Epona Records is a new record label seeking to promote acoustic music both from contemporary singer songwriters and traditional music in Britain, Europe and elsewhere in the world as well as projects of historical and cultural archive interest. The label's name is taken from the celtic horse goddess Epona and coupled with the white horse of Uffington forms the label's logo. Epona was the celtic pr
otector of horses, donkeys and mules and also goddess of fertility whose worship was widespread in the Roman Empire between the first and third centuries AD. The chalk figure of the white horse of Uffington is some 3000 years old and similar to horses depicted on Celtic coinage. Our next release will be an album of twelve unpublished songs by Tom Yates titled Love is Losing Ground. These songs were recoredd between 1983 and 1989 in Antwerp and have been digitally restored and mastered by John Constantine from tapes that were in poor condition. John has done a remarkable job and we hope that the quality, although not perfect by today's high tech standards, is well worth a listen. The label has many projects in mind for the future including the licensed re-releases of Tom Yates' second and third LPs Love Comes Well Armed and Song of the Shimmering Way which hopefully may follow later this year 2012. Tom himself was very interested in Celtic myths and legends and some are reflected in the lyrics of his songs. Also due for release for winter 2012 are Rebec's first album Ayres That Meads and Pastures Fill and Mike Billington's first solo album Sol Invictus. Mike has enlisted session musicians including Maartin Allcock, Bram Taylor, Fiona Simpson, Mickey Van Gelder, Rebecca Millington, Nicola Smalley, Ruth Spargo and Phil Davenport with backing vocals provided by Shelley Rainey and Karen Dyson of The Bailey Sisters. Projects for 2013 include an album of Tom Yates' songs with a Christian message, recorded in Antwerp during the 1980s, an album of monologues by Ralph Smethurst and the archive field recording of the tenth anniversary revival Rushbearing ceremony by Gorton Morris Men in 1989.
