Battersby Duo

Former elementary school teachers and award-winning performers, Tim and Laura (The Battersby Duo), present 11 fun songs. Their voices harmonize beautifully together, and in places their sound is similar to that of Peter, Paul & Mary, as they utilize various styles of folk, rock, and country music. They are joined by some excellent musicians who perform on piano, bass, guitar, pedal steel guitar, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, violin, and drums. “Sunny Days” reminisces about family camping vacations at the beach. “Rhythm of the Sway” is a participatory dance tune. “Flat Screen Daddy” boasts about his 60-inch, wall-mounted flat screen. In “Hey Seuss: A Treebute,” Tim uses a gravelly voice and English accent to extol the many wonderful books that Dr. Seuss wrote. Other songs include “Bubbles of Fun,” “Precious Friend,” “It’s a Brilliant Day,” “How About Dessert?” “Here I Come,” “Shanny’s Song,” and “It’s Smart to Be Smart.” A wonderful album that will appeal to both children and adults.–Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX
- School Library Journal Review October 2010

After a long day of adventures with Mishy and then being stuck in traffic, I play, Sunny Days, the Grammy nominated CD by The Battersby Duo. Listening to their songs instantly reminds me of the sunny day I just had with my daughter. We are based in Los Angeles and while traffic in Los Angeles doesn’t rival Cairo’s, it still gets crunchy. I breathe and sing along as sometimes a car tries to cut in front of me before I look in the rear view mirror to see my daughter dancing in her car seat, clearly enjoying the music too. Mishy’s favorite song from Sunny Days is, “Bubbles.” After she heard it once, she knew the chorus instantly. Now, she gets this fun smile on her face, runs up to me, and starts singing, “I love bubbles…” I love Mishy’s voice. I love Laura and Tim Battersby’s voice, melodies, and lyrics. Their songs remind me of all the fun songs I wished I had when I was younger, when I hoped the world was a wide world of fun, charm, and constant springtime where flowers continue to bloom and there is a freshness in the air. Their opening song, “Sunny Days,” makes me think I am on a family vacation with Mishy every day because truth be told, I am so lucky I am able to spend my days with her. “Proud To Be Me,” is a genuinely enjoyable song about silly things we all do and how it’s fine to sing, “I am proud to be me…” It feels it has a history to become an anthem for children of all ages, including those who like being childlike, at times. Sunny Days, reminds me of all the great summer camps I attended and the campfires and the dances I had with the boys I had crushes on – they were some of the highlights of my years growing up. I didn’t always date the boys I had crushes on, but I usually got to dance with them at least once. Yes, the CD’s genre is kids music, but it doesn’t mean it’s just for kids. Sunny Days is for anyone who was a kid and sometimes yearns for that innocence again and also for those who don’t have the baggage of life to yearn for that lost innocence. Most importantly, the music is fun to listen to over and over again, with an educational twist. Details: The Battersby Duo – Sunny Days CD http://www.battersbyduo.com/SunnyDays.htm Want to see The Battersby Duo in concert? They are embarking on a substantial tour this spring which reaches deep into summer. Their first stop is in London, and then on May 29th, 2011, they will be headlining the The Des Moines Family Music Festival (Every Family Rocks) along with Justin Roberts and They Might Be Giants. http://www.everyfamilyrocks.org/ They will be continuing their tour to New York, Washington, DC, and Chicago by mid June and then continuing on southwards to Naples and Fort Myers, Florida, before working their way up along the east coast through Jacksonville, Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC and end up in Northern Virginia, right outside DC by the beginning of August. Want to keep a track of their tour? Follow them on their website: http://www.battersbyduo.com/ (Full disclosure: This CD was gifted to us. I was under no obligation to review it. I chose to because after seeing The Batterby Duo perform a short set when they were in Los Angeles for the Children’s Grammy Nominee concert, I became a fan and I really love, Sunny Days.) - Natural Traveling Momma

"From the game song "Pat your hands," to the very latest in silliness "I'm a germ,” this performance is a banquet of silliness designed to please the most refined of juvenile palates. In addition The Battersby's have
thrown in a few jokes. This change of pace provides exactly the variety that makes this production truly
excellent. Mr. Tim and Ms Laura, as they are known to the children, have beautiful voices and impeccable diction, and sound effects are used with taste, and invariably enhance the overall performance. Of special
interest is, "Attilla the Fun," a song that touts the joys of reading. The clever lyrics and upbeat
rhythms, combined with ample variety makes this an appealing collection."
- The American Library Association

Mr. Tim and Ms Laura, The Battersby Duo, must be a hoot in concert, their offbeat banter endearing them to listeners of all ages. Tim's English accent and Laura's melodious voice often, but not always, echo his silly and her straight roles in this collection of 15 original songs. While ostensibly the sane partner. Laura can be bizarre too, as she assumes the personas of an orange and a pineapple in tandem with Tim's grapefruit and lemon in the Monty Python-esque "Citrus Song." Tim's tongue-in-cheek "blues" are as pleasant as Laura's voice is; some songs dangerously flirt with mellow, as in the life-affirming "An Eagle Flies" and "The Miracle." The Battersby's are all over the stylistic map with a lesson on primary colors, barnyard animals, family togetherness, and the dignity due to those who are different.
This album will prompt kids to sing along to these too too silly and perfectly engaging songs - John Sigwald

- Booklist

The Battersby Duo, the wife and husband team of Laura and Tim Battersby, wrote the 15 songs on the recording, and provide all the voices and music as well. This is one of the technically best recordings I have heard in a while; the balance and interweaving of voices and music are just about perfect The songs which include -The Citrus Song," "Daddy's Cantata " "The Farmyard Blues," and a great song on colors;  Color me Eric," sometimes have an English flavor. Tim Battersby was born in London and retains his accent which he often puts to use to elicit laughter. The Duo has performed in concert at many prestigious places including Wolftrap's Filene Center.the Spoleto Festival.The White House and The Kennedy Center. Fans of their live performances will enjoy listening to this. Those unfamiliar with them will be able to sing-along using printed lyrics. Elaine Thomas. - School Library Journal

"Goofy wacky and whimsical are all adjectives to describe the musical antics of The Battersby
Duo. Beneath the facade of silliness the "Too Sillies," get children to use their imaginations. to read. to write and to become interested in literature through song and interactive theatrics. Their songs offer honest, non-
threatening glimpses in to a child's world of understanding and imagination. Their beautiful voices and pleasing music shine. A Tail of Too Sillies, is great for family listening fun. and Public Libraries will find it a welcome addition to their audio-visual collections."
- School Library Journal

"By the Book," the new children's album by The Battersby Duo, encourages reading whistling singing bathing, self-reliance and Elvis Presley impersonations. By goofily paying Elvis lip service, Tim and Laura provide parents with what will surely be viewed as a valuable service-a simple, folksy and most entertaining mixture of harmony ,rhythm, advice and adventure. Many good songs on this new album by the "shamelessly goofy" Battersby Duo. One, entitled, "Mr. Significant," has a live report from the 14th annual
convention of silly people. The title song," By the Book," encourages children in their pursuit of literature. (a recurring theme in Battersby songs.) Add, "The Copycat Song," an interactive game song, set to a 12 bar blues, and it's plain to see why "By the Book," is not a bad buy."
- The Washington Post

Battersby Duo songs effervesce with off-the-wall humor, unexpected lyrics and a dash of British quirkiness. - Parents Choice Magazine

“Rarely do our marble walls and chandeliers witness such levels of silliness, as The Battersby’s inspire in their audiences of Children and Parents.” - The Kennedy Center

"When Mr. Tim and Ms Laura go on stage, it's Kiddie Vaudeville, complete with songs, sight gags and one liners. Kids go bananas for The Battersby Duo." - The Tampa Tribune

The Battersby Duo is a National Treasure.
- Senator Bob Graham

First things first: "A Storm Is Coming" sounds lovely. The singing
and playing are full of relaxed confidence, a gentle sway that draws
the listener in. It's tinged with country, spiced with a little
blues, and centered around a rhythmic kind of small-group folk-rock
that never stops leaning forward. You could lie in a hammock and
listen to this all night.

Then phrases from the lyrics seep into your consciousness: "It's just
business, he said, as he smiled so seriously ..." (to a tune that
puts a smile on your face). And: "Mrs Jones, we regret that your son
has been killed in the war ..." Or: "I remember a time when a tousled
haired child went walking with old Father Time ..." As the words sink
in, you start to understand that this is seriously adult music, made
by people who have lived, and learned to accept their lives as they
really are, not just as they wish they were. It's not exactly
political, it's just real. Even the joyful "Out on the Town Again"
includes the wry commentary: "So now I've cast my hook and all I
see, / Are glimpses of my insecurity. / I never want to feel this way
again; / I never want to feel the same."

Tim and Laura have spent years singing silly for kids -- but kids are
a tough audience, and the kids certainly knew (even if they didn't
know they knew) that the Battersby Duo could be silly about lost
socks and elephants' toenail pizza precisely because their hearts
were always in the right place. They always encouraged children to
read and learn and appreciate the world around them. Now, under the
name Cross Creek (just so no one gets confused), they are singing for
the parents, and for themselves.

Will this recording change the world? I doubt it, and I don’t think
it's really meant to. It’s just part of the world, and the world is
better for that - A Storm is Coming