Info
Contact: songsfromthehowlingsea@hotmail.com
In little over 12 months Ruairidh Anderson has established himself as the premier London folklore singer/songwriter.
With several guest performances on the BBC and Irish national radio it all began here with a simple project in June 2010. 52 songs over 52 weeks, written, recorded and released every 7 days.
All songs were based on characters and events from London’s Old East End and all songs were accompanied with a video created and hosted by the songwriter, providing the historical tale.
After concluding this project in 2011 Ruairidh Anderson was invited by Londonist.com to continue this idea with a series on the 5 Olympic Boroughs, running from October 2011 until the opening ceremony in July 2012. This project is hosted solely at Londonist.com.
All work is free to download and distribute, and all songs are written, produced and played by Ruairidh Anderson
…with his brother Al on drums
…and the occasional guest.
FAQ
Is this all absolutely free?
Yes. All songs and all videos are not only free but also legally free to download, copy and distribute. As long as it’s for non-commercial purposes and you stick my name on it!
What’s with the ‘song a week’ idea?
I’ve always wondered how I would handle a prolonged period of creative challenges. I had heard of other artists taking on similar projects but never around one topic and never with the addition of video. You could say I’m the first person in the history of the world to do this. It felt good saying that..
Why the Old East London theme?
Most people associate East London with crime, filth and venereal disease but it wasn’t always like that. I wanted to highlight the many different sides to this area during the period that was considered it’s worst. Plus there wasn’t as much mileage in the alternative idea of Egham during the Thatcher era.
Why the ‘Howling Sea?’
19th Century novelist Arthur Morrison described London’s East End as ‘a howling sea of human wreckage.’ The imagery stuck with me.
Love your work Ruairidh. I just got your facebook invite to have look at yoru project. I have watched all 4 videos and listened to all the corresponding songs. Keep it up i love these sorts of short stories and the songs are great.
Looking forward to next weeks video and song.
BTW I have posted a link to this site on my facebook page so hopefully a few of my friends will also visit and enjoy it as much as I have.
Regards
Erwin Smink
Hi Rory,
You are one talented boy! This is awesome, look forward to hearing your songs each week.
Well done!
Abbi
Hey Ruairidh,
What a great idea I’m loving the songs, the humor and the history lesson now i’m looking forward to the next installment keep up the good work.
Cheers
Ben
Hey Ruairidh,
Thanks for sending me the link to this project of yours. Am loving the songs & hearing the history behind them along with a few of your one liners thrown in for good measure. O Eliza is my fav so far. Keep up the amazing work!
Jono
Hi Ruairidh
Great work I am very impressed and intrigued by this truly ‘modern’ work. For such a massive undertaking the standard of insight and song looks incredibly high so far.
In a brand new forum/genre of art that is plagued by people who think I care about what they had for breakfast, this is a diamond in the rough, a reminder that putting technology in the hands of talented people is the way we progress.
cheers
Ben Nicholls
I’d like to have experienced this whole project sequentially from the beginning, but I’m really glad I found it half way through before it’s all over.
Only 19 weeks in though. Plenty of time!
What have you done??????
You have this GREAT project, a really interesting video, every time!. Very very good songs about London and its past. I could go on and on and on as to how good it is .
BUT now I can’t download the music any more???
It was so simple before.
What have you done??????
It’s ok. Everything is still available free as per normal. The only difference is that it is now in the subscribers section.
Fab, fab, fab. I am really enjoying the videos and songs. Thanks for attaching the words also, as this increases the enjoyment. Getting the songs onto itunes involves a right click on my mac and saving as itunes download. Can you make the songsoftheehowingsea art work available for the album cover!!!?
Looking forward to many more.
Hi Ruairidh,
Thanks for dropping me a reply on my small youtube channel.
How are you? What have you been up to for the past 9 years. It has been a long time since I last saw you and your brother (and the jive boys).
I really love your quest of 52 songs/doco’s in 52 weeks. I watched and listened to 3 of them and you have an amazing talent my friend. Please sign me up to your weekly e-mail blast.
It would be brilliant to hear about the adventures in your life for the past 9 years. I hope you have been safe and well. Are you on Skype? My skype name is: martydaleygraphicdesign
Warmest regards,
Marty
Three weeks to go… what are you planning to do next?
Well that is the question.. Collapse probably.
I think you should consider dances from the howling sea as your next project…
Thanks for keeping us entertained these past 52 weeks. I’ve learned a lot from your videos and have enjoyed your songs. Best of luck with your next project … whatever that may be.
Pingback: Tales from London's East End: interview with Ruairidh Anderson | AnyTrip Blog