LIVE REVIEW from At The Barrier Sept 2021 Click Here
Two Kingdoms - 2021. Three rave reviews!
Folking.com
"Lakeland singer-songwriter Mike Turnbull is no stranger to these pages. Tracing his ancestry back to the reivers – or perhaps their victims – Mike has a great affinity with his homeland and its myths and stories, both old and new. He’s a multi-instrumentalist and is supported by his live band, The Safe Kings – Suzanne Ambrose and Dave Pennington – and some guest musicians, notably Lukas Drinkwater. I’ve compared Mike with a certain singer-songwriter from the opposite end of the country before and that comparison is as valid as ever on Two Kingdoms, a new collection of songs culled from the north-west of England."
Read full review here FOLKING.COM REVIEW
FATEA
"I've read more than one review of Mike Turnbull's work that has compared him to Seth Lakeman, and that's easy to understand, but it's far more just than him being a singer/songwriter who plays the fiddle and tenor guitar (amongst several other instruments), Like Lakeman, Turnbull draws on his surroundings and local stories for his source material, retelling legends or commemorating real life events."
Read full review here FATEA REVIEW
At The Barrier
"We are blessed in the UK not only with the depth and quantity of talented folk artists but also with the quality and diversity of these artists. Mike Turnbull is amongst them. On his vibrant new album, Two Kingdoms, there is a blend of all those tales we love: seafaring yarns, medieval folklore, ghostly tales, mystical mystery, Viking sagas and, of course, lovelorn romance. All blended in foot-stomping music and ballads delivered with clear, yearning vocals."
Read full review here AT THE BARRIER REVIEW
Kevin Ford - music lover & avid gig goer
Review after online gig & competition win of two Cd's July 2020.
“Mike, I'm so impressed by your music. You must be immensely proud of Courageous Tree. ‘In So Small…’, my favourite tracks are Lakeland Heart, Sycamore, Seabirds' and Mr Raven on which I liked the musical arrangement. At times your vocal reminds me of Iain Matthews whom I've seen a number of times. Courageous Tree, voice ++ (followed by a tick!). Positive, confident. Andris’ production has much more life". Your voice is sitting on the note and so comes across more fluently. Stand out tracks are 1, 2 and 5. I would have loved for Every Last Wolf to have carried on for longer, in fact I think you could have legitimately wrung more out from the choruses for a couple of the tracks as they're great. The arrangements are great and Dawn's voice sits well with yours and brings a great balance and actually lifts yours. You've collected a brilliant group of musicians around you and I'm looking forward to your next album and to seeing you live.”
FATEA - Review of In So Small A Compass (2019)
Folking.com - Review of In So Small A Compass (2019)
(click the text to read the full review)
"This is clearly a big step forward from Circlet Of Gold – much as I liked that record – but what is most impressive is the fact that Mike’s songwriting has maintained its quality. …In So Small A Compass is all meat and no filler".
Folking.com - Review of Circlet of Gold (2017)
(click the text to read the full review)
"Mike Turnbull is a singer-songwriter from the Lake District whose main instruments are tenor guitar, octave mandola and tenor ukulele. Their sound coupled with the sources of his songs suggests Seth Lakeman and, in truth, that isn’t a bad comparison. He certainly has the same drive and energy. (Folking.com)."
Cumbria Live
The seven-track record, Circlet of Gold, tells the region's well-known tales, each set to Mike's diverse alt-folk music. (click here to read the article)
This is what people have said so far...
Jay LaBouchardier (Ninebarrow)
https://www.ninebarrow.co.uk
Hey Mike! We're just listening to your CD on the way up! (en-route to London gig) Sounds great!! Loving the songs (especially Fields of Heavy Dew) and loving the production too 😊 Good work sir!! Hope to see you soon.
Andris Kiss - Sound Engineer & Producer:
This summer (2017), I was lucky enough to be the one to produce Mike's recording and experience his music first hand.
Actually I didn't know how much I'm into folk until I heard his music. Expect something new and modern. His playing style includes rhythm, melodies, chords and scales mixed together.
Listening to Mike on an instrument feels like you're listening to several musicians or a full band playing at the same time. His vocal is very clean & strong but can also go to emotional & soft any time.
His talent, 30 years of experience as a musician, songwriter and singer makes this all a very unique, pleasant and remarkable experience which is a must to listen to.
Click here to find out more...