Homespun were an English pop/folk band formed in
2003 by musician and songwriter David Rotheray, who was known for his work
writing and playing with The Beautiful South. ‘Homespun’ was at that time a side
project, designed as an outlet for Rotheray’s solo compositions. Other band
members were Sam Brown, Melvin Duffy, Tony Robinson, Clare Mactaggart, Gary
Hammond and Alan Jones.
The band recorded a total of three albums, ‘Homespun’
(2003), ‘Effortless Cool’ (2005), and concluding with ‘Short Stories From East
Yorkshire’ in 2008. This final album saw Rotheray introduce guest vocals to the
format, featuring contributions from Eleanor McEvoy and Mary Coughlan. All the
`Homespun’ albums and singles were released on Rotheray’s own ‘Homespun
Recordings’ label.
As well as recording three albums, the band also toured the UK four times,
playing mostly in folk clubs and small venues. The band split up in August 2008,
with Rotheray stating his intention to pursue a solo career. All other band
members are also still active in music, but it is unclear whether they will ever
re-unite and perform together again.
The homespunrecordings.com site will remain open to sell the back catalogue and merchandise from Homespun (see SHOP link).