Martha is Mareel-bound

ACCLAIMED singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright will play Mareel on Wednesday 5 July as part of a select UK tour.

With an undeniable voice and an arsenal of powerful songs, she is a beguiling performer and a refreshingly different force in music.

Born in New York to folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, Martha is part of an impressive musical dynasty. She often collaborates with her brother Rufus Wainwright, and recently recorded the JUNO-nominated Songs in the Dark with her half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche.

She has toured her music to sold-out audiences on several continents, and this will be her first visit to Shetland.

Shetland Arts programme manager Floortje Matthew said: “We are incredibly excited about this rare opportunity to bring Martha and her band up to Shetland for what promises to be an exceptional gig.

“Martha is a dynamic songwriter and performer with a strong folk heritage and exceptional voice – as well as being a fearless experimenter and collaborator. I’m delighted to welcome a musician of such a high calibre and international renown to Mareel.”

Released in November 2016, her latest album Goodnight City has been heralded as her best record yet.

The album returns to the rawness of her first release and includes songs by Martha, as well as numbers written by other notable artists, including Beth Orton, Glen Hansard, Rufus Wainwright, Michael Ondaatje and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, to highlight her incredible voice.

• Tickets go on sale through Shetland Arts Box Office on Friday 26 May at 10am.