Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
The Toerag Sessions - emilybarker.com/thetoeragsessions
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Emily's latest album Fragile as Humans is out now: emilybarker.com/fragile
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The Toerag Sessions is a collection of solo versions of Emily Barker's songs, recorded live to 2-track tape at Toerag Studios in London with Grammy-winning producer Liam Watson (The White Stripes - Elephant).
In the album's sleeve notes, Barker explains how the idea came about: "over the last few years, in between touring with my bands The Red Clay Halo and Vena Portae, I've played lots of solo shows. Often people will come up to me at the end of those shows and ask if there is any way to get hold of recordings of the songs as they've just heard them - just me, my guitar and my harmonica".
After what turned out to be her final tour with The Red Clay Halo, Barker took the opportunity to go in to the studio to record her own selection of songs from her back catalogue. Many of these songs are the ones she was playing in her solo sets at that time, plus a few additions. The songs go right back to her first UK band the-low-country, through all her albums with The Red Clay Halo, and including 'Anywhere Away', written as the theme to Jake Gavin's movie Hector (starring Peter Mullan and Keith Allen).
Filmed and edited by Kieran Short and Sinead O'Hara
Hair and makeup by Lesley Vye
Photography by Ben Morse
Recorded live to two track tape at Toerag Studios, January 2015
Produced by Liam Watson
Written and performed by Emily Barker
=========================================
On a boat in London waters
By the edge of your lip’s corners
In the palm of your hand’s affection
I’m forgetting where I begin
In a place that’s been returned to
But it feels like someone I no longer know
There’s a life I’m trying to follow
But I’m held to where I have been
Oh journey, oh journey
Won’t you tell me when I’m right or wrong
Oh journey, oh journey
Won’t you tell me where is it I’m going
All the moments that can’t be forgotten
Sometimes circle like birds of prey
They get in your words and in your veins
Like syllables and pain
So move us through this day
And move us through tomorrow
And yesterday can be but
A shadow, a shadow, a shadow
Oh journey, oh journey
Won’t you keep him in the safe of my arms
Oh journey, oh journey
Won’t you shelter us from all love’s storms
Life has got a temper
That I can never predict
And if change is the only thing constant
I’m gonna be constantly changing
All the crocuses are in bloom
The winter will soon be over
And I want to ride like the tail of a kite
Destined to the wind
Destined to the wind
Destined to the wind
=========================================
#emilybarker #folk #folkmusic #acoustic #americana #singersongwriter
The Toerag Sessions - emilybarker.com/thetoeragsessions
Subscribe to Emily Barker’s channel for the latest music videos, behind the scenes, live performances and more: youtube.com/@EmilyBarker
Emily's latest album Fragile as Humans is out now: emilybarker.com/fragile
Stay in touch:
Sign up to my newsletter: emilybarker.com/subscribe
emilybarker.com
instagram.com/emilybarkerhalo
facebook.com/emilybarkerhalo
tiktok.com/@emilybarkerhalo
The Toerag Sessions is a collection of solo versions of Emily Barker's songs, recorded live to 2-track tape at Toerag Studios in London with Grammy-winning producer Liam Watson (The White Stripes - Elephant).
In the album's sleeve notes, Barker explains how the idea came about: "over the last few years, in between touring with my bands The Red Clay Halo and Vena Portae, I've played lots of solo shows. Often people will come up to me at the end of those shows and ask if there is any way to get hold of recordings of the songs as they've just heard them - just me, my guitar and my harmonica".
After what turned out to be her final tour with The Red Clay Halo, Barker took the opportunity to go in to the studio to record her own selection of songs from her back catalogue. Many of these songs are the ones she was playing in her solo sets at that time, plus a few additions. The songs go right back to her first UK band the-low-country, through all her albums with The Red Clay Halo, and including 'Anywhere Away', written as the theme to Jake Gavin's movie Hector (starring Peter Mullan and Keith Allen).
Filmed and edited by Kieran Short and Sinead O'Hara
Hair and makeup by Lesley Vye
Photography by Ben Morse
Recorded live to two track tape at Toerag Studios, January 2015
Produced by Liam Watson
Written and performed by Emily Barker
=========================================
On a boat in London waters
By the edge of your lip’s corners
In the palm of your hand’s affection
I’m forgetting where I begin
In a place that’s been returned to
But it feels like someone I no longer know
There’s a life I’m trying to follow
But I’m held to where I have been
Oh journey, oh journey
Won’t you tell me when I’m right or wrong
Oh journey, oh journey
Won’t you tell me where is it I’m going
All the moments that can’t be forgotten
Sometimes circle like birds of prey
They get in your words and in your veins
Like syllables and pain
So move us through this day
And move us through tomorrow
And yesterday can be but
A shadow, a shadow, a shadow
Oh journey, oh journey
Won’t you keep him in the safe of my arms
Oh journey, oh journey
Won’t you shelter us from all love’s storms
Life has got a temper
That I can never predict
And if change is the only thing constant
I’m gonna be constantly changing
All the crocuses are in bloom
The winter will soon be over
And I want to ride like the tail of a kite
Destined to the wind
Destined to the wind
Destined to the wind
=========================================
#emilybarker #folk #folkmusic #acoustic #americana #singersongwriter
