TO celebrate the release of The Watchmaker’s Wife, Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston are currently touring the UK throughout 2016, and will be playing the Cafe on The Green at Widecombe-in-the-Moor on Thursday, October 13.

The brand new album from Sykes and Preston – The Watchmaker’s Wife, released on February 19 – is a reflective, powerful and moving collection of tales of love and loss; some traditional and delivered in a way that maintains the dignity of the old songs; some original and with very modern arrangements; some are covers; all with a vibrant, immediate and edgy feel.

The pair didn’t set out to create an album with love and loss as a theme, but in the thick of it all, when they just sat back and let out what came naturally, that’s what they got.

Preston for the first time showcases original songs alongside original material from Boo Hewerdine. Sykes and Preston are as dazzling as ever on their respective instruments – double bass and mandolin/bouzouki. The duo has kept things as honest as they dare to reflect their live performances. There are no guests; no four-part harmonies; no grand multi-tracked opuses; no bells and definitely no whistles. The songs shout very loudly for themselves with only a smattering of sharp and contemporary production gloss.

Well known for the last 11 years as a central component of Show of Hands, Sykes has an exquisite and spine-tingling voice, while Preston, with his exuberant and flamboyant playing style, has built a reputation as one of the finest mandolin players in the UK. The rare fusion of double bass and mandolin makes for one of the most exciting and powerful pairings on the acoustic roots scene.