Helen Martin Productions

A late new year's resolution - less Facebook, more blogging. Am entering my fourth year with my company;the first three have been full of twists and turns. Working hard with my husband Phil Martin now to get his second solo album, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark finished and distributed, as well as organising a tour from May onwards around his solo work. We'll be starting off at the Station Inn Whitby in May - what better time and place? The launch date (and party!) to be announced early next week. Then there are my gigs and other events - what a long, hard but largely enjoyable slog this has been, for an assortment of reasons! I've been looking at collaborations with other promoters, and late last year teamed up with TwickFolk to plan a few events. Our first two are tomorrow, one has sold out and hopefully the evening gig with Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker will be suitably and comfortably stuffed too. I'm hoping this is first of many joint ventures with TwickFolk and others! I'm managing an exciting project with the rock group I Love Thunder - the group is largely made up of people with varying degrees and types of learning disability, who have bonded over a love of music - they've been awarded a grant by the BBC, and will be working very hard over the next 6 months with other musicians, towards a fantastic show at Watermans theatre. These are the things exercising my mind right now - Once Phil's album is mastered and out of our hands, he has promised to enter the digital age more fully and write a blog too! One of the bands he's in, The Bitter Springs has just released a double album, Everyone's Cup of Tea, which has had a very warm reception in the press including 4/5 stars in the Daily Mirror - you can read the reviews here All very exciting!