Long-distance pen-pals MG Boulter and Jenny Sturgeon have accumulated an impressive collection of songs during their five years of correspondence. With Wild Convenor, the duo polish and present nine of their very best.
A LONG-DISTANCE COLLABORATION
They’re firm established friends, despite being separated by a distance of some 800 miles. Singer-songwriter, Jenny Sturgeon lives way up north in Shetland, whilst Americana troubadour MG Boulter resides in Southend, Essex. Distance hasn’t hindered the pair’s friendship, nor has it stifled their creativity and it’s clear that, when they decide to collaborate, they get right on with it.
Both MG and Jenny are favourites of ours and they’ve both featured regularly in the pages of At The Barrier. Jenny is also a member of alt-folk trio Salt House – and their work never fails to attract rave reviews from our writers, most recently in relation to the band’s 2025 album, Scarrow. We’re also long-time admirers of MG Boulter’s music, particularly his vivid evocations of life in British seaside towns such as Southend and New Brighton. MG and Jenny are labelmates – they’re both signed to Hudson records – and we first became aware of their ongoing collaborations when we came across their single, Flint Knapped, back in 2022. That’s just one of the excellent songs included in this new collection.
The songs that make up Wild Convenor reflect the topics that came up naturally during Jenny’s and MG’s protracted internet conversations. The subject matter varies wildly from song-to-song, with subjects as diverse as family, travel and the wonders of nature all getting their share of attention. But the songs have something very important in common, too: all nine songs on Wild Convenor are of the highest quality, they’re all well-imagined and they’re all lovingly-delivered.
A JUDGEMENT THAT STICKS
MG laments the difficulties involved in communicating with a loved one, with opening track, Jason. The song’s lyrics consider how distance – both physical and emotional – can prevent us from saying the things that need to said. In the case of this song, the communication breakdown is between MG and his brother – and I suspect that’s a situation that will resonate with many listeners: “We don’t speak like we used to – I always close the door, Jason.” The fingerpicked acoustic guitars weave around each other like a complex cat’s cradle, as MG’s plaintive vocals take the lead and Jenny adds soft, sympathetic, harmonies.
Jenny steps forward for the atmospheric Wild Convenor and her voice is soft, sweet and intimate. Echo-y violin and rich strums of guitar add a mystical depth to the accompaniment and the carefully-picked guitar conveys a sense of thoughtfulness.
Back in 2022, we described Flint Knapped as: “…a lovely, dreamy, gentle song with a delightfully pastoral feel” and that’s a judgement that sticks. The song is inspired by the habit of picking up ‘dusty keepsakes’ – attractive bits of rock, for example, whilst walking in the countryside; a habit that, I suspect, is indulged by many of us. MG once again takes the lead vocal and Jenny’s backing harmonies give the song a Simon & Garfunkel appeal. Jenny’s ethereal keyboards add depth to the pulsing guitar, producing a sound that is, somehow, entirely suited to lines like: “Do you follow the moon like you follow the sun?”
TEMPTING APPEAL
The inter-weaving guitars are back for the soothing, introspective, Time Between Days. Jenny and MG swap their thoughts and the song’s comforting sweetness is given an extra push by MG’s lap steel licks. A song with all the tempting appeal of a soft, warm, blanket.
Guitars, pedal steel and – is that a viola? – blend together for Talk to Me of Water – another song with that elusive Simon & Garfunkel edge. The lyrics are as deep as the water to which they refer – and they’re rendered with harmonious perfection.
Seasoned travelers dread the mention of ‘holding patterns’ – those circles in the air that your plane falls into, just as you expect to preparing to land. But, here, with their meditation of travel, MG and Jenny bring a blissful meaning to the term. Tenderly sung by Jenny, Holding Patterns is packed with observational lyrics that remind me of the kinds of things that Joni Mitchell would say. Strings and pedal steel enhance the song’s ‘open skies’ imagery and the chorus: “Our lives in holding patters,” is as mellow as a slice of gooey chocolate cake.
A STIMULANT TO CONTEMPLATION
The guitars are strummed – and strummed with a passion – for Scavengers. Jenny’s and MG’s voices are restrained but, as always, they’re in perfect balance and harmony. And – is that a glockenspiel I can hear? Whatever it is, its gentle tinkles are a wonderful finishing touch.
On an album of gentle, reflective songs, Introverts by Nature is, perhaps, the gentlest of the gentle. It’s a song to self-examine to and the soft chimes of electric guitar are the ideal stimulant to such contemplations. And, to round off a delightful album, All of Us Together, wraps its inspiring message: “We are pulling all the same, every hand together,” in a tune that’s lively and melodic. It’s the perfect fit!
We all have those moments when we want to do nothing more than to take a deep breath and wind back. The next time You have such a moment, why not use Wild Convenor as your soundtrack. These nine songs are made for such interludes.
Listen to Jason, the album’s opening track, below:
MG Boulter: Website
Jenny Sturgeon: Website