progressivefolkmusic – John Reed Music

“Heritage” – John & Duncan Reed – Release Schedule

Posted on 31st August 2026 by John Reed

It’s with a huge amount of pride and happiness that I can now share the release schedule for “Heritage”, an album of folk songs with my son Duncan Reed, recreated in our progressive folk style.

When Duncan was about four years old, I used to sing various songs to him and his sister to settle them to sleep, just as Duncan now sings songs to his boys. One of them was “Belfast Child” by Simple Minds – both because it was on an album we listened to a lot at the time, and because it was shorter than “She Moved Through The Fair” from which it takes its tune. As a four year old, Duncan had Jim Kerr off to a tee. Memories and dreams are made of this.

At that time, I never dreamed I’d one day be putting an album together with my son. Having played the guitar since the age of 15, and written unrepeatable songs as a student, my creative mode was interrupted by a world of international business travel. Apart from visiting guitar shops, playing songs and tunes to the kids, and ‘noodling’ away on whatever guitar was to hand, I didn’t start making music seriously until 2014.

By that time, Duncan had already released his debut EP “Until The End” (2013), was involved in a number of bands, and regularly appeared on Manchester’s open mic circuit. My debut album “Moorscape” didn’t emerge until 2016, and our first work together was probably for his 2017 album “Hypnotise”, by which time we were both being produced by Ali Karim.

Our music styles diverged a little but have never been too far apart. With “Heritage” we’ve found a blend that we both love. Most of the tracks are recreations of existing, mainly traditional folk songs our family have known all our lives together. We’ve cemented that family theme with two original songs: Keeping of the Bridge Parts 1 and 2, whose lyrics come directly from a WW1 trenches parody of the poem “Dream of Gerontius”. It was included in the WW1 memoirs of Frank Reed (1897-1964). The photos of us playing together were taken by Jamie Massey before and during Duncan’s wedding at Niedpath Castle in Peebles.

Please look out for a number of events as we move towards the release of the album (all times are UK times):

8pm Wednesday 2nd September

One song from “Heritage” debuts on the Compendium on www.folkfridayradio.com

8pm (UK) Saturday 5th September

One-off “Heritage” YouTube listening party at https://www.youtube.com/@johnreed-music/videos

Sunday 6th to Saturday 12th September

Different songs from “Heritage” air on various independent radio shows, starting with the album’s opening song on Alternative Roots on Brum Radio (12 noon to 2pm) hosted by Mike Davies. Other airings will be announced on social media.

6pm Saturday 12th September

“Heritage” will be released on https://johnduncanreed.bandcamp.com/ The album will be available in digital and CD form.

6pm Friday 25th September

“Heritage” will be released on all platforms

So that’s what we’re up to. If you love the album as much as we do, please buy rather than just stream or we may never be able to afford to tour it! Give us a Follow wherever we may roam, Share our various posts and Subscribe where subscribing is a thing.

Enjoy the album!

Peace.

John

Heritage – A True Labour of Love

Posted on 4th June 20265th June 2026 by John Reed

On 1st June, Duncan and I sent our Heritage album to Ali Karim Esmaail for production. Ali didn’t have a clue what to expect, because this is the first time we haven’t sent him any advance copies. What he does know is how important this album is to both of us. It became more so as it entered its final stages.

Heritage is a celebration of family. Rather than populate the album with new original songs with a family focus, we decided to record our interpretations of traditional songs that have lived with us as a family of four over the years. It’s been four years in the making, entirely due to changing family circumstances along the way. We moved to Berwick, Duncan and Toni to Dunfermline, and Jen and Phiz with their metal craft business to Hawick, all in 2022. Duncan and Toni married and the following year gave Jen & Phiz’s twin girls a first boy cousin, after I’d walked away from the world of international trade at the start of 2023.

Amid all the pressures of work and life, the album never went away. We knew most of the songs that we wanted to record, but didn’t get the right kind of time to complete the process. In 2022 and 2023, we’d made rough recordings of five of the songs, and released our single of “She Moved Through The Fair” with Jo Beth in October 2024, intending the rest of the album to follow on. It didn’t quite work out that way!

In the second half of last year, we all helped Duncan build a garden office and recording studio, in part to create space in the house for his and Toni’s new son Euan who arrived today. By the time the build was finished, we had a 4 month window to finally put Heritage to bed. We re-recorded each of the original roughs, and added a few more traditional songs plus our single, then two original songs based on a trenches parody of a poem from 1865 “The Dream of Gerontius” from my Great Uncle Frank’s WW1 memoirs. Duncan had already recorded the first three verses in “The Keeping of the Bridge, Part 1” for his 2021 album “The Road, Part 1”, and I recorded the next four from this 15-verse epic poem for “The Keeping of the Bridge, Part 2” at the end of May.

Our family is rich in stories, starting with manuscripts from the adventures of a young Johann Sankovsky (John Cofty Carlisle) from Northern Silesia in the late 18th century, who later witnessed at first hand the Battle of Montevideo (1807) from on board HMS Lancaster. Then Frank’s “Great Adventure” followed him through the killing fields of Northern Europe as a stretcher-bearer for the Royal Army Medical Corps for four years from 1915. Duncan’s paternal great, great grandfather manned the forge at Tatton Park in Knutsford, signalling the way for Jen & Phiz’s business. My maternal grandmother – a single mother – ran a Blackpool lodging, at which one of her regulars was a film director for J. Arthur Rank. My Dad’s sister Peggy was a Chanel model. My Mum and Dad each left written records of their sometimes hard, but always loving lives, and so it goes on. And here are we two, creating music.

Many of the songs of Heritage will have been known to all of them but for John Cofty Carlisle, who may only have known a couple of them. These songs have weaved their way through our family’s lives. In creating our own versions, Duncan and I are paying homage to the memory of these wonderful souls. Folk songs connect the generations and will continue to do so, because the human stories that create them will always remain relevant.

We are not sure yet when the album will be released, but when you come to listen to the songs we’ve put together for Heritage, please absorb their stories, and raise a glass in welcoming our new family member, Duncan and Toni’s new baby boy! Who knows what paths the next generations will take? Our hope is that this album and the stories of their ancestors will give them some inspiration.

Peace.

John

REVIEW: John Reed – “A Proliferation of Pointlessness”

Posted on 3rd September 2025 by John Reed

Here, Jean Camp of Folking.com provides a review of my latest solo album “A Proliferation Of Pointlessness”:

There are many ‘protest’ singer/songwriters today who try and capture the state of the world and all the serious stuff that’s going on within it. A Proliferation of Pointlessness is singer/songwriter John Reed’s way of bringing it all to the forefront and hits the nail on the head with 12 thoughtfully written tracks covering such issues as corruption, Long Covid, change, lack of humanity, surveillance and Big Brother tactics, suicide, heroes of war (who are they really?), lost values, hiding behind a screen (keyboard warriors), Irelands Great Hunger, North and South divide and Project Freedom.

Starting with the lead in track ‘Someone Else’s Ghost’, you are immediately drawn to the lyrics which reference long illnesses such as Long Covid, which seems like it never ends. Thinking it has gone, and jumped into another ghost, and then maybe comes back again. The goal post keeps moving on it. Doctors tend to dismiss it as they do not know how to deal with it. A very strong track with dramatic guitar.

I love the finger picking on ‘Maverick’. The lyrics questioning who is normal? Us or them? John is asking here for us not to be afraid to speak out. ‘Change’ is needed and it’s usually the minority who try to action things. ‘Shadows’ is a track for those of us refusing to age, succumb to illness and whatever else is thrown at us. We will find a way, through sheer determination. Whispering guitar with an almost dystopian feel. ‘Same Sky’ has lyrics about the concern of where humanity is going. How are the children going to fare in the future – if we have a future. ‘Watching’ is all about Big Brother watching and listening to us. Everywhere. Nowhere to escape. Most societies go with it. Is this freedom? The Governments know all about us, especially when we go to a cashless society.

‘The Strongest’ tackles the growing issue of suicide. People (the majority being male) walk amongst us who need to talk but they don’t, they carry on. We should look after each other more. ‘Heroes and Warriors’ poses the question of who are the real heroes of war? The women who were left behind to face the challenges of keeping life going at home? ‘Change’ is a view on 21^st century life and looking into a worrying future. Has life all changed since Covid or have these changes been creeping up on us? ‘Us’ hints at humans hiding behind screens and not connecting with each other.

‘The Moss’ tells of the prosecution of the 19^th century Irish Great Hunger. Human beings can resolve problems such as these, but it doesn’t work out that way. Governments don’t help. The penultimate track ‘The Hill Country’ is a belting rocky number telling of what some people call the North and South divide in the UK. Love this.

The last track of A Proliferation of Pointlessness gives us the most important message. ‘Project Freedom’. America’s Project 25 bringing the Trump regime into power, with him trying to keep law and order – which he doesn’t understand anyway. The lyrics are urging us to keep our freedom by speaking our mind, and to be heard. An excellent choice for the last track.

This album has its own flow, which John says he didn’t put into any order, the tracks just flowed. APOP1 really needs to be heard, by the public, the media and politicians at home and globally. I really like this album for many reasons, but especially for John Reed’s ability to put into words what we all should be thinking, and taking action and notice of.

All instruments and vocals are by John Reed and recorded at John’s ‘Berevic’ studio in Berwick Upon Tweed, and produced by Ali Karim Esmaail in Manchester. The album is Free From AI for which they have developed a logo, which is on the album cover.

APOP1 really needs to be heard, by the public, the media and politicians at home and globally.

Check out www.johnreed.bandcamp.com where you can purchase the album and other music.

Jean Camp