A Cornish singer-songwriter’s eagerly-awaited debut album, Lien Gwerin, that is being released on August 12, will enhance an already growing reputation, writes Simon Gale.

The album hopes to propel Ezmay Grace’s reputation for evocative songwriting and passionate delivery, her intimately personal lyrics and private reflections that could have been lifted from the pages of her diary.

Soulful and atmospheric, with deep acoustic roots and a strongly beating chronicler’s heart, Ezmay is a young singer-songwriter with a modern perception that absorbs everything found around her.

Esmay said: “Lien Gwerin [Cornish for Folk Tales] came about quite organically, which is part of what I love about it. I started writing more traditional, story-based folk songs in my twenties, and I found I had a real affinity for it.

“I fell in love with writing this way and amassed a solid collection of songs over the course of my twenties. Sometime in 2023, I decided I had enough for a concept album, an album of folk tales, thus, Lien Gwerin was born.”

Ezmay revealed that she recorded the new album herself, at home in Bude, in her little studio.

“I think I did this as an exercise in proving to myself that I could,” she said. “Once the album was ‘finished’, my end, I knew I wanted it to be mixed and mastered professionally, as I could admit to myself that that was beyond my skill set. I knew of James’s [producer James Bragg] work through a mutual friend and reached out to him, and the songs went from mediocre to completely professional… I was mind-blown!”

Ezmay is renowned for a unique yet contemporary style that blends the traditional seamlessly with the modern, creating a sound that is extremely personal and excitingly fresh and yet still manages to remain timeless.

Explaining what her favourite songs from Lien Gwerin are, she revealed: “To play live its Siren Son, I feel it shows off my vocal range and agility. As a recorded track I’d say Koswick, it feels so haunting and cinematic, and I love what it has become. But Faina definitely holds a high place in the ranking too. It has come so far from when I first wrote it at 18.”

The album’s launch is being held in the Mill Barn at Launcells Barton, near Bude on August 12, something she is very looking forward to, especially given her love of performing live.

“I am so excited!” she readily admits. “The beautiful Kitty Crocker will be opening the evening for me, and there may be a surprise or two in the works for my set. We chose Launcells Barton for its history, beauty and proximity to home. It was important to us that the gig was close to Bude, where all of my closest listeners are. And if nothing else, it just felt like me.”

“I am a completely different musician to the one I was when I began writing and recording. I’m already moving in a different direction for my next album, and that’s the beauty of being a musician. Ever changing and ever evolving is how I want to remain.”

Speaking about what her future holds, Ezmay said: “I know what I hope it holds, whether that will come to fruition, we’ll have to wait and see. I hope people hear my music and love it, and then tell their friends, and then more people will hear it and love it too.

“I just want to be heard and for my music to mean something to people. In an ideal world I’d love to play my music live on every continent, and if I keep pushing, maybe I’ll manage to tick off a few. I’ve already had some decent airtime in Australia, so watch this space.”

Willing to pay those dues to the legacy that folk music has gifted her but still utterly determined to forge her own path, Ezmay hopes to enthral and inspire the hearts of an emerging generation of passionate storytellers, especially those emanating from the south west.

“It feels like we’re in an exciting time down here for live music,” she said. “More and more venues are hosting gigs, and the quality of musicians just seems to keep improving. It just feels like everyone down here is in tune, and the scene is buzzing so harmoniously!”

To purchase tickets for the concert on August 12 at the Mill Barn, visit: wegottickets.com/event/666235