| I Dreamt I Was a Bird | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Lucy Ward |
| Cover: | I_Dreamt_I_was_a_Bird_album_cover.jpg |
| Released: | 2 October 2015[1] |
| Genre: | Folk music
|
| Label: | Betty Beetroot Records — CD: BETTY01; LP: BETTY01LP |
| Producer: | Stu Hanna |
| Prev Title: | Single Flame |
| Prev Year: | 2013 |
| Next Title: | Pretty Warnings |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
I Dreamt I Was a Bird, the third album of British singer-songwriter Lucy Ward, was released in the United Kingdom by Betty Beetroot Records on 2 October 2015.[1] It consists of eight original compositions by Lucy Ward and one traditional ballad – "Lord Randall". The album's title is taken from the lyrics of one of its tracks, "Daniel and the Mermaid".
The album was critically acclaimed, receiving four-starred reviews in The Daily Telegraph,[2] in Songwriting magazine[3] and in Northern Sky magazine.[4] It was awarded Album of the Year 2015 by Fatea magazine.[5] Helen Gregory, reviewing the album for Folk Radio UK, described it as "a sterling example of all that is good about contemporary folk music in Britain today".[6] In a review for Artree, Phil Daniels described I Dreamt I Was a Bird as "musically compelling", surpassing both her previous albums.[7]
"Lion", commissioned by Billy Bragg for the 14-18 NOW project, is about Rifleman Robert Loveless Barker, executed, aged 21, for cowardice during the First World War. He is commemorated on the Shot at Dawn Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.[6]
I Dreamt I Was a Bird was produced by Stu Hanna from Megson, who also performs on the album, with his wife Debbie Hanna providing backing vocals. The album was engineered by Stu Hanna and Stephen MacLachlan. The photography and album art was by Elly Lucas.[8]