Natalina Castiglioni: Vocals
Del Halpin: Guitar, Mandolin, Pedal Steel Guitar
Ian Montague: Guitars, Vocals
The pigeonholing of music can be a foolhardy and futile pastime but, if a Chinese burn were to be applied, it could be said that Crayon Angels occupy a place on the musical map somewhere around Folk, just north of Americana with a weekend mini-break to ‘Clever English Pop’ and an occasional day trip to Soul.
Alternatively, Crayon Angels are three pleasant humans writing and performing some nice songs for grown-ups in an acoustic setting. Others, who know about these things, have written that they are "quintessential English Pop/Folk crossover at its finest" and "quietly magnificent". Well, if you insist.
Following at a leisurely pace from their 2018 ‘Postcards’ EP, Crayon Angels’ debut full album ‘People You May Know’ has been released under the auspices of the mighty Submarine Broadcasting Company.
It’s a proper old-fashioned ‘album’ - like in the olden days. 11 songs, nothing over five minutes - no silliness. Subject matter like the late rekindling of a first love, the loss of a parent and the invisibility of the middle-aged are all covered using an acoustic-based musical setting.
Although some of it was recorded during lockdown, all of the songs were written prior to that. So you will be relieved to hear that there are no ‘I Got Them Lockdown Blues’ type shenanigans to be reckoned with.
With live appearances at such convivial and well established venues as The Harrison and The Water Rats, acoustic clubs like the Running Well and Bishops Stortford and folk clubs like Loughton, Royston and Uxbridge - as well as a most enjoyable trip to Skegness to appear at the Great British Folk Festival - Crayon Angels have a nicely growing reputation as all-round good eggs.
"It’s discovering gems like The Crayon Angels that makes all the hours I put in worthwhile...
...Artistes like this trio are the heartbeat of the music industry."
"Natalina Castiglioni manages to infuse every song with heart, soul and a lot of warmth."
"...Ian Montague's sharp songwriting. He has a real knack for crafting songs from the everyday humdrum to show them in a whole new light, concentrating on the glitter in the grime. It's a lyrical playfulness you'd expect from the likes of Neil Hannon, ensuring that there's something new to pick up on each new listen.."
"Heartfelt and tragically beautiful voice of Natalina Castiglioni"
"There’s a smartness in the way Ian Montague writes and crafts his songs...he takes the simple and mundane and somehow making them sound fascinating and even quite exotic."