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--Alan Raw-BBC Introducing--

''A bit more than folk rock! - Big things coming for The Sailmakers ''

--Rebecca Atkinson-Leeds Music Scene--

Final act The Sailmakers are celebrating their single launch party here tonight in front of a suitably busy room (incidentally 'Remember' is out on the 24th of August and will be available on Spotify, Amazon and iTunes and it is excellent). The Leeds based folk-rock band feel like a complete package. Again it's a warm and well rounded sound as lifting vocals combine with robust yet somehow melancholic guitar lines and an impressive banner. There is more than a little Bon Iver to their sound which will no doubt garner them a few fans but the more progressive rock influenced numbers are just a strong and the set itself is well thought out and complementary. Following up the success of previous acclaimed EP Creaking Ships And Midnight Whiskey they have taken time to write equally finessed new material. The patient composition is reminiscent of a film soundtrack in its restraint and scope providing a fitting end to an evening of well thought out, well executed music demonstrating the talent of the songwriters working the Leeds circuit at present.

--CROON--

The Sailmakers - Only The Sky

Leeds based The Sailmakers are a folk-rock band that are definitely worth noticing if this single is anything to go by.

As 'Only The Sky' kicks off with haunting guitar chords which echo and resonate throughout the entire melody, your senses are suddenly captivated. Never attempting to reach a sense of grandeur or hyperbole, the single verges on being quite archaic and rustic. Until that very last rift that lingers on, you get a real sense of time stopping completely still, or as The Sailmakers perfectly put it, they will attempt to ‘stop the clock as it ticks away’.
Sounding like a track that would appear on the back-catalogues of Mumford and Sons or Bon Iver, this is melancholic and yet truly fascinating song-writing in the making. With wispy vocals that dominate over the barren backdrop, you can partly imagine a captain in charge of his ship who is forever sailing on open seas, never to be saved, always to be forlorn.

It could potentially do with an ending that resolves itself more but maybe that’s where the track’s charm innocently lies. Things do indeed seem bright for this band, and this could definitely be a voyage which one should consider taking.
8.5

--Sound Stand--

The Sailmakers hail from Leeds and bring with them a charming Northern rawness to the folk scene. With their warm guitar picking and echoey choral yet masculine vocals, they are gaining momentum and popular acclaim.

--Going Underground is Entertainment--

The Sailmakers are a new band hailing from Leeds in the UK who are specialists in creating powerful, folk-rock music. They are a five-piece band as of 2012 comprising of Ryan Madden on vocals and guitar, John Chapman on lead guitar, Tess O'Donovan on vocals and flute, Luke Argall on vocals and bass and Matt Exton on the beats. Ryan and John originally formed the band during 2008.

The band, influenced by the likes of I Am Kloot and The Who, have a folk-rock style implemented across their tracks and on the track Like A River, the band show this more than ever with a sublime guitar piece combined with a progressive drum beats and impressive vocals. There are many tracks to listen to on their Soundcloud page and a track that is a personal favourite of mine is Smoke In The Woods however they are all so nice to listen to.

-- Rachel Gardner-LeedsMusicScene.net--

'Unsteady On His Feet' starts off with gentle guitar which gives the track a folky feel from the beginning. The drums come in with a tribal and raw beat giving the song great energy and power.'

'They fit very nicely into the folk / rock genre that began to bubble up in late 2009 and looks set to be big this year. The Sailmakers wouldn't be out of place supporting Mumford and Sons or Bon Iver, but aren't up to surpassing them yet; although I wouldn't rule it out that they will have a bloody good go at it. For a relatively young band, at least with this final line up, it's a really great track that will have you tapping your feet and leave you considering going see them live.'

--The Devil Has The Best Tuna--

The Sailmakers are a folk band of that there can be no doubt. Even their name screams folk band evoking images of honest yeoman in arran knit sweaters toiling away with sweat dripping off their weather beaten faces. The haunting, evocative, gentle folk of Granny Knot, which sounds like the Coral reworking All About Eve's Martha's Harbour, merely seals the deal. Like A River and Only The Sky sound like they've been grown organically on the Yorkshire Moors, they couldn't be more English if they had an allotment and drank Yorkshire tea from a cracked mug.

-- No-Title Magazine-Leeds--

There is something very likable about this band.The Songs are melodic and gentlemanly in their approach and the lyrics stray from cliche with their playfulness. This is a band worth holding onto and investigating.

--Adam Pope-BBC Leeds--

"Brilliant band,brilliant tunes"