Gigs – Tour News – Special Events

Almost exactly five years ago Celtic supergroup Ímar had the night of their lives. At the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in Belfast the awesome Scottish/Irish/Manx alliance scooped the Horizon Award for Best Emerging Act while their irrepressible concertina ace, Mohsen Amini, landed the coveted Musician of the Year ...

Five years on from their first gig Pedair and Sain are proud to be able to share their first album, Mae ’na Olau – an album inspired by the current state of the world, the resilience of nature, the folk traditions of Wales and the simple virtues of friendship and ...

The award-winning and highly acclaimed Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Québec’s progressive francophone folk movement.  The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions while enhancing its hard-driving soulful music with a broad range of global influences. Since its inception in August 2002, ...

Whether it’s The Sage Gateshead on the Saturday 9th September or The Barbican London on Sunday 10th, there are just two chances to experience a special day with The Unthanks. Celebrating the reissue of three classic albums, a one-time-only reformed Rachel Unthank & The Winterset will perform Mercury-nominated album The ...

After twelve years, six albums and hundreds of gigs, Merry Hell have taken a little time to look back on all that has passed. The result of this reflection is a 28 track, double CD covering tracks from all their releases, a history of the band if you like, or ...

With his fourth solo album, Before I Knew What Had Begun I Had Already Lost, Jon Wilks takes a step away from the Birmingham songs that brought him recognition on his previous two collections and instead focuses on the songs that have moved him most over the last few, difficult ...

Legendary singer, songwriter and performer Gretchen Peters has announced what will be her final ever tour of the UK. Over 25 years since she first set foot on British stages, the Nashville-via-New-York star will be returning for one last hurrah as she confirms a Farewell Tour across the country throughout ...

Much loved Yorkshire folk duo Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow have been propelled into newfound fame for penning the theme tune to Sally Wainwright’s hit BBC1/HBO drama Gentleman Jack, earning them global admiration, an acting role for Belinda on the iconic TV drama Happy Valley, Radio 4 Woman’s Hour and ...

One of Scotland’s finest and most acclaimed songwriters Kris Drever shares his new single ‘Catterline’ on March 28th and announces a new album ‘The Best of’ (released by Reveal Records) May 19. A UK tour with his own band includes a headline show at London’s Union Chapel on June 13th ...

Lachlan Bryan And The Wildes will make their way back to the UK in March and April with their great mate Alan Fletcher (yes, the Alan Fletcher who played Karl Kennedy in Neighbours - who happens to be a devotee of Americana music with a new John Prine-inspired album under ...

Dan Webster & Bella Gaffney are stalwarts of the UK folk scene and this year they are coming together to do a co-headline tour of the UK.  This is not one to miss. Bella is releasing her new album Reflection this summer and this tour presents an exciting opportunity to ...

Levellers release their new album Together All The Way on March 10th and head off on a full UK tour at the end of this month in support. The album is being released via their own On The Fiddle Recordings. It’s an acoustic album, taking a more traditional, folk approach to reimagine ...

Greetings. Just emerging from hibernation, still in winter woollies, but lots of news to share with you. It's been a busy time recording the new album at Woodworm Studios and running workshops while trying to keep the show on the road with a series of 23 gigs so far booked for this year ...

Here's a message from Bob Fox about his goings-on this spring. Hello!! After a good few weeks off and a couple of sunshine holidays I'm starting my 2023 gigs here: Friday 3rd March – solo Warkworth Village Hall, Northumberland.   website  followed by a short run of duo gigs with my ...

On Sunday 19th February highly regarded emerging folk artist Frankie Archer is performing at the intimate basement venue in Aces & Eights, Tufnell Park, North London - tickets and details via folkandroots.co.uk Frankie Archer composes and plays with heart and sensitive curiosity. She started out surrounded by Northumbrian folk music ...

On March 10th One Little Independent are proud to release the high-concept debut album from the brand-new collaboration between three of UK folk’s most unique and prestigious voices; Marry Waterson, Lisa Knapp and Nathaniel Mann. Blackletter Garland by Hack-Poets Guild boasts twelve fascinating interpretations and original compositions that tell intricate ...

 Saving The Good Stuff Vol.1 is the ninth offering from the hardworking Harbottle & Jonas, with each release they continue to build and cement their reputation. Following on from the release of The Beacon in 2021 they have continued to maintain a high level of output with the albums Live ...

Thousands of voices will raise roofs of Cathedrals and Churches around the country this year as a cappella group Broomdasher and multi-instrumental trio Coracle continue their From Pub to Pulpit tour. Nine dates are currently confirmed for the concert, whose rousing climax has the whole audience, the organ and Choir ...

2023 will see the first ever Sean Taylor Band album release, a live album, featuring multi-instrumentalist Mike Seal on double bass and the Thompson Twins percussionist Paulina Szczepaniak. This album almost never happened, unbeknown to Sean the sound engineer at one of his band gigs in 2022 recorded the whole ...

Skerryvore have reinvented and reignited Scottish roots music with a modern alt-pop flavour that has connected with an ever-expanding multicultural global audience. But as the pandemic broke, the octet’s international touring immediately ceased. Yet from challenge came opportunity. Vocalist/guitarist Alec Dalglish had the time to develop his initial song ideas in more depth, while ...

At the forefront of the current Irish music scene – armed with a strong belief and passion for authenticity, The Wedding Above In Glencree, is the much anticipated fourth solo album from Dublin’s own Daoiri Farrell – recorded & engineered by Trevor Hutchinson (Lunasa / Waterboys) – with guest appearance ...

Today, two former Mercury Music Prize nominees Rachel Unthank (The Unthanks) and Paul Smith (Maxïmo Park) announce Nowhere And Everywhere, their debut album as Unthank : Smith. Two new songs, ‘The Natural Urge’ and ‘Seven Tears’ are available to hear now. Watch the videos for both songs below. With Nowhere ...

Kate Rusby, hailed as the ‘First Lady of Folk’ and a Mercury Music accolade to her name, has forged an impressive 30-year, headlining career. A folk singer at heart, she’s taken the genre to new heights appealing way beyond the folk scene and her Yorkshire roots, headlining in the UK ...

For a band that have from the outset been pegged as ‘folk-rock’, Newcastle’s Holy Moly & The Crackers sure have come a long way in their sound and their approach. They’ve been a fierce live proposition for a decade now and released three studio albums that have seen their songs ...

This celebrated partnership of “one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists” (fROOTS) with “the doyenne of Irish harpers” (Scotland On Sunday) has presented its unique musical vision in twenty-two countries on five continents to venues ranging from the tiniest of village halls to palaces in Kyoto and ...

Virtuoso mandolin, sensational songs, hot swing fiddle and huge lashings of fun from Britain’s leading ‘hot-fingered mandolin virtuoso’ Simon Mayor, and silver-voiced songstress Hilary James. It’s probably the diversity of their repertoire that surprises people most: from folk songs to Berlioz, blues, classical mandolin show-stoppers, swing fiddle, and maybe a ...

Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré, who released his critically-acclaimed new album Les Racines via World Circuit earlier this year, will perform at Islington Assembly Hall on Saturday 5th November. Vieux recently shared an acoustic video for 'Gabou Nu Tie', a song about the importance of respecting and preserving customary values, in order to fulfil ...

Native Harrow have today released their critically acclaimed new album Old Kind Of Magic on Loose Music. The duo of married couple Stephen Harms and Devin Tuel are launching the album with an instore tour, including an acoustic performance and signing, starting tonight at Rough Trade West at 6pm, tickets ...

Fable is the mesmerising and powerful third album from South London based four-piece The Little Unsaid, introduced via its first single ‘Vibrant Life’, an intense stream of consciousness reminding us not to lose momentum, imagination, and curiosity in these dark times. The Little Unsaid are John Elliott (composer, songwriter & producer), ...

As they prepare to embark on their Food For Thought 25 date UK tour, British music legends Squeeze announce the release of a new six track EP on November 4th 2022. The title track, ‘Food For Thought’, is a brand new song written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, that ...

Coming up on Tuesday 25th we are pleased to be hosting this outstanding singer songwriter double bill in the iconic settings of The Bedford, Balham, London - tickets available via wegottickets.com Whatever magic potion the troubadours in Laurel Canyon were sipping on in 1971, Jesse Terry has managed to track ...

Arriving  on October 28 via Loose Music, Old Kind of Magic is the fifth long-player from Native Harrow - Stephen Harms and Devin Tuel - and arrives two years after they left Pennsylvania for a new life in Sussex. It is in this new place that the duo self-produced a ...

With a little help from some new friends, including the animated hero ‘Little Bee’, the songwriter and festival legend, Beans On Toast, is very pleased to unveil a brand new series of children's books and an accompanying album: THE FASCINATING ADVENTURES OF LITTLE BEE Released on 1st December 2022, The ...

Fortune By Design is the debut album from Brooks Williams and Dan Walsh, admired by both listeners and fellow musicians alike, here they combine their talents for an extraordinary collaboration of British and Americana roots music. Each is a leading light on their respective instruments and they both bring buckets ...

Martyn Joseph is a completely unique and mind-blowing artist. Take everything you think you know about singer songwriters and rip it up. For one man and a guitar he creates a performance with a huge far-reaching sound that is energetic, compelling, and passionate.  Be it to two hundred people or ...

IMDL are delighted to announce the full programme of events for this year’s Return to London Town Festival - Friday 28th to Monday 31st October 2022!  For this 24th edition of the festival a wonderfully impressive array of brilliant musicians and singers from Ireland, alongside a large number of London-based artists, will be involved ...

Light Is In The Horizon is a new album of previously unreleased recordings from one of Scotland’s greatest voices, Eddi Reader. The twelve songs were left behind from the sessions of her acclaimed Vagabond and Cavalier albums but sit together now as fresh body of work featuring many of Eddi’s ...

In the now established tradition of @StMarysSessions, our October show brings you yet another slice of something distinctly different.  Expect the poetic, the passionate, the provocative, some politics of the people and playfulness. Some punchy picking too, he has a guitar and he knows how to use it! Robb Johnson ...

How Did We Get Here? is Lizzy Hardingham's brand new studio album which explores the relationship between music and mental health. This Help Musicians UK funded album combines eight deftly crafted songs (recorded at Sheffield's Yellow Arch Studios) and thought-provoking audio clips from interviews with musicians, mental health charities, music ...

Winner of 'Best Group' in both the Live Ireland awards and the Tradition In Review awards, The Outside Track are one of the top Celtic acts in the world. They were 'Best Live Act' nominees in the MG Alba Scots Traditional Music Awards, and won the German Radio Critics Prize, ...

Robert Lane is a musician, songwriter and actor based in the UK. He has toured extensively and released three albums. As an actor he works in theatre and film and is a founding member of short form comedy improvisation group Improv Wolves. 

Robert is also the host of The Robert ...

On Sunday 18th September The Jackie Oates Trio return to Water Rats, Kings Cross, London as part of their album launch tour, tickets and full details via folkandroots.co.uk September 2022 sees the launch of Gracious Wings, the 8th solo studio album by Jackie Oates. Jackie has once again been working ...

The Space Between is the long awaited second album from Birmingham's fiery (un)traditional folk band Bonfire Radicals. This new release captures the adventurous breadth of their musical imaginations, revels in enthusiasm for folk traditions from around the globe and delivers it with the effortless dynamism that permeates their live shows ...

Taken from their upcoming second album (out 14th October via Wood Head Records), the collective’s new single blazes bright with its incendiary violins, glowing accordions and profound lyricism that will warm even the coldest of souls. Piratical by sound, political in its nature, ‘The Fires of England’ takes the listener ...

Eliza Carthy, leading light of England's folk scene releases Stumbling On, the second EP of four tracks taken from her forthcoming album, Queen Of The Whirl - a celebration of Eliza’s 30 years as a professional musician. Featuring newly recorded versions of songs from her illustrious career as chosen by her ...

Luke Concannon has early memories of listening to live music, dancing, singing, and putting on plays, at his Irish family’s parties in Warwickshire England. He’s been making music in community ever since. Aged 26 he topped the UK and Irish charts with his duo Nizlopi’s ‘The JCB Song’ about singing ...

From the folk songs she has known since childhood to piano ballads and the odd cheeky bit of trip-hop, Martha Tilston has never been afraid to experiment with her writing and musical parameters. Her songs flow with the journey of her life and creativity, inspired by our interconnectedness with nature ...

Sea Song Sessions is a collection of British maritime folk songs and sea shanties, performed by a collective of some of British folk music’s leading lights: Jon Boden, Seth Lakeman, Ben Nicholls, Emily Portman & Jack Rutter. The concept for the album came to them in 2021, when they were ...

2022 marks the 25th year since Gretchen Peters first set foot on a UK stage. And in honour of the occasion, the Nashville-via-New-York star will be heading back to these shores. Planning a series of special appearances later this year, Peters will be touring along with longtime musical partner and special ...

Following the runaway success of his extended UK tour earlier this year, the cult hero Beans On Toast has already plotted his return with a “mahoosive ramble” for 2023. One man and his guitar with songs to sing and stories to tell, UK fans will be able to catch him ...

The Indoor Festival of Folk is a collaboration between folk/rock band The Magpie Arc and the English Folk Dance and Song Society and features a stellar line up of award-winning UK folk artists performing at Cecil Sharp House, Camden, London on Saturday the 3rd of September 2022. Appearing on the ...

Foy Vance will embark on an extensive European tour later this summer, with the UK dates commencing on August 30 at York Barbican and culminating September 9 at Belfast SSE Arena, Vance’s first Arena show in his native Northern Ireland. The tour follows the 2021 release of Vance’s fourth studio ...

The Australian indie-folk sister duo, Charm Of Finches are back in the UK for 10 more dates in JULY- and just last week released a brand-new EP Bluest Colour - lush 3-track EP of acoustic versions of songs from their album Wonderful Oblivion, after already touring the UK in April/May ...

Five years after they set out on their hugely acclaimed 2018 Acoustic Tour, and released its companion album We The Collective, The Levellers will embark upon a brand new Acoustic Tour in 2023 which will be accompanied by a new album of acoustic reworkings of some of their finest compositions, ...

Two groups of talented young musicians will take to the road once again this summer for three weeks of musical performances the length and breadth of Scotland as part of a pioneering traditional music programme established by a Ross-shire based arts organisation. For the first time since 2019, the Fèis ...

The award-winning and highly acclaimed Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Québec’s progressive francophone folk movement.  The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions while enhancing its hard-driving soulful music with a broad range of global influences. Since its inception in August 2002, ...

Making up for the last two years, Stonington, Connecticut based artist Jesse Terry is excited to announce his first international dates in support of his most recent album When We Wander (Wander Recordings), the first he wrote since becoming a parent. Shows start in Ireland in late September and will ...

Renowned for her erudite and entertaining shows, ahead of her early 2023 tour Suzanne Vega will be headlining at Glastonbury (Acoustic Stage), Cambridge Folk Festival and Underneath The Stars Festival this summer. Widely regarded as one of the foremost songwriters of her generation, Vega emerged as a leading figure of ...

Ray Cooper returns to the UK in July for a short tour in support of his most recent album Land Of Heroes. Ray Cooper is an acoustic singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, he accompanies his songs with a cello, mandolin, guitar and piano, each song comes with a story, and Ray ...

Mavis Staples and Levon Helm mutual love and admiration is on full display on Carry Me Home, the new album which features a mix of Staples’ and Helm’s bands operating at the peak of their powers as they work their way through an eclectic setlist of tunes made famous by ...