore, organisational culture and human behaviour and these interests tend to creep out into her lyrics and the themes of her songs. Alongside a job in health and social care policy, Amy leads “The Songwriting Project”, delivering community songwriting programmes aimed at reducing social isolation, building confidence and nature connection.
Amy’s disability has made live performance difficult in recent years, but her songs have been played a number of times on BBC Radio 6 Music; playlisted on Le Village Pop; and are regularly getting heard on a raft of national and international folk shows.
“If you want to hear where the folk tradition is in 2022, this is the album to listen to. The “Folk process” of repurposing songs to tell a modern tale is alive and well, and with Hopwood, in very good hands.”
Tim Martin, FATEA Reviewer (Into the Woods)
“Gorgeous”
Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6 Music
“Good music makes you think, and this is good music”
Folking.com (All at Sea)
“Gorgeous”
Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6 Music
“Good music makes you think, and this is good music”
Folking.com (All at Sea)