On Tuesday 10 June, I teamed up with space engineer, Dr Gilles Bailet, Lecturer in Space Technology at the University of Glasgow, to launch my new space-themed EP, Starbound.
Jonni Slater and I played all the songs from Starbound live, and in between, I interviewed Gilles about space engineering, sustainability in space, and testing new technology in zero gravity. You can watch the full event on YouTube.
The Starbound EP is now available on CD and as a digital download from Bandcamp, and will be available at upcoming gigs.
The Starbound: Space in Songs & Science event was part of the Glasgow Science Festival and supported by the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account at the University of Glasgow.
After opening for the prog rock band, Long Earth, at The Glad Cafe in Glasgow in May 2023, the band’s bass player, David, put an unexpected request to me in the summer of 2024 – if I’d be interested to step in as the band’s singer for their Autumn dates! Their singer wasn’t able to commit and they just had a new album out. I didn’t have to think about it for long – and said yes, of course!
There was a lot to do – the band’s set was an hour and the lyrics are elaborate, so there was a lot to memorise. On top of that, the band’s singer was a man, so I had to change some of the melodies to be able to sing them. I put in a lot of hours practising and enjoyed having to sing so regularly.
Lockerbie
Our first gig was at a hotel-turned-venue that’s home to the prog band, EBB, in Lockerbie on Friday 13 September. The venue is filled with strange artefacts and objects, and would be worth a visit just to have a look around. We were welcomed with dinner and cake. The stage was cosy, to say the least – I had to duck from the neck of the bass guitar a few times – and it was hard to hear myself through the monitor amidst all the other sound – I had forgotten that about being in a loud band! – but somehow managed to sing in tune according to the people in the room and we got really nice feedback. And thanks to my cheat sheets on the floor, I managed to remember all the lyrics. EBB themselves were very cool. Great to see and hear so many women rocking out and they certainly have a flair for performance!
Kirkaldy
Two weeks later, I hitched a ride with David to Kirkaldy, on the Scottish coast in Fife, where we played a gig alongside the Wizards of Prog and the Black Sails Collective. The venue was King’s Theatre, on the waterfront. After the soundcheck, I felt a bit out of place walking into town in my brown boots, long orange dress and matching eye shadow, but I really needed a cup of coffee! We were on second that evening. The sound was amazing, on stage and in the room, and all the positive feedback really made my day. The other bands sounded great too.
Summer’s End Progressive Rock Festival
These gigs led up to a performance at Summer’s End Progressive Rock Festival in Chepstow, South Wales – just over the bridge from Bristol – on Sunday 6 October. Who knew that this town, which I had visited twice before to explore its castle, ruined abbey and woods, was a centre of prog? We travelled down from Glasgow in a van the day before and arrived in time to watch some of the bands on Saturday night. We were one of the first bands to perform on Sunday afternoon, so we had to be at the venue early in the morning to soundcheck – in my case, aided by another cup of coffee. Before our performance, we were briefly whisked away to a cottage in town to record a fun podcast with Béla Alabástrom for DPRP.net.
We played our set as the venue was rapidly warming up under the hot stage lights. Our performance was captured by a small army of photographers, and enthusiastically received by the crowd. I was happy for the band that they sold many copies of their new album, An Ordinary Life, and was pleasantly surprised by the audience members purchasing my albums and EPs as well, even though we didn’t play any of my solo material.
We stayed around to see the other bands on Sunday. I loved seeing Hayley Griffiths and her band give a stellar performance, as well as Norwegian headliners Magic Pie, who are amazing musicians with a charismatic singer.
Still buzzing, the next morning I caught a bus to Bristol to see family and friends, while the guys headed back up to Glasgow.
A permanent position
In the following weeks, I was again happily surprised to hear my music on prog radio shows – both my new Dora Lachaise single, Red Door, and tracks from my albums. I was blown away by how welcoming the prog community is! We also got a great review in none other than Prog magazine.
Then, Long Earth’s singer announced his departure, and after some deliberation, the remaining members asked me to join – an offer too good to refuse! So that’s where we are now, writing new material and looking forward to gigs in 2025.
Darren Walker of The Progressive Aspect asked me for an interview – you can read it on their website.
Hear more episodes via the Glad Radio website. Other guests include Mima Merrow, who writes beautiful poetic folk songs, and John McMustard who writes sunny songs with a lot of heart.
As a new arrival in Glasgow, I was very excited to perform at the legendary Celtic Connections festival this year!
Out of hundreds applications, I was one of the lucky artists selected by Liz Clark to perform on the Danny Kyle Open Stage, accompanied by Jonni Slater on keys and vocals.
Our whole set was broadcast live on Celtic Music Radio and it was recorded! You can now listen to our full set here:
My latest single came out on 8 March 2022, International Women’s Day!
‘So You Think’ is a laid-back jazz track featuring some serious piano chops, swinging upright bass, and a chihuahua. It’s the first single from my new jazz-inspired album,Little Dutch Songbook.
Written together with my brilliant friend Becci Wallace, the song is our response to society’s expectations of women. To look young and beautiful. To leave the technical stuff to the guys. As you may have guessed, we don’t think so!
In honour of International Women’s Day, I made the track with an all-female team. I mixed and produced ‘So You Think’ myself. Emily Magpie mastered it. And it has Kerry Politzer (USA) on piano, and Madalena Graça (DE) on double bass.
The track got a wonderful reception – it was played on BBC Radio 6 Music by Tom Robinson, it was voted a favourite on Fresh on the Net, local radio stations played it. I couldn’t be happier!
Artwork
I’ve been making more arty visuals for Dora Lachaise; I guess it slipped into my own work as well!
Reviews
“the piano is fluid and has a lightness of touch that seems to inspire all around it and Maaike’s vocal performance is characteristically commanding and appealing” – Trust the Doc
“agile vocal delivery and storytelling.(…) Jaunty piano and double bass provide the relaxed bedrock for Maaike’s amusing take down of the traditional male expectations of a women’s place.” – fifty3.net
“So You Think put a real smile on my face this week … the chihuahua is a brilliant touch. … I love how it’s delivered with a wry smile.” – Fresh on the Net
Invited to support folk trio The Magpies, I performed at the Downend Folk Club in September. A wonderful night of live music in a beautiful church!
The folk club’s team captured two of my songs on video, and also wrote a review: “Maaike Siegerst is a Dutch singer songwriter (via Bristol, of course) with a capital S and capital W. Literate, clever songs packed with imagery made up her five song set. She has a glorious voice, perfectly suited to a bit of quality indie folk.”
My new single is a portrait of the UK’s most endangered mammal, the Scottish Wildcat.
Wildcats have been in Britain since the Iron Age, but now only few are left in Scotland. So few, that they’ll disappear without help.
I wrote this song when I visited the Cairngorms two years ago. A drawing of a wildcat in the snow sparked the song.
Saving Wildcats
To help the wildcats, I’m donating all money from sales and streams to Saving Wildcats, a wildcat conservation charity. I think the work they’re doing is fantastic: breeding wildcats for release into the wild! It’s the help they need to survive. I’ve raised and donated £125 plus gift aid so far. Get the track on Bandcamp if you’d like to help!
Guest musicians
The sound I was going for is inspired by Mike Oldfield – a melodic folk vibe with spotlights on the voice and electric guitar – combined with the fairy tale atmosphere of early Nightwish and Within Temptation (who, in turn, were inspired by Kate Bush).
For the arrangement, I had particular musicians in mind, and luckily, they all said yes when I asked them! On drums, you hear Ivar de Graaf, known for his work with Kingfisher Sky and Within Temptation. On lead guitar is my friend and former bandmate Bas Willemsen of Alarion. Susanna Downes performs her magic on the piano, and Jonni Slater mixed the track and played the synth. The track was mastered by Nick Cooke (who also works with Kate Rusby).
A true lockdown production, a lot of this came together remotely, working over the internet!
Reviews
“Call Of The Last Wildcat is the latest genre-defying beauty from Bristol-based Maaike Siegerist. (…) Emotive, evocative, and skilful storytelling from a master of the craft.” – Fenris Music
“Very much in the modern folk idiom, it paints a musical picture of the wildcat – all you have to do is let your imagination run free. (…) an exceptional song” – Jelli Records
“The soothing guitar and piano melodies intertwine along with the artist’s spine-tingling vocal. This is like a poem set to music and it is sure to hit your soul hard. The track erupts into a glorious distorted guitar solo before the tranquil folk sounds return full circle.” – Curious for Music
Call of the Last Wildcat got played by Amazing Radio’s Jim Gellatly and BBC Radio Bristol, where Adam Crowther called it “a beautiful tribute to the Scottish Wildcat.” Dozens of other DJs and radio stations also played the song – thanks all!
For me, one highlight in these gloomy times is being part of an online songwriting group! We set songwriting challenges every Sunday, write and record a demo during the week, and share our songs in a massive online meeting on Saturday evening.
Last week’s task was to write a song using real-world sounds. I love big grandfather clocks, so I wrote a song with one! You can hear it here:
I sent Clockmaker to the BBC, and within days DJ Adam Crowther played it on his show Upload, on BBC Radio Bristol! He said: “Quite sinister-sounding, but beautiful nonetheless.”
The song will be available on a digital compilation album, in support of music venues in Glastonbury – they’ve supported my music in the past, so I wanted to do something back.
You can pre-order the album here, if you’d like to help! (There’s a lot more great local music on there.)
And if you’re curious about the songwriting group, you can hear wondrous new music from my friends and me here: Songs from Lockdown.
Bristol-based promotors Jelli Records invited me and Jonni Slater to be part of their first online festival, Jelli Fest Online. You can now watch our full set!
