JON BODEN & THE REMNANT KINGS
Following the release of their new album
‘Parlour Ballads’ (Hudson Records) – released Sept ’24 - Jon
Boden & The Remnant Kings return to the live arena with their
unique brand of post-apocalyptic folk played in a traditional
style vs. traditional folk played with post-apocalyptic swagger.
Boden’s Waitsian parlour ballads and
Napoleonic power-pop, will be performed alongside the band’s
fifteen-year back-catalogue of traditional and original songs
and tunes. The band combines a deep understanding of traditional
music with musical audacity and theatrical brio, and feature the
enormous talents of Sam Sweeney (Bellowhead), Rob Harbron
(Leveret), Ben Nicholls (Seth Lakeman Band), Sally Hawkins
(Bellowhead) and the vocals and pedal-steel guitar of cult
singer-songwriter M.G. Boulter.
Seth
was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for 'Kitty
Jay'. Multiple albums, tours and high-profile collaborations
later, the acclaimed folk artist released his latest studio
album The Granite Way in February on his own label, Honour Oak
Records. It’s a collection of songs recorded alongside a group
of longtime collaborators of Seth’s, staying true to his roots
and referring to ancient stories that inspired early West
Country storytelling.
Seth Lakeman: ‘Each song feels strongly connected through
history to the moors and the sea. I had written the stories and
songs beforehand and had the melodic tunes ready for us all to
explore when we recorded in the room, and the musical interplay
between this lineup really displays their appetite for sounds
and subjects within the folk tradition.’
In recent years Seth was asked to record on Van Morrison’s album
‘Moving On Skiffle’ and he collaborated with Public Service
Broadcasting. Seth has also previously worked, and toured
extensively, with Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) with his band the
Sensational Space Shifters.

THE
WEBB SISTERS
Fresh off the road with David Gilmour, the Kent born sisters
Charley and Hattie are thrilled to returning to the
fantastic West Coast Folk Festival.
The Webb
Sisters have toured and recorded with Leonard
Cohen, Sting and Tom Petty, sharing with audiences their
sublime sibling harmonies supported by extraordinary skills
on harp, guitar, mandolin and percussion.
With their first major label release 'Daylight Crossing'
they burst onto the UK music scene in 2006 via Mercury
Records receiving 'Single and Album of the Week' on iTunes
and BBC Radio 2. An album of strong melodies, led by
Hattie’s harp, Charley’s rhythmic guitar and drenched in
their signature harmonies; Tom Petty said: “their own
records are incredible, they will blow your mind”
In 2008 Leonard Cohen, asked them to join his band on his
international comeback tour, calling Charley and Hattie’s
voices and blend ‘sublime’. Whilst on the road with Leonard
over 6 years, The Webb Sisters recorded and released their
album ‘Savages’ in 2011 and EP 'When Will You Come Home' in
2013, produced by legendary producer Peter Asher. Their
song 'Baroque Thoughts' went on to win The International
Music Award for 'Best Adult Contemporary Song’.
In 2019, Hattie and Charley recorded with The Lumineers
on their new record ‘III’ and went on to perform with them
at The O2 Arena. The Webb Sisters received the 2019
Maynooth University Ireland Award for Arts and Culture.
In addition to creating their own records, Charley and
Hattie lend their distinctive vocal sound to live
performances and recordings by the likes of Tom Petty and
the Heartbreakers, The Avett Brothers, Glen Hansard, Steve
Martin & Edie Brickell, Nathalie Maines (of the Dixie
Chicks), Damien Rice, Elvis Costello and Rick Rubin.
Baskery
are Greta, Stella and Sunniva Bondesson, a trio of sisters
from Stockholm, Sweden.
Since the start in 2008
they’ve released four fullenght albums and successfully
toured the world. The band’s motto, to go where the music
takes them, has created an organic growth and their
energetic and diverse live shows have made them an
attractive and sought after live band. They’ve been
handpicked as support act for Gary Clark Jr , Robbie
Williams , Seth Lakeman, Lukas Nelson and Brandi Carlile and
have made appearances at festivals like Glastonbury (UK)
(Avalon Stage 2009 and 2022), Shrewsbury Folk Festival (UK),
Solfest (UK), Shambala (UK), Bonnaroo (US), Newport Folk
Festival (US), SXSW (US), Calgary Folk Festival (CAN),
Winnipeg Folk Festival (CAN), Woodford Folk Festival ( AUS),
Piece and Love (SE), Storsjöyran (SE), Colours of Ostrawa ,
(CZ), and Toender (DK).
In february 2022 the band
teamed up with producer Sean Lakeman (The Levellers, Billy
Bragg, Imelda May) in a timeless Devon hideaway studio, far
from any distractions, to record their 5th album. The
collaboration between producer and band was mutually
inspiring and the result is a diverse sound landscape, where
each song has been granted its own, uniqe outfit and where
the red thread lies within the musicianship and the vocal
harmonies.
TRADarrr
is still reimagining folk rock after 10 years together,
introducing the tints, tones and textures of a whole panoply of
musical genres, with precision percussion, searingly tasteful
guitars, melodic basses and fiery fiddles.
Featuring PJ Wright, Guy Fletcher, Marion Fleetwood,
Mark Stevens, Gregg Cave, Gemma Shirley and Brendan O'Neill,
TRADarrr brings together some of the leading lights in
contemporary folk rock.
The band mine a rich seam of traditional songs in their
search for material, but it is the flair and imagination going
into the arrangements that set them apart. It’s one thing to
have the inspiration but it takes a group of musicians with the
exceptional skill set found in TRADarrr to master this
impressive array of instruments and bring their inspirations to
fruition.'
Many of the songs and tunes they perform are familiar
classics. Many are simply gems from the tradition that band
members have always wanted to perform - could there be a better
reason for singing a song?
“Hold
on to your tri-corn hats and be prepared to stamp your wooden
legs – Blackbeard’s Tea Party are in town. Sea-shanties will be
given a bombastic rock edge, and folk instrumentals will become
late-night floor-fillers when this raucous bunch of reprobates
hit the stage. They have dirt under their fingernails and a
twinkle in their eyes, and you can expect fantastic
musicianship, playful choreography and an unstoppable urge to
move your body.
Drums, electric guitars, fiddle, melodeon and 4-part vocal
harmonies combine to create music that is drenched in tradition,
but filtered through a kaleidoscope of modern rock and pop.
Established as the go-to band for late-night folkin’
shenanigans, Blackbeard’s Tea Party have played memorable sets
at Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival, Fairport’s Cropredy
Convention, The Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo and
many more. Their new album ‘We Are People’ was released in 2024,
with a new tour being planned for Spring 2026.
Blackbeard’s Tea Party are also available to book as a Ceilidh
band for both public and private events, in addition to their
live set.
Katie
Spencer
Raised
in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull,
Katie Spencer’s landscape has always been that of open skies
and widening rivers. Industry still shapes the city here.
The people, as with the land, are moulded by tides and stark
horizons. Stand in the same place for long enough and you
can watch the sun rise over the North Sea and then sink into
crop fields, glowing auburn in late-summer sun. It is this
sense of space and movement that flows through Katie
Spencer’s music.
The
songwriting, and most notably her guitar playing stems from
a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding
its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and
perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, flow into her sound,
carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70’s
folk and songwriter movements.
Katie
Spencer’s widely celebrated new album, The Edge of the Land
(2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019)
which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding
musicianship and crystal sonic clarity,
as she brought together fans of music from all backgrounds
and walks of life. Delicate and un-rushed, the ten
songs on The Edge of the Land drift by like ships on the
horizon, yet intimacy and introspection still remain.
The inclusivity found in her recorded
works is most apparent when on stage, with a personal
connection and humour that allows the listener time to
appreciate the emotion of the music. Her historical gig list
is extensive, taking in the world-renowned Celtic
Connections and Cambridge Folk Festival, whilst performances
with Danny Thompson and Alan Thomson have left audiences in
awe of her confidence and craftsmanship.
As live music has returned to our world,
we can expect to see Katie Spencer where she belongs once
more, eyes closed, in the moment, performing.
NICK
HARPER
Nick Harper is a guitar player’s guitar player. Innovative
and original, covering the full spectrum of expression from
delicate virtuosity to monstrous raw power. A songwriter of
great depth from soul-wrenching love songs to venomous raps
and rants, peppered with humour and the wordplay of a poet.
Nick is a mainstay of the British live circuit, with 30
years of constant touring, whilst appearing worldwide from
the Royal Albert Hall to Mount Everest. A veteran of the
festival show, including multiple appearances at
Glastonbury, Beautiful Days and the Ed Fringe. He has an
illustrious pedigree and an eventful story up to now, but
shows no signs of letting up on his prolific, eclectic
output and gripping, emotional live shows.
2024 saw
Nick’s 14th studio album, ‘Earth Day Blue’, reach the top 40
of the official record store chart. It was recorded at Abbey
Road Studio 2 [The Beatles room] with legendary producer
John Leckie at the helm and Grammy winning mix engineer
Tchad Blake applying sonic excellence in the mix. Complete
with an ensemble of friends providing backing vocals, taught
and conducted by Harper in the moment, it is a record with
the electricity of immediacy, coupled with a celebratory,
inclusive feel.
Louise
is singer and songwriter of the highest quality with parallels
for many of Joan Baez and Julie Felix. Her arrangements of
traditional and original material suit her “pure and soaring
voice” (David Jones, Folk Northwest Magazine). She sings with an
ease and a quality that is “unrivalled on the current Folk
Scene” (John Owen, Hungry Horse Folk Club). Her original songs
are quite something too and she collaborated with John McCusker
for Evie’s Lullaby (his music, her lyrics).
In January 2023, she won the
Great British Folk Festival’s Introducing Stage Audience Vote.
It’s the sort of reception she gets wherever she plays. In March
she was invited to perform with McCusker, McGoldrick and Doyle
at The Waterside, Sale and The Crescent, York. As a duo with her
Dad Chris, she released an album of 12 songs - ‘Things That
Matter’. His intricate guitar work and smooth vocal sits easily
with her voice and piano. Together they come across as as
relaxed duo who enjoy performing live and are regularly asked
back..
GILMORE
& ROBERTS
Contemporary
folk/acoustic duo Gilmore & Roberts combine
award-winning songwriting with astounding musicianship and their
trademark harmonies to create a powerful wall of sound.
Nominated three times at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Katriona
Gilmore (fiddle, mandolin) and Jamie Roberts (guitar) met while
studying at Leeds College of Music and released their debut
album in 2008. Since then, the duo have toured Canada and
mainland Europe, played some of the UK's biggest acoustic
festivals, toured with folk rock legends Fairport Convention,
and won countless accolades for their genre-spanning work. 2015
saw the release of their fourth album, 'Conflict Tourism', which
appeared on several end-of-year Best Album lists and received
national airplay on both BBC Radio 2 & BBC 6music.
ELEANOR
DUNSDON & GREGOR BLACK
Recent
post-graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s
Traditional Music course, Eleanor Dunsdon & Gregor Black
are a Glasgow-based harp and percussion duo. Blending
traditional with contemporary, vocals and electronics, they draw
on jazz, folk and classical genres to create a sound that
challenges perceptions of the harp and pushes the boundaries of
the traditional music scene. Danny Kyle award-winners at Celtic
Connections 2024, the duo have appeared as FATEA Magazine’s
featured artists at Southport’s Love Folk Festival, performed at
the Edinburgh International Harp Festival and will showcase at
Purbeck Valley Folk Festival this summer. They were recently
chosen as UKHA Emerging Artists and released their debut EP,
'Let No Man' in April 2024. Their music has featured on BBC
Radio 3, BBC Radio Ulster, FATEA’s Showcase Sessions and Celtic
Music Radio.
DUNCAN
McFARLANE BAND
DUNCAN
McFARLANE BAND have gone from strength to strength
since forming in 2001, ostensibly for a one-off pub gig as part
of Otley Festival, the original ‘scratch band’ blew the place
apart. The packed house loved it and further bookings were
offered. They felt compelled to continue and have never looked
back, with increasing main stage festival appearances over the
years at such as Beverley, Ely, Sidmouth, Shrewsbury (dMb have
now played those last two twice!) Two decades and many five-star
albums later, still centred on Duncan’s acoustic & electric
guitar work, the powerhouse rhythm section of Nick Pepper
(drums) and Martin Ward (bass guitar) are elevated to yet
greater heights by Anne Brivonese’s fiddle, Steve Fairholme’s
melodeon and Steve Foster’s electric guitar. Their heady blend
of traditional folk and Duncan’s Trad-infused compositions, with
driving rhythm and vibrant energy, has gone down a storm with
festival audiences across the UK – don’t miss ‘em!
RESTLESS
OCEANS
Hailing
from Oxfordshire, Restless Oceans taps into an
eclectic blend of influences including Americana, folk, indie,
rock, and pop. The band fuses mandolin, violin, bass, cajon and
guitars together with warming harmonies and poignant lyrics to
create an incredible sound and memorable show that always
connects with audiences. The sound has been likened to Fleet
Foxes, Fleetwood Mac and First Aid Kit, amongst others. Restless
Oceans recently supported Sam Kelly, Rusty Shackle, India
Electric Co. and Afro Celt Sound System. The band is looking
forward to a busy 2025 that will see the release of a new EP,
nationwide shows and a busy summer of festival appearances.
Friday 23rd January
2026
FINE LINES
Hailing from Cheshire, a
classy and infectious twin-vocal 6-piece blend of Folk, Country
and Americana, based around the music of leader David Boardman
and lyrics of Mark Radcliffe.
Through 3 well received
albums, the band have been steadily building an audience through
gigs, festivals and prestige tour support slots to the likes of
A-lister Keifer Sutherland and his band, plus Americana legend
Sid Griffin and the Long Ryders.
Their sound takes in
pan-Atlantic influences, the vocal blend of Fleetwood Mac,
shades of Dylan and The Band, the occasional muscularity of
Springsteen, the pioneering Country-Rock of the much missed Gram
Parsons, all seasoned with a sprinkle of classic British
indie-pop.
A recent rejig to the line-up has seen the
addition of guitar playing vocalist Helen Walford-Insley and
drummer Emily Bailey, join the aforementioned Mr Boardman
(guitar/vocals), plus Emily Doggett on fiddle, Jim Broughton on
Bass and the magnificent keyboards of Gary O’Brien
THE OGRES
HUMMINGBIRD
The Ogres Hummingbird
consist of sisters Katherine and Joanne Robinson on electric
guitar/ukulele and spoken word/keyboards respectively, their
cousin Kara Burke on vocals, their uncle, Alan.Robinson, on
acoustic guitar/keyboards, and Chris Myers, Kara’s partner, on
bass/cajon.
The band grew from family
music lessons to performing at singers’ night at the local folk
club before releasing an eponymous album in 2015. This was
followed by a protracted period of occasional gigging and
recording before releasing The Ogres Hummingbird II in late
2024.
MALIN HILL
Consisting of Gary
Barwell on vocals and guitar and Jenny Beaumont on vocals and
violin, the pair play a mixture of traditional, modern and
original folk material – all with unique arrangements and an
indie edge.
They have played at a
variety of folk clubs, venues, festivals, and have supported
other folk artists. They have also been in songwriters sessions
Their first EP “Four
Track Trad Folk” was released in September 2024 and has been
featured in various playlists (including the EFDSS), reviews,
and radio shows.
NOBODYS FRIENDS
SHANTY SINGERS
"Cumbria's only Shanty
group (amazingly, given the region's rich maritime history).
Based in Penrith, 8 guys with a long background in folk music,
singing & acting and with a decent 'nautical' pedigree, having
an ex-Navy man & an award winning yachtsman on board.
Founded in 2022, they
first made their mark singing at Arnside Maritime Festival &
Lancaster Music Festival in 2023 and going on to become the
official Shanty group for Workington Lifeboat, with numerous
appearances as part of the RNLI's 200th Anniversary in 2024.
That year also brought a billing at 'Kendal Calling', supporting
acts including Noel Gallagher & the Sugarbabes, together with
performances at the Windermere Jetty Festival, Morecambe
Maritime Festival and Whitby Folk Festival. 2024 & 2025 has seen
the group sing at many gigs throughout the North of England and
they continue to attract audiences, with appearances on Festival
stages as far apart as 'Forbidden Lands' in the Scottish Borders
and Folk events in the Home Counties.
Nobody's Friends promise
to bring new arrangements of old, traditional favourites, Sea
songs that you might never had heard before, original
compositions and rousing Shanty choruses, always encouraging
audiences to join in."
Saturday 24th
January 2026
HOOLIEMEN
Superb new band playing
acoustic trad irish music & songs.
4 very seasoned
accomplished musicians who have played together for decades have
now formally come togeter as the Hooliemen
Chris Dyson - fiddle/voc
- from Roisin Ban & Gaelforce & ex Mike Harding Band, Leeds CCE
Richard Moss on gtr/voc -
ex Mike Harding Band
Paddy Heffron - button
accordian/voc/sean nos dance - Roisin Ban, Leeds CCE
Brian Aylward - flute.
uillian pipes, whistle, voc - Leeds CCE, Damhsa, Ceilihouse
Up tempo more mianstream
irish trad , great tunes & beautiful versions of songs you will
be familiar with.
IVAN CAMPO
Ivan Campo are
an alt-folk trio who formed in Preston in 2004.
Their latest single 'And
When the Sky Was Opened' is taken from their new album 'The
Twilight Zone' - a collection of songs based on episodes of the
original series hosted by Rod Serling - which will be released
in Oct 2025.
WICKENWOOD
Indie-folk trio
Wickenwood base their sound around harmony driven vocals, backed
up by guitar, bouzouki and fiddle.
Their passion for history
and folklore takes them all around the country, drawing song
writing inspiration from the people, tales and legends of the
places they visit.
VIRGINIA KETTLE &
ROLLING FOLK
Virginia Kettle is the
very heart of the multi award-winning folk-rock band Merry Hell.
Her songs, spirit and energies have helped drive the band ever
upwards, giving a significant outlet to her creativity,
providing anthems such as
Bury Me Naked,
which had 20,000 fans swaying in a Cropredy field, as well as
irresistible dancing tunes, and slices of wry humour as seen in
‘VIOLET’,
her solo tour-de-force during the band set, where she often
forgoes the need for amplification and wanders freely among the
audience. Her solo album ‘No Place Like Tomorrow’ was a critical
and popular success, hitting the heights of No.1 in the Amazon
Folk Charts within days of its release.
As a prolific writer of
songs, Rolling Folk gives Virginia the chance to share a variety
of songs not included in Merry Hell’s sets. It is not a
replacement for the band, but an additional outlet for her
creativity and energy. Offering the same level of songwriting
excellence as Merry Hell, but a different, more intimate feel,
plus additional musical explorations, Rolling Folk surrounds
Virginia with a fabulous and interesting selection of players,
particularly multi, multi-instrumentalist Chris Lee, (Full
House, Time Bandits, Family Mahone, Galleon Blast, Rad Co., etc,
etc etc) and percussionist, whistle player and flautist, Mark
Wooley (Ade Edmondson's Bad Shepherds, Full House, session
master and more) and more recently ace fiddle player Clare
‘Fluff’ Smith, again a (young) veteran of numerous projects,
including a stint with The Incredible String Band. Add in
Virginia’s bandmate and husband John, all giving breadth and
depth to her musical and lyrical visions. She has been described
by Folk North West magazine as
‘The best thing to
happen in British Folk for years’
and who are we to argue?
Sunday 25th
January 2026
JAKE LEG JUG BAND
The Jake Leg Jug Band
brings you the authentic sounds of 1920's and 30's America -
jazz, blues, ragtime and gospel. Songs of murder, betrayal,
gambling, liquor and redemption.
After self-releasing
their debut album Cotton Mouth, the band signed to one of the
UK's most prestigious Jazz labels, recording three albums as
part of the 'Vintage Recording Project', recording live around
ribbon microphones, as it would have been back in the 1930’s.
‘Next
Stop!’ ‘Everythin's Jake’ and ‘Break a Leg’ all met with rave
reviews; "A masterpiece of nostalgic music. The band display
real virtuosity and create a wonderful sound that will be hard
for any other band to repeat" Folk North West
THE SEPIA TONE FOLK COLLECTIVE
A well established Oxford
and Buckinghamshire based acoustic duo, Richie Knight and Lucy
Amos are The Sepia Tone Folk Collective.
Their music
spans a wide variety of folk genres with fictional stories and
heartfelt poignancy of true to life experiences.
"(they are) known for their heartfelt storytelling and rich
blend of traditional and modern folk influences." Colin
Hamilton, Runnymede Folk Club
Having played at
venues, folk clubs and festivals across the country including
Hanwell Hootie, D.H.Lawrence, Beaconfest and Bunkfest,
The Sepia Tone Folk Collective is a band to remember as they
grow from strength to strength.
A plethora of their
versatile, original music is available on their social media and
all major platforms to download and enjoy.
SAMANTHA WHATES & MG BOULTER
In the depths of a
Scottish winter, Samantha Whates and M G Boulter gathered at
Cambo Country House & Estate in Fife to record their third joint
project and most conceptually focused to date. The result is
Flower Days—an album based around flowers, exploring their quiet
persistence and enduring role as carriers of human meaning.
The recording location is
no mere backdrop; the historic estate with its Victorian walled
garden and surrounding woodlands served as a silent
collaborator. Under Douglas Whates's guidance as both producer
and arranger, these songs bloom in the liminal space between
tradition and experimentation, each one approaching
floriography—the language of flowers—from different perspectives
and story songs.
Samantha brings her
versatile, understatedly forceful delivery (the same that once
moved Dolly Parton to declare "I love her voice") alongside her
distinctive, self-taught finger-picking style. M G, the
"weapon's grade songwriter" (R2 magazine) known for his keen
observations of ordinary life and coastal communities,
contributes his equally persuasive yet gentle voice and
accomplished guitar work. Though individual sensibilities shine
through in certain pieces—Whates's touch evident in Daffodils,
Boulter's voice unmistakable in Lily-Rose—the album represents a
truly democratic partnership where authorship often blurs into
shared vision.
These songs examine how
different blooms have carried human stories across
centuries—from devotion to grief, celebration to remembrance.
The album captures that particular quality of winter light when
the garden appears dormant but beneath the soil, preparations
for spring are already underway.
For those acquainted with
either artist's substantial body of work—from Boulter's
psychogeographical excavations of seaside towns Clifftown
(Hudson Records) to Whates's location-specific Waiting Rooms
(Wonderfulsound)—Flower Days represents a natural evolution of
their artistic concerns. The collection approaches its subject
with both playful curiosity and emotional intelligence, allowing
listeners to discover their own connections within its carefully
tended soundscapes.
DARIA KULESH
Daria Kulesh has been
described by Mike Harding as “one of the finest voices and
one of the most intriguing and interesting songwriters on the
present folk scene”.
Her debut release Eternal
Child was described as “phenomenal”, her second album
Long Lost Home has enjoyed rave reviews and multiple awards,
including LCM Album of the Year, her third offering Earthly
Delights was named "one of the year's finest albums" by
Folk Radio UK, and her latest studio release MotherLand is “near
perfect" and "astonishing", according to Liverpool
Sound and Vision.
Daria has toured
extensively in the UK and Europe, sharing stories and songs that
are deeply personal but feel universal and timeless.
Every performance is an "emotional,
compelling and uplifting experience", leaving the audiences "completely
spellbound". Born in Russia but based in the UK for the last
15 years, she fearlessly explores her heritage and turbulent
family history in Ingushetia (North Caucasus) with songs that "aren't
just sung, but lived" (FATEA).
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