The Folk Forecast: February 2023
The Folk Forecast: February 2023
Featuring Ninebarrow, Eliza Carthy & The Restitution, a rare solo gig from Sam Kelly, a Feminist Folk Club and a stunning selection of new releases.
Hello, and welcome back to The Folk Forecast!
It’s been a bit of a mad start to the year work-wise, but I’m finally here with this month’s musings. There’s some fantastic stuff coming up online, including Ninebarrow’s first livestreamed gig of the year, a chance to catch Eliza Carthy & The Restitution, and a rare solo gig from Sam Kelly. This month, it’s also time for the Love Folk Festival in Southport, as well as the Access Folk Symposium at Sheffield University. Then, as we look ahead to the start of next month, there are a couple of events to mark International Women’s Day at Cecil Sharp House, which is really exciting. There are also a LOT of amazing new releases this month, so be sure to check them out below.
Record of the Year 2022
Thanks so much to everyone who voted for the Record of the Year 2022. I’m delighted to say that the reader favourite was A Year Too Late and a Month Too Soon by Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones. Here are just some of the comments that were made about it…
“Bryony and Alice’s album is a wonderful breath of fresh air, full of personality and passion for the subjects they sing about.”
“A great selection of songs and tunes, carefully researched and beautifully delivered by two very talented musicians and singers.”
“Depth, contrast and a feeling of living integrity.”
“Yorkshire songs, sung brilliantly by Yorkshire voices. What's not to like?”
This month’s playlist
This month’s playlist includes tracks from some of the new releases mentioned below, as well as a few other things I’ve enjoyed listening to lately. If you find any new favourites, support the artists if you can, to help them do more great things in the future.
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
The Official Folk Albums Chart Show* — Tuesday 7 February, 7pm GMT
Folk on Foot website, YouTube and podcast feed. Commissioned by English Folk Expo and compiled by the Official Charts Company.
See which albums have made the Official Folk Albums Chart this month, with Folk on Foot. Packed with stories, music and exclusive content, this is always a joy to watch. I’ll also be on the show to talk about the latest folk news.
Free to access, but you can support the podcast by becoming a patron.
Ninebarrow — Saturday 11 February, 7pm GMT
Ninebarrow website
It’s become something of a tradition that Ninebarrow’s first online gig of the year is streamed from their home to yours. While many of their concerts are pre-recorded so they can head out to scenic locations, for this show, they’re heading back to their roots with a broadcast from Ninebarrow HQ. Although it’s being streamed live, it will be available to view for 7 days, so you can still catch up if you miss it.
Free to watch (donate if you can)
The English Fiddle Ensemble* — Saturday 11 February, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Four of England’s finest traditional fiddle players, Bryony Griffith, Jim Boyle, Ross Grant and Rosie Butler-Hall, have joined forces to create The English Fiddle Ensemble. Their combined repertoire is vast and includes rarely played and unusual regional tunes, alongside more familiar session favourites. Last year saw them head out to various festivals, including Cambridge, but this is their first online gig together.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Eliza Carthy & The Restitution — Sunday 12 Feb, 7.30pm GMT
Wiltshire Music Centre
If you haven’t had a chance to catch Eliza Carthy & The Restitution on tour yet, now’s your chance to see them play songs from the fantastic new album, Queen of the Whirl. A recording of the livestream is also made available for 3 days afterwards, if you need to catch up later.
Tickets £10
Alistair Anderson & Dan Walsh* — Monday 13 Feb, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Two of the most dynamic musicians in folk music strike sparks off each other in this fantastic new cross-generational duo. With repertoire ranging from bluegrass songs to Northumbrian rants, their performances combine high energy with world-class musicianship.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
The Unthanks Winter Onliner — Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 February
The Unthanks, via private YouTube link
The Unthanks have been running their Winter Onliner events for the last couple of years, and they’re back with a 90-minute concert and lots of exclusive content. It takes place on Saturday 18th February from 5pm till late, and then on Sunday from 9-11am. If you can’t make it (or fancy watching some bits again), you can catch up until midnight on Tuesday 21st February.
Tickets pay as you feel, but you do need to book to get the link.
Rachel Newton Gaelic Music Commission — Monday 20 February, 6pm GMT
National Galleries Scotland, via Zoom
Singer and harpist Rachel Newton shares 'work in progress' musical excerpts and discusses the inspiration behind her upcoming Gaelic music composition, commissioned by National Galleries of Scotland.
Free to attend, but you need to book a ticket to get the link
James Delarre & Saul Rose* — Monday 20 February, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
With the timeless combination of fiddle and box, James and Saul have been making music together for quite some time now. Years of friendship have resulted in a seamless musical connection, as they breathe life into the music they create together.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Sam Kelly* — Sunday 26 February, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Sam Kelly is a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winning musician, singer, songwriter and producer from Norfolk. His band, The Lost Boys, are festival favourites across the UK folk scene and beyond, and his portfolio as a guitar and bouzouki player includes playing with the likes of Kate Rusby, Seth Lakeman, John McCusker, Phil Beer and Katherine Priddy. This is his first live online gig, and is a rare chance to see him play solo.
As part of my role with Live to Your Living Room, I also did a Q&A with Sam, where I discovered his music has popped up in some surprising places - read all about it here.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Also online
Rosslyn Court livestream the first half of each of their concerts for free (with donations encouraged). This month, artists include Roswell, Simon Kempston and Emily Slade. Find out more about everything that’s in store here.
The Morris Federation have got various online talks and workshops coming up, including workshops on recruitment and digital marketing, which are increasingly important as morris teams look to the future. Find all upcoming events here.
It’s your last chance to listen to 21st Century Folk. This project from BBC Radio 2 involved artists writing new songs based on the lives of real people from the North East of England. Artists involved included Martyn Joseph, Thea Gilmore, Sean Cooney, Kathryn Williams, Chris Difford, Angeline Morrison and The Unthanks. It’s available on catch-up here until 8th February at 9am.
TOP PICKS: IN PERSON
Love Folk Festival, 10-11 February
The Atkinson, Southport
Love Folk Festival is back, with a fantastic line-up including Jim Moray, Gigspanner Big Band, The Rheingans Sisters, Good Habits, Bonfire Radicals, Katie Spencer and more.
Access Folk Symposium, 24-25 February
University of Sheffield
Access Folk is an academic research project run by Fay Hield and her team at the University of Sheffield. This transformative project is looking at many aspects of the folk world and considering ways to attract new audiences and make the scene more inclusive. As part of this, they’re running a Symposium at the University on the 24th and 25th of February. It’s not just for academics - it’s open to anyone who wants to engage with folk music. The programme includes a keynote from The Unthanks, a workshop with Jon Boden, a singaround, a Queer Folk ceilidh and lots more. See the full programme here.
Feminist Folk Club, 8 March and Thank Folk For Feminism & EFDSS Song Circle, 9 March
Cecil Sharp House
There are a couple of special events coming up for International Women’s Day at Cecil Sharp House. EFDSS have teamed up with the fantastic podcast, Thank Folk for Feminism, which is hosted by Lucy Ward and Pinky Ward. They’ll be running a Feminist Folk Club on 8th March (with guests including Frankie Armstrong, Jackie Oates, Gemma Khawaja, Maddie Morris and Jennie Higgins), followed by a Song Circle on 9th March (with guests including Nancy Kerr, Angeline Morrison and Maz O’Connor). The Folk Club event on 8th March is also being livestreamed by Live To Your Living Room*, so if you don’t live near London you can still come along.
Also on tour soon!
Belinda O’Hooley, Cara Dillon, Chris Wood, Eliza Carthy (with the Restitution and with Martin Carthy), Emily Portman & Rob Harbron, Fairport Convention, Fisherman’s Friends, Frankie Archer, Frank Turner, Gigspanner Big Band, Hack-Poets Guild, Hannah James & Toby Kuhn, James Delarre & Saul Rose, Janice Burns & Jon Doran*, Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira, Jon Boden, Martin Simpson, Ninebarrow, Phil Beer, Rachel Newton, Salt House, Sam Sweeney, Seth Lakeman, Steve Knightley, Suzanne Vega + Sam Lee, The Rheingans Sisters, The Wilderness Yet*, Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth… and lots more!
OTHER NEWS
Festival line-up announcements
As we look forward to the summer, festivals are starting to announce their line-ups, with recent announcements from Cambridge, Shrewsbury, Folk by the Oak, Towersey and more.
Tributes to Les Barker
Like so many of you, I was saddened to hear of the loss of the brilliantly unique Les Barker last month. Les’s poems brought joy to so many people, and he will be keenly missed by all who knew him. Les’s agent, Jacey Bedford, wrote a wonderful tribute to his life and work, which you can read here.
Sam Hindley and James Fagan also did a special edition of Thank Goodness It’s Folk in celebration of Les’s life, featuring a few clips of his work being performed. It’s available to listen to here and is well worth a listen.
Les leaves behind an incredible legacy of poignant, clever and downright hilarious poems, which will continue to enrich us for many years to come.
NEW RELEASES
20 January - Juliette Lemoine, Soaring
Juliette Lemoine is redefining the role of the cello in traditional music, as she crosses the boundaries between folk, classical and jazz. Soaring was written to capture the overwhelming sense of freedom she experienced last year, as she prepared to graduate from her degree, having recovered from a serious illness, and as the world gradually emerged from the pandemic. Each track is tied to a specific place or feeling which felt significant over the past few years.
1 Feb - Harbottle & Jonas, Saving the Good Stuff, Vol. 1
Back in 2019, Harbottle & Jonas began recording a series of cover songs, sharing them on Facebook once a week. They called the project ‘Saving the Good Stuff’, in reference to a song by Richard Thompson. As lockdown set in, they upped it to two songs a week, and soon they had quite a collection. For this album, they’ve recorded eight fan favourites - and judging by the album title, there could be more in store later down the line!
2 Feb - Jennie Higgins, Where Are All the Women?
This a capella album of traditional folk songs is focused on the roles of women. In fact, the album itself is all female-made, and was produced by Ellen McGovern. Jennie has a beautiful voice, and I love the ethos of this album. You can catch Jennie performing some of these songs live as part of the Feminist Folk Club at Cecil Sharp House (and online*) on 8th March.
3 Feb - Kim Edgar, Consequences
As the title suggests, this is an album focused on the impact we can all have on other people and the world around us. It features collaborations with Louis Abbott, Rachel Sermanni, James Grant, Boo Hewerdine, Horse McDonald and more, and was launched at Celtic Connections.
10 Feb - Lisa O’Neill, All Of This is Chance
Five-time BBC Folk Award nominee Lisa O’Neill is back with a new album, fresh from her last release which was named The Guardian’s Folk Album of the Year 2019. This new release ranges from sweeping orchestral tracks to more understated meditations on life, with a focus on the natural world and our place within it.
10 Feb - Polly Paulusma, When Violent Hot Pitch Words Hurt
This new album from Polly Paulusma is a sister release to her previous album, The Pivot on Which the World Turns. It includes early demos, live and acoustic versions of the songs on that sister release, providing a real window into the artistic process. The title of the album is also an anagram of the previous title, adding to the sense that this is almost a trip ‘through the looking glass’ to see the same music from a whole new perspective.
24 Feb - Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth, Volume 1
This is the first release from Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth, a new duo which brings together two of the folk scene’s finest instrumentalists. Between them, they’ve brought together an eclectic range of material, including not only the lively tunes you might expect, but also some beautiful songs. The pair will be touring far and wide, including Belfast, Edinburgh, Newcastle, the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Man and beyond, so don’t miss the chance to see them play live.
24 Feb - Dan Walsh, O’Neill’s Tunes
Dan Walsh presents the album he’s been wanting to make through his whole career. These are the tunes that inspired him to play banjo in the first place, performed clawhammer style and set against simple, yet effective, guitar accompaniment.
10 March - Hack-Poets Guild - Blackletter Garland
Hack-Poets Guild is an exciting new project from Marry Waterson, Lisa Knapp and Nathaniel Mann. Blackletter Garland is inspired by historic broadside ballads, which are brought vividly to life for a new generation. There will also be a tour in March, including an online date with Live To Your Living Room*.
RECORD OF THE MONTH
Record of the Month is Banish Air From Air by Ben Walker. Featuring a somewhat star-studded array of guests, including Nancy Kerr, Sam Lee, Sophie Jamieson, Emily Mae Winters, Kirsty Merryn, Louis Brennan and Lucy Alexander, this is an album that shines all the brighter for its collaborations, but is also something special in its own right. The inclusion of so many guest artists could easily result in an album that seems fragmented, but there’s a clear overarching vision here, with consistency and flow that feels distinctly cinematic. The Way Through the Woods, featuring Nancy Kerr, is a definite standout for me. Featuring lyrics by Rudyard Kipling set to a gorgeous tune, it seems made for Nancy, who really brings the words to life.
This is an album that takes its time, allowing the listener to immerse themselves fully as each track unfolds in a very organic way. This unhurried approach was also reflected in the production of the album itself. Walker says, “It’s taken me nearly three years to make this album, but I hope it’s better for the extra time spent thinking, testing, trying a few things”. I can safely say that it was worth the wait.
Top tracks: The Way Through The Woods (feat. Nancy Kerr), There Will Come Soft Rains (feat. Sam Lee)
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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), and individual artists including Jo Freya and Hannah James & Toby Kuhn. Events where I have some involvement with the promoter, agency or artist are marked with a star for transparency. Although I have various affiliations, I strive to be fair and inclusive and tell you about anything I think you’ll enjoy!