Fenland girl is social media hit
A band is hoping to take the download chart by storm and put Fenland on the musical map next week when it releases a song that has become a social media sensation.
The Ouse Valley Singles Club (OVSC) will release its new song ‘Girl from the Fens’ on Bank Holiday Monday after it became a surprise hit on video-sharing website YouTube.
Within a week of a home video of the song being uploaded, it saw more than 150,000 hits on the website and social network site Facebook, and saw hundreds of people like the band’s Facebook page – with most coming from the Fenland area.
Due to the online success, the musical comedy act decided to go into the studio to record the song, and also filmed an official video in Manea on Saturday.
The muse for the song is the band’s bass player Amy Martell, who was born and bred in Wisbech.
Her husband, band frontman Tim Barron, explains the inspiration behind it.
“‘Girl from the Fens’ is about my wife, Amy,” he said. “Everything in the song is true, apart from the extra finger, webbed toes and her family connections. I wasn’t going to include it (the song) on our album; I didn’t think anyone would get it, really.”
He added: “I just felt lonely one day because Amy had gone to Wisbech to visit her mum. So I recorded it on my phone at the kitchen table, posted it on online and the rest is history.”
The couple, and third band member Sam Saunders, recorded the video along the Bedford River in Manea and also at a local farm.
The song is now available to download from iTunes and other download websites, and the video can be seen by typing in Ouse Valley Singles Club into YouTube or by visiting the band’s Facebook page.
Amy said: “Hopefully we will receive national acclaim and put The Fens firmly on the music map.”
Based in Bedford, the band formed in 2009 out of the 1950’s skiffle scene. They describe their genre as “The Clash meets George Formby Punk Skiffle trio with a music hall twist”.
OVSC has performed across the country, and supported musical legends including Chas and Dave, Pete Docherty and Bob Geldof.
Their next gig in Fenland is at the Rose and Crown pub in Manea on Saturday, July 18.
