The Folk Forecast: August 2023
Featuring livestreams, festivals, podcasts, new music and more news from across the folk scene.
Hello, everyone!
Hope you’re having a great summer. I’m finally caught up on everything after a busy weekend at Cambridge Folk Festival, and it’s not too long till we’re off to Saltburn, so festival season is certainly in full flow.
There’s absolutely heaps to tell you about this month, including livestreams from Sidmouth Folk Festival, lots of great radio shows and podcasts to check out and a stack of fantastic new music to wrap your ears around, so without further ado, here’s everything that’s piqued my interest lately!
This month’s playlist
This month’s playlist features a variety of the artists mentioned in this issue, including some brilliant new releases! There is also a track from Sinéad O'Connor, whose loss has been felt far and wide.
Side note - speaking of Sinéad O’Connor, Jude Rogers has just published an article about her life, legacy and how we treat female artists, which you can read here.
If you enjoy this issue and fancy saying thanks, you can make a small donation on Ko-Fi to help support my freelance work on the folk scene. Thank you!
TOP PICKS: ONLINE
Sidmouth Folk Festival livestreams*
Sidmouth will be livestreaming lots of their concerts at the Ham this year via a new organisation called Folkscape Live. The festival starts today and runs until 11th August. Gigs are available to watch live and on demand for 12 months, so if you can’t make it to Sidmouth in person this year, this is the next best thing.
Artists include Banter, Lizzy Hardingham, Le Vent du Nord, Ellie Gowers, The Brothers Gillespie, Saltlines, The Young’uns, Pete Coe, Leveret, McCusker, McGoldrick & Doyle, Lady Maisery, The Weaving, Breabach, The Eliza Carthy Trio, Jackie Oates & Jon Wilks, From Pub to Pulpit, John Tams, The English Fiddle Ensemble, The Brìghde Chaimbeul Trio and Angeline Morrison.
Their website also has a lovely interview with Janice Burns & Jon Doran* (who I am agent for), which is free to view here.
Ticket offer
Tickets are available for individual gigs, or a Sidmouth Season Ticket is also available for £150 which gets you into all the gigs being livestreamed.
Folkscape have given me some voucher codes for readers, which you can use to get a discount if you’d like to tune in.
For 10% off all tickets, use the code FOLKFORECAST
To get 34% off the Sidmouth Season Ticket, use the code FOLKFORECAST99
For transparency, if you use a voucher code, I will get a small payback for promoting the gigs, which just helps to support the work I do.
Shrewsbury Folk Festival livestreams
Shrewsbury Folk Festival were really ahead of the curve on livestreaming, with gigs going out on YouTube well before the pandemic. Keep an eye on their YouTube channel during the festival (25-28 August).
Live to Your Living Room new season*
We are busy gearing up for our new season over at Live to Your Living Room. We’ll be kicking things off on 7th September with Maclaine Colston & Saul Rose, followed by the Feminist Folk Club, The Black Feathers, Melrose Quartet and The Askew Sisters.
Later on down the line, we’ve also got Tarren, Filkin’s Drift, Ward Knutur Townes, The Grace Smith Trio, Source by James Kerry, Heidi Talbot & Boo Hewerdine, The Carrivick Sisters, Martin Carthy & Jon Wilks and The Wilderness Yet, plus more to be announced soon.
BBC Radio 2 at Cambridge Folk Festival
I had a great time at Cambridge Folk Festival last weekend. If you didn’t make it (or if you did, but would like to relive it!) you can catch some of the highlights recorded by the Radio 2 Folk Show team over on BBC Sounds.
Folk on Foot Official Folk Albums Chart Show*
The Folk on Foot Official Folk Albums Chart Show went out on Tuesday, and is available to watch on YouTube or listen to as a podcast. Tune in to find out which albums have made the chart this month. I’m also on the show as usual, talking about some of the bits in this newsletter!
Access Folk podcast
Access Folk is a research group based at Sheffield University and headed up by Fay Hield. Recently, they’ve launched a new podcast to discuss some of the themes that emerged from their research about participation and inclusion in folk singing in England. Folk singers and musicians Joanie Bones and Oliver Cross interview singers, musicians and educators, as well as drawing on their own lived experience to discuss issues around disability, gender, ethnicity and much more.
Old Songs podcast
A new episode of the Old Songs Podcast is out now, featuring broadside ballads singer Jennifer Reid, who recently appeared in the BBC series The Gallows Pole. Find out more over on the Tradfolk site.
Folk on Foot: Johnny Campbell & Mikey Kenney*
The latest episode of Folk on Foot features Johnny Campbell & Mikey Kenney on Whernside, recording a track for Johnny’s forthcoming album True North. Johnny is recording each track of the album at the summit of one of the highest peaks in the North of England. More details on that a bit later down the line, but for now, check out the podcast!
Piers Cawley’s Song Swaps
Some of you might remember Piers Cawley’s Song Swaps on YouTube during lockdown. Piers is still doing these quite regularly, and will be doing a song swap with Helen Edwards tonight (4th August) at 8pm, which you can also watch again afterwards.
TOP PICKS: IN PERSON
Festival highlights
As mentioned in last month’s issue, there’s lots coming up in the next couple of weeks, including Wickham, Underneath the Stars, Sidmouth, Cropredy Convention, Saltburn, Broadstairs, the Magpies Festival, Purbeck Valley, Green Man, Beautiful Days and Folk East. Looking a bit further ahead, there are too many to mention them all, but here are some highlights…
Whitby Folk Week - 19-25 August - Highlights include Melrose Quartet, Maddy Prior & Spud Sinclair, Granny’s Attic* and Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones, plus lots of dance displays, ceilidhs and workshops if you prefer to be making the music!
Cornwall Folk Festival - 24-28 August - Featuring Gigspanner Big Band, Kinnaris Quintet, Seth Lakeman, Teyr, Sarah McQuaid, Windjammer, Geoff Lakeman & Rob Murch and more.
Greenbelt - 24-27 August - Based near Kettering, this festival of artistry and activism features literature, comedy and lots more, as well as music from the likes of Grace Petrie and Holy Moly & The Crackers.
Between the Trees - 25-27 August - This festival in South Wales has a focus on nature, science and spoken word, as well as music from Seth Lakeman, Luke Jackson, Filkin’s Drift, Tarren, Gwilym Bowen Rhys, The Drystones and more.
Shrewsbury Folk Festival - 25-28 August - This year’s festival is jam-packed with performances from artists including Billy Bragg, Capercaillie, Blue Rose Code, Breabach, Eddi Reader, Elephant Sessions, Gigspanner Big Band, Katie Spencer, Leveret, Maddie Prior & Forgotten Lands, Oysterband, O’Hooley & Tidow, Steve Knightley, Knight & Spiers, Spiers & Boden, Stolen From God, Talisk, The Dhol Foundation - the list goes on!
Towersey Festival - 25-28 August - This fantastic festival in Oxfordshire will feature The Proclaimers, Frank Turner, Nickel Creek, Molotov Jukebox, Flook, Thea Gilmore, The Young’uns, Gnoss and lots more. They’ve also got over 48 hours of ceilidh and dance, including the first ever 12-hour ceilidh. Hope you’ve all got plenty of stamina.
Moseley Folk & Arts Festival - 1-3 September - Based in the outskirts of Birmingham, this year’s festival will include performances from Squeeze, The Saw Doctors, The Proclaimers, The Mary Wallopers, Stornoway, Rozi Plain, Angeline Morrison & The Sorrow Songs Band, plus lots more, including spoken word and comedy as well as music.
Bromyard Folk Festival - 7-10 September - Another one for those of you in the West Midlands! This year’s line-up includes Merry Hell, The Young’uns, The Eliza Carthy Trio, Kris Drever, Dallahan, Jim Moray, Jack Rutter, Granny’s Attic* and lots more
Swanage Folk Festival - 8-10 September - Based on the Dorset coast, this year’s festival features Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, Merry Hell, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Melrose Quartet, Honey and the Bear, Janice Burns & Jon Doran*, The Carrivick Sisters and more.
St Ives September Festival - 9-23 September - This two-week celebration of music and the arts in St Ives will include performances from Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, Jackie Oates and Mike Cosgrave, Cara Dillon and more.
Sea Song Sessions tour
Exmouth, Bexhill, Clevedon and Lyme Regis
Sea Song Sessions is a collection of British maritime folk songs and sea shanties, performed by Jon Boden, Seth Lakeman, Ben Nicholls, Emily Portman and Jack Rutter. The artists celebrated the release of the album of the same name in September 2022 with a run of on-board and harbourside performances which they sailed to and from by tall ship! They are now reuniting for a short run of shows inland, to perform songs from the Sea Song Sessions and more.
Kings Place Future Folk
London
Future Folk is a new programme strand at Kings Place designed to showcase emerging artists who are creating and reshaping music inspired by folk traditions in new, progressive ways. Upcoming gigs include Owen Spafford & Louis Campbell on 29th September and The Brothers Gillespie on 27th October - both highly recommended.
Folk of the Round Table
Deptford, London
This traditional folk session is run on Tuesdays at the Matchstick Piehouse in Deptford, London. At a time when lots of folk organisations are striving to broaden their audience, Folk of the Round Table is having lots of success with attracting a younger crowd to engage with folk music by being very open and inclusive for all. Also, the venue has pies - what’s not to like? Definitely one to check out if you live in London or are passing through.
On tour soon!
Daphne’s Flight, Filkin’s Drift, Janice Burns & Jon Doran*, Grace Smith Trio*, Granny’s Attic*, Iona Lane, Maz O’Connor, Stolen From God, The Wilderness Yet* and undoubtedly many more, so keep an eye on what your favourite artists are up to.
OTHER NEWS
Folk on Foot Big Walk*
As mentioned last month, Matthew Bannister of Folk on Foot is off on a 180-mile walk to raise funds for Help Musicians, and it begins today! Matthew will be meeting various musicians along the way, including Steve Knightley & Johnny Kalsi, The Young’uns and many more, so do keep an eye on the Folk on Foot social media channels for videos. There will also be a couple of special editions of the podcast later down the line to share some of the highlights from along the way.
Over £7,500 has been raised for Help Musicians so far. Head to the website to find out more and donate.
Peggy Seeger seeking folk clubs to tour
As well as doing a farewell tour of larger venues, Peggy Seeger is keen to do a tour of folk clubs in 2024, to return to where she started out and see how the club scene is doing. She is on the lookout for clubs to head to, so if you’re interested, contact Kerry at Red Grape Music.
Alex Cumming Kickstarter
After nearly 15 years of working with various bands (you may know him from The Teacups), Alex Cumming is finally creating his debut solo album, Homecoming. He’s running a Kickstarter to help make this happen, with lots of lovely rewards if you fancy backing him!
Sing Yonder
Sing Yonder Volume 7 was released recently, featuring songs 61-70 in the Roud Index. If you haven’t come across this project before, Karl Sinfield is working through the Roud Index of traditional folk songs, setting them out with lyrics, chords and other helpful information to make the songs more accessible. Each issue is also beautifully illustrated.
Excitingly, songs from Volume 1 have also now been recorded on an album, which will be released on 23rd September and features artists including Jim Causley, Havelwood, Lizzy Hardingham, Burd Ellen, Angeline Morrison, Henry Parker, Bird In The Belly, The Shackleton Trio, George Sansome and Bryony Griffith. It’s not available for pre-order just yet, but I expect to have more news on that next month!
Ian Stephenson tune book and album
Ian Stephenson is a musician, composer and record producer based in Northumberland. Some may know him as a member of Rachael McShane & The Cartographers, and he’s played a key role on the folk scene in many ways. Ian was unfortunately recently diagnosed with a brain tumour, and this has given him the impetus to push forward with Return from Helsinki, a tune book and album featuring 50 of his compositions.
The community has pulled together fantastically to crowdfund to make this happen, and there’s still time to contribute if you’d like to get a copy and support Ian and his family.
Tradfolk news
Like myself, many of you are probably fans of the great work done by Tradfolk over the last year and a half. Recently, they announced that they won’t be able to continue publishing new content, although the site will remain in place for the time being for anyone wishing to read all the excellent content hosted there. The site has been a great asset to the folk scene, but like many other organisations has found it a struggle to keep afloat.
Sadly, we have lost quite a few folk media sites in recent years, and as it continues to be difficult to get coverage from more mainstream outlets, and artists face ever-greater struggles to make a living, it is a bit of a worry. Our scene relies on a dwindling number of dedicated music-lovers to keep things going, in an increasingly difficult and stressful landscape. The likes of Folk Radio, Songlines, RnR Magazine and Folk London do a marvellous job, so do support them if you can.
You can find out more about what Tradfolk had to say here.
New Roots
New Roots is an event for musicians aged under 25 who sing or play traditional music. It’s effectively a competition, although there is no ‘winner’ - rather, it’s a chance to get your music heard, and to get the opportunity for bookings at festivals and folk clubs. There are 2 categories - one for those aged under 18, and another for ages 18-24. Applications must be received by 31st January 2024, and the final will take place at Trestle Arts Base in St Albans.
Loathly Lady
Loathly Lady is a folk song cataloguing project and collective, which organises and rethinks narratives through a feminist lens. Founded by performer and researcher Amy Hollinrake, the project aims to challenge the way we view the stories in our songs, confront their values, and toy with their traditions. Certainly one to keep an eye on, and they’re also going to be publishing a zine with proceeds going to the charity Refuge.
NEW RELEASES
New releases are like buses - some months there are hardly any, and then loads come along at once. This month, it’s the latter!
28 July - Bella Gaffney, Reflections
This is a new solo release from The Magpies co-founder Bella Gaffney. She is joined by Sam Kelly and fellow Magpie Holly Brandon, among others, for a mix of traditional songs and originals.
1 Aug - Alistair Anderson - Hethpool Linn
Alistair Anderson marked his 75th birthday recently with a special concert at Sage Gateshead (available to watch online here via Folkscape Live - get a 10% discount with the code FOLKFORECAST). This milestone is also marked by a new album of evocative music rooted in northern traditions. Expect solos on concertina and Northumbrian pipes, as well as duets and full band arrangements. When you get the album, you also get a free bonus CD, Hidden Hexham.
4 Aug - Angharad Jenkins and Patrick Rimes - Amrwd
This is the debut duo release from Angharad Jenkins and Patrick Rimes of Calan (you may also know Patrick from VRï). Here, they delve into Welsh folk traditions with a mix of well known traditional songs and lesser known gems, as well as some originals, sung in both English and Welsh. Intrigued by the title? Amrwd is Welsh for raw.
4 Aug - Iona Lane and Ranjana Ghatak - Cove
Having first collaborated at Cove Park during Making Tracks 2022, Iona Lane and Ranjana Ghatak have come together again, celebrating their love of singing and combining music from both of their backgrounds. This is a digital-only EP, released on the always-brilliant Hudson Records.
4 Aug - Peatbog Faeries - I See a World
The first new studio album from the Peatbog Faeries since 2015. Combining traditional tunes with everything from drum and bass to Malian guitar, the band create a sound that's uniquely their own.
4 Aug - Patakas - When You’re Ready
Patakas (pronounced pa : tak : us) is a new duo on the English folk scene, made up of brothers Joe and Will Sartin. This debut EP, When You're Ready, was made during the 6 months after their much-loved father, folk legend Paul Sartin, passed away. With Joe's sublime voice and guitar playing and Will's dexterous mandolin, the brothers beautifully and skilfully express the music-making tradition that runs through the core of their family.
11 Aug - Joshua Burnell - Glass Knight
Crossing the boundaries between folk, prog, contemporary classical, psychedelia, glam and vintage pop-rock, Joshua Burnell combines thought-provoking lyrics with theatrical performances. Expect contemporary storytelling, as well as retellings of traditional tales, in this bold new release.
18 Aug - Rhiannon Giddens - You’re the One
This is Rhiannon Giddens’ first solo album in six years, and her first album of all original songs. She was recently awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Music, and if you haven’t discovered her yet, you need to get onto her back catalogue pronto.
25 Aug - Daphne’s Flight - Love is the Weapon of Choice
This is the first Daphne’s Flight album with new member Miranda Sykes (who you may know from her collaborations with Show of Hands). It features ten songs centered around women, encompassing each band member’s individuality as well as the breathtaking harmonies and intricate arrangements the band are known for. The album will be launched at Shrewsbury Folk Festival and then toured in September.
1 Sep - Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening - Cloud Horizons
This is the second album from Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening. As you might expect, it’s grounded in Northumbrian traditions, but also reaches out to the wider world, bringing in influences from around the globe and taking inspiration from trance and triphop as well as traditional folk.
1 Sep - Ninebarrow - The Colour of Night
As they celebrate their first decade, Ninebarrow are about to unveil their first release in two-and-a-half years – The Colour of Night. This atmospheric release builds on the duo’s success so far, drawing deeply from nature and folk traditions.
There are also new singles from The Breath and Ceitidh Mac, which you can find in this month’s playlist. If you find any new tracks you love, do support the artists by buying their music. Today (4th August) is also Bandcamp Friday, so for any releases on Bandcamp, if you buy them today, artists get a bigger share of the money.
RECORD OF THE MONTH
Record of the Month is Rembard’s Retreat by Filkin’s Drift, a new EP which is out on 3rd September. The release is part of an ambitious new project, CERDD // ED, which involves an 870-mile walking tour of the Wales Coast Path as the duo seek out more sustainable ways of touring amidst the climate emergency. In the Welsh language, ‘Cerdd’ means music and ‘Cerdded’ means to walk. To Filkin’s Drift, this suggests an intrinsic connection between the acts of roaming and creating music.
The EP itself was recorded live on the grounds of a Saxon manor house. Named after Rembard, the abbot of the land, the record weaves together traditional melodies from Wales and England along with original material inspired by the landscape of the Cotswolds. This ties together the duo’s different backgrounds, with Seth hailing from Gloucestershire and Chris from Cardiff. Every song and tune has been very carefully chosen, from a ballad based on a poem by T.I. Williams (a soldier in The Royal Welch Fusiliers), to a tune that was popular for dancing in Filkins, the village that shares the band’s name. There is also a beautiful version of Richard Thompson’s iconic Beeswing.
Filkin’s Drift will be doing 40 shows in total (a gig every night on their journey!), so catch them somewhere along the road (full gig list here) or tune in online on 12th October via Live to Your Living Room* (tickets here). Along the way, the duo will collect songs, stories, and tunes to incorporate into their gigs, weaving together a tapestry of shared experiences of the Welsh coast.
This project is supported by Help Musicians and Fusion Gig Bags. The duo will also be raising funds for a charity they work with, Live Music Now, which brings music to care homes, hospitals, community settings, schools, libraries and hospices.
Overall, this is an incredibly ambitious, thoughtful and carefully curated project, as well as being musically fantastic, so do follow the band’s journey and support them if you can.
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The Folk Forecast is created for artists, for audiences and for the UK folk scene. All information is correct to the best of our knowledge. If you have queries about the events listed, please contact the artists or promoters. If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future newsletters, please email TheFolkForecast@gmail.com. We may not be able to include absolutely everything, but we’re interested in UK folk events with a broad appeal, and would particularly welcome suggestions from Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The Folk Forecast is compiled by one person, so please bear with me if I can’t get back to you right away.
* Alongside The Folk Forecast, I work with other organisations including Live to Your Living Room, Soundpost, Folk on Foot, Fancourt Music (Granny’s Attic, Janice Burns & Jon Doran and The Wilderness Yet), Sidmouth Folk Festival and individual artists including Jo Freya, Grace Smith and Johnny Campbell. Events where I have some involvement with the promoter or artist are marked with a star for transparency. Although I have various affiliations, I strive to be inclusive and tell you about anything I find which I think you’ll enjoy!