Miranda Sykes (born 1978 in

Spalding, Lincolnshire Spalding () is a market town on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. The town had a population of 31,588 at the 2011 census. The town is the administrative centre of the South Holland District. The town is ...

) is an English folk singer, double-bassist and guitarist who performs with Steve Knightley and

Phil Beer Phil Beer (born 12 May 1953 in Exminster, Devon, England) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and one half of English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. Biography Beer first began to play fiddle, guitar, and mandolin whils ...

in the acoustic

roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

group

Show of Hands Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/ folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley (guitars, mandolin, mandocello, cuatro) and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer (vocals, guitars, violin, viola, mandolin, mando ...

. As of 2019 she is undertaking solo performances while on

maternity leave Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, Paternity (law), paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" an ...

from the group. She has recorded with Show of Hands and has also performed and recorded as a duo with mandolin player Rex Preston.

Biography

Early life and education

Sykes was born in Spalding to John and Penny Sykes and was brought up in

Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire __NOTOC__ Pinchbeck is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. The civil parish population was 5,153 at the 2001 census, 5,455 at the 2011 census and 6,011 at the 2021 census. It is situated north ...

. Hers was a musical family and she started playing double bass at the age of eight. She was educated at schools in Pinchbeck and Spalding and continued living in Lincolnshire until moving to

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

in 2007. She studied for a BTEC in

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former descri ...

and completed it remotely while touring with a band.

Recording and live performance

In 1999, aged 21, she joined the folk-rock band Pressgang as a bass guitarist and toured with them internationally. She performed with Robb Johnson on his 1999 album ''The Big Wheel'', and toured with him and with fiddle and viola player Saskia Tomkins as a trio, releasing three albums together. Subsequently, she joined the band Firebrand, releasing the album ''Lost Lady Found'' in 2001. She toured with Bill Jones' band in 2001, and performed on the band's live album. She then toured with Jones in a trio with Sarah Wright (flute and

bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'' or ''bodhráns'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or oth ...

) and subsequently in a duo, featuring on Jones' 2003 CD ''Two Year Winter''. Sykes toured with The Phil Beer Band from 2003 to 2013 and joined Show of Hands for their performances at summer festivals in 2004. The live album '' As You Were'' was recorded during the tour and released in 2005. Encouraged by melodeon player Gareth Turner, she formed her own band, which included Imogen O’Rourke, Martin Fitzgibbon and Maartin Allcock, releasing an album in 2005. Sykes worked with

John "Rabbit" Bundrick John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick (born November 21, 1948 in Houston, Texas) is an American–English rock keyboardist. He is best known for his work with The Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Rog ...

Sarah Allen Sarah Allen is a Canadian actress. She studied acting at the National Theatre School of Canada and graduated in 2002. ''Being Human'' Allen is perhaps best known for playing vampire Rebecca Flynt on SyFy's '' Being Human''. For the role ...

and Roy Dodds whilst recording Reg Meuross's album ''Short Stories'' in 2004. After touring with Meuross, a second album, ''Still'', was released in 2006. Sykes toured with

Martyn Joseph Martyn Joseph (born 15 July 1960) is a Welsh singer-songwriter whose music exhibits primarily a brand of Celtic and folk, while his songwriting is often focused on social lament or protest. From independently releasing his first studio release, ...

as a duo in 2007. Joseph's 2007 album, ''Vegas'', featured songs from the tour, on which she played bass. After performing with Bath band The Scoville Units in 2009, Sykes met mandolin player Rex Preston. They toured as a duo for eight years and released three albums together. In 2015, Sykes (alongside her fellow Show of Hands band members Steve Knightley and Phil Beer), was awarded an

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

of music from the

University of Plymouth The University of Plymouth is a public research university based predominantly in Plymouth, England, where the main campus is located, but the university has campuses and affiliated colleges across South West England. With students, it is the ...

, to commemorate "great distinction in heirprofessional lives". She has toured solo shows to promote her solo albums ''Borrowed Places'' (2017) and ''Behind the Wall'' (2018).

Other work

In 2001 she joined The Live Music Now! scheme, which enabled her to get involved in

music therapy Music therapy, an allied health profession, "is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music t ...

; she is now a trainer and mentor on the scheme.

Personal life

She and her husband Dan, who married in 2015, have a son Wilfrid, born in 2018.

Discography

As a solo performer

* ''Behind the Wall'' (CD, album) no label, 2018 * ''Borrowed Places'' (CD, album) Hands On Music HMCD44, 2017 * ''Bliss'' (CD, album) Hands On Music HMCD24, 2006 * ''Miranda Sykes Band'' (CD, album) Irregular Records IRR058, 2005 * ''Don't Look Down'' (CD, album) Irregular Records IRR052, 2004

with Rex Preston

*''The Watchmaker's Wife'' (CD, album) Hands On Music HMCD40, 2016 *''Sing A Full Song'' (CD, album) Hands On Music HMCD37, 2014 *''Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston'' (CD, album) Hands On Music HMCD35, 2012

with Show of Hands

*'' Wake the Union'' (CD, album, Digipak) Hands On Music HMCD36, 2012 *'' Covers 2'' (CD, album, Digipak) Hands On Music HMCD32, 2010 *''

Witness In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'' (CD, album) Hands On Music HMCD23, 2006 *'' As You Were'' (2 x CD) Hands On Music HMCD22, 2005 * Arrogance Ignorance and Greed (CD, album) Hands On Music * Wake the Union (CD, album, Digipak) Hands On Music * Centenary: Words & Music of the Great War (2 x CD, album) Hands On Music * The Long Way Home (Show of Hands album) (CD, album) Hands on Music *Battlefield Dancefloor (CD, album) Hands on Music

with Robb Johnson and Saskia Tomkins

* ''21st Century Blues'' (CD, album) Irregular Records IRR043, 2001

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial website: Miranda Sykes & Rex PrestonOfficial Show of Hands website: Miranda Sykes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sykes, Mirands 1978 births Living people 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century English women musicians 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers English double-bassists English folk guitarists English folk singers People from South Holland (district) Women double-bassists English women guitarists