Kirsty loved playing Hebden so much she moved here ...

Kirsty Almeida

Trades Club, Hebden Bridge, Dec 16

When globetrotting Kirsty Almeida played a gig in Hebden Bridge she enjoyed the vibe so much she decided to move to the town and to mark that move is playing a special Christmas show at the Trades Club, writes Paul Clarke.

“I lived in Manchester for a long time, but I’m not sure if I chose Hebden or Hebden chose me” muses Kirsty.

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“It’s really hard to tell because as soon as I arrived I could see there were lots of different projects I was meant to be doing if you believe in some sort of fate.

“The main reason was my son is four now, and I’ve always had a few things on my bucket list, and one was to live in a beautiful countryside house with a woodburner.

“It was the perfect time to do the countryside move as I’d finished my wandering.

“I arrived in a blizzard, and that that was a bit like Mary Poppins had come to town, which was an amazing way to arrive.”

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The move to Calder Valley’s rich rural landscape has had a profound impact on Kirsty’s current work as she prepares to release her new album Moonbird in May.

“We live above the clouds in Slack and they talk about the dragon’s breath as the clouds come in over the valley.

“You can just see it is like a dragon and a lot of my move to Hebden has brought out a more pagan, shamanic side in me.

“I think that has definitely started to come across in my music, in my singing and how I am connecting with nature, the environment and the earth itself which influences my choice of songs.”

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Kirsty will be making a short trip down into town to join her band for the now traditional Wintersongs festive show at the Trades Club on Sunday, December 16.

“It’s a tradition for us that we begin Christmas with a festive concert, and each year it sells out in different cities, as it’s such a beautiful way of starting the Christmas period.

“It consists of a lot of beautiful winter solitude songs, winter songs, Christmas tunes and some about the darkness of winter.”

For more details on this gig and others go to www.thetradesclub.com