"Tender songs only matched by savage guitar playing" Michael Bradley THE ARTS SHOW BBC RADIO ULSTER "His communicative gift, striking material and stunning fretwork combine to brilliant effect" Peter Quinn THE ARTS DESK 'The Savage and the Tender' is the much anticipated solo album from Conor Doherty. A native of Derry City, Northern Ireland but now based in London, Conor performs traditional and contemporary folk songs and tunes, newly arranged from the English, Irish, Scottish, Eastern European and American traditions. He cites influences that range from Tony Rose, Dick Gaughan, Paul Brady and Nic Jones to Crosby, Stills and Nash, Pierre Bensusan and Joni Mitchell. He has performed extensively in the UK and Ireland and is set to take his place among the next generation of new folk artists. Following on from his EP 'Conor Doherty' in 2013 that received excellent reviews and considerable airplay, 'The Savage and the Tender' features 11 tracks of Conor’s new arrangements of folk songs and tunes. Guitar and harmony-vocal driven with subtle support from vintage synthesizers and organs, this album focuses on storytelling. Each song is chosen for its powerful, gripping narrative and Conor’s delivery and arrangements compliment them to the full. It also features two guitar driven, dynamic tunes from the Irish and Bulgarian traditions. Recorded with a combination of vintage microphones and current digital technology as well as artisan instruments, producer Chris McInnes has captured the clarity and warmth of Conor’s music in a way that puts this album among the front runners of acoustic recording. It was mastered in Nashville, Tenessee, the home of acoustic recording and includes an eight page booklet with track notes by Conor himself. The album features a haunting new version of Anne Briggs’ surprisingly neglected 'Go Your Way' from 1971 and the first known recording of 'Monk McClermot’s Return to Articlave', a song about Irish emigration from Conor’s native Derry. It also includes Conor’s new version of the ballad 'Lord Franklin'. In a moment of serendipity, as the album was being mastered, John Franklin’s lost expeditionary ship was discovered in Canada. 'The Savage and the Tender' is an independent release and was launched at The Return to Camden Town Festival, London to great acclaim. It very quickly received considerable airplay on BBC Radio Ulster and in its contemporary yet sensitive approach to traditional music is set to place Conor among the leading creative, innovating guitarists and vocalists of the folk music scene.