Hills of Belgium Archives - Bluegrass Today

Come on Buddy Don’t You Want to Go video from Hills of Belgium

We’ve written before about the interesting and innovative old time duo, Hills of Belgium, from, you guessed it… Belgium.

There is much that is incongruous in that previous sentence. Appalachian old time music from Belgium? Yes, indeed. They call it “mountain music from the flat country.” Also, can something be at once both innovative and old time? A good many new, young artists in the field again say yes!

Hills of Belgium consists of Jérémie Fraboni on banjo and vocals, along with Lorcan Fahy on fiddle. The two have drunk deeply from the traditional music of the southeastern United States, particularly the Appalachian region, and concentrate on the music recorded during the early 20th century. But they work to bring a new twist to these familiar songs with their view from a cultural remove.

Their debut album has just been released, called Come On Buddy Don’t You Want To Go, named for the old Uncle Dave Macon number which serves as the title track. A single for that song is also available, and a music video, which we are pleased to share with our readers today.

Uncle Dave fans will recognize the song right away, presented here initially with just banjo, fiddle, and voice, though they gradually bring in subtle drums and a small horn section. That doesn’t seem very old time, but it works quite well, and offers a thoroughly modernized version of this terrific old song.

In the video Jérémie and Lorcan feign complete indifference as they play through the song in a variety of urban locations. The addition of the other instruments makes for a nice counterpoint to the thoroughly traditional playing on banjo and fiddle.

Check it out…

Come On Buddy Don’t You Want To Go, both the album and the single, are available for digital purchase from popular download and streaming services online, or directly from the artists via bandcamp.

I’ve Endured drops for Hills of Belgium

Hills of Belgium is an old time duo from, you guessed it… Belgium. And they have just released a single and music video from their second EP, their version of Ola Belle Reed’s timeless classic, I’ve Endured.

The duo consists of Jérémie Fraboni on banjo and Lorcan Fahy on fiddle, and the two have dedicated themselves to the Appalachian music of the American southeast. Well-accepted back home, they have performed at popular folk and bluegrass festivals in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.

One might ask what sort of hills they have in Belgium, and while there are a number of peaks that are popular with hikers and climbers, the guys acknowledge the differences between their homeland and the Appalachians that inspire their sound by describing it as “mountain music from the flat country.”

Jérémie and Lorcan have recently returned from a pilgrimage to the source, spending three weeks in the Appalachian region where they attended a number of festivals and fiddlers’ conventions. It was during this whirlwind tour that they shot this music video for their decidedly old timey version of I’ve Endured.

I’ve Endured from Hills of Belgium is available for download purchase through bandcamp as part of their Sources EP.

Work on a debut full-length project is ongoing, with hopes for a release in 2024.

Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Hills of Belgium

It’s somewhat intriguing when a band describes its sound as “mountain music from the flat country.” It’s even more unusual when they call themselves as Hills of Belgium, given that the country they’re referring to has no hills, and is, instead, one of the countries of northeast Europe that’s known as The Lowlands.

Given that bit of irony, it’s a credit to the band that goes by that name — specifically Jérémie Fraboni, who contributes clawhammer banjo and vocals and his musical partner Lorcan Fahy, who plays the fiddle and shares the vocals — that the devotion to their muse is such that they tap into a tradition spawned in the upper realms of Appalachia.

Fahy describes their sound as, “Different colors of old time music, from round peak fiddle tunes to modern string bands of the early 20th century.” Indeed, when asked to list the duo’s influences, he provides a roll call of seminal grassicana auteurs, specifically, so-called “old musicians like Roscoe Holcomb, Tommy Jarrell, John Salyer, Fred Cockerham, Clarence Ashley, and Clyde Davenport,” many of whom would require further investigation by even the most dedicated bluegrass disciple. He supplements that list by name checking a crop of more current musicians, among them, Stephanie Coleman and Nora Brown, Richie & Rosie, Bruce Molsky, and Rayna Gellert.

That dedication to cause is amply affirmed on the duo’s first offering, an EP tellingly titled Hills of Mexico that was released in mid November and can currently found on bandcamp. It not only includes the title track, but also offerings of such vintage variety as John Salyer’s Set, Old Kimball, Cluck Old Hen, and Roustabout. True to form, each selection boasts an air of assured authenticity. Their folk roots are clearly evident in every note and nuance, somewhat sparingly performed and yet shared with a full finesse found within the context of archival instrumentation.

“We mainly play traditional music and we make it our own,” Fahy says simply. A listen to the new EP confirms that assessment.

Further evidence can be found on Hills of Belgium’s recently released video, which can be viewed on YouTube.

Asked about the group’s early origins, Fahy explains that he and Fraboni first met around a table in a local pub while participating in an old time jam session in Brussels. The connection seemed assured from the get-go, and although their band is still in its infancy and has yet to tour, they’ve managed to perform at various places in their native Belgium. Naturally, they hope to take their music elsewhere as soon as it’s feasible to do so.

While they’re still building a fan following, Fahy says he’s satisfied with the reaction they’ve received thus far. “People here don’t know anything about this music,” he insists. “They think we come from another country. Still, it’s really surprising and refreshing to them. The feedback we get is great.”

According to Fahy, there’s a good explanation why the feedback has been as positive as it’s been thus far. He attributes it to a need for cultural connection, something that’s missing at home and elsewhere as well.

“We play old time music, but we believe it’s well-received because it’s also authentic,” he muses. “We need music that connects us with tradition, especially in Belgium, where we’ve lost most of our own.”

That’s a scenario that’s not necessarily limited to their own environs of course. It’s a malady that often appears all too common elsewhere in the world as well, including here at home. Given that predicament, a band like Hills of Belgium ought to inspire anyone with a desire to tap into tradition and set their sights higher.