The Folk Forecast: July 2023
Featuring Ninebarrow, the Folk on Foot Big Walk, upcoming festivals, the latest releases and more news from across the folk scene.
Hello, and welcome back to The Folk Forecast! Hope you’re all having a wonderful summer so far. June was a bit of an eclectic music month for me - from a singing weekend with Lady Maisery, to seeing Pink at Hyde Park - and now I’m looking forward to summer festivals.
It looks to be another quiet month on the online gig front, but there’s still plenty to tell you about, so here goes…
This month’s playlist
My playlists are always inspired by what I’m listening to each month, as well as the new releases and gigs that are going on. This month, there’s therefore a bit of a surprising addition, with a track recorded by Pink in collaboration with Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit (note, there is one explicit lyric, which I’ve kept in, as the ‘clean’ version left an odd gap!). The definition of what counts as ‘folk’ is always up for debate, and this is also demonstrated by one of the new releases featured in the playlist this month, The Endless Coloured Ways - The Songs of Nick Drake. Have a listen and see what you think!
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TOP PICKS: ONLINE
The Official Folk Albums Chart Show* — Tuesday 4 July, 7pm BST and on demand afterwards for a month
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. This month’s show features Shirley Collins, who’ll be speaking to host Matthew Bannister about her acclaimed new album Archangel Hill. There’s also news about the Folk on Foot Big Walk in aid of Help Musicians (read on below for full details) and music from Siobhan Miller, Roseanne Reid, Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage, Magpie Arc, Jim Ghedi & Toby Hay and This Is The Kit. I’ll be on the show as usual to talk about the latest folk news too.
Free to access, but you can support the podcast by becoming a patron.
Ninebarrow live from Rose Cottage — Saturday 15 July, 6.30pm BST
Ninebarrow
Ninebarrow will be treating us to a mini digital festival from Rose Cottage, right next to the woods. There will be live performances in and around the cottage, with Ninebarrow joined by special guests including Odette Mitchell, Dan Walsh, and Will Finn & Rosie Calvert.
Tickets £14.50 single / £29 for a household
Also online
As some of you might know, the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) runs a singing group called Monday Folk Singers Online, and each term, different guest tutors take turns to share their knowledge. The next term starts on 18th September, and will be taught by Angeline Morrison. Find out more here.
Speaking of Angeline Morrison, if you haven’t already caught it, her episode of Folk on Foot* is available here, and a new episode of the podcast with Johnny Campbell and Mikey Kenney is coming on Friday 14th July.
Rosslyn Court will be livestreaming their gigs with Kent-based trio Triage and fiddle player Ben Paley this month. Find out more here.
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 Hebcelt, Priddy, Ely, Folk by the Oak and more. Looking a bit further ahead, there are too many to mention them all, but here are some highlights…
Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau - 20-23 July - A fantastic festival in North Wales. This year’s line-up includes Martyn Joseph, The Wilderness Yet, Cerys Hafana and more.
Speyfest - 21-23 July - Held in Moray, Scotland, this year’s festival features Skerryvore, Kinnaris Quintet, Mànran, Talisk, the Siobhan Miller Band and more.
Belfast TradFest - 23-30 July - Renowned as a UNESCO City of Music, Belfast will be hosting this celebration of all things folk, with concerts, sessions and a summer school. Highlights include performances by McGoldrick, McCusker & Doyle and Elephant Sessions.
Celtic Gathering - 24-30 July - The Celtic Gathering takes place on the Isle of Man, and this year features Dervish, Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan, Rachel Hair and more.
Cambridge Folk Festival - 27-30 July - Always a highlight of the year, Cambridge’s line-up this time includes Imelda May, The Proclaimers, Rufus Wainwright, Fisherman’s Friends, Judy Collins, Grace Petrie, Le Vent du Nord, The Longest Johns, Eliza Carthy, Daoiri Farrell, Angeline Morrison and James Yorkston & Nina Persson (to name but a few!)
Warwick Folk Festival - 27-30 July - I grew up going to Warwick Folk Festival, so it’s always got a special place in my heart. This time, the line-up includes This Is The Kit, Chris Wood, Mànran, Michael McGoldrick & Family, O’Hooley & Tidow, Dominie Hooper and more.
Womad - 27-30 July - This eclectic festival in Wiltshire features amazing music from around the world. In terms of UK folk, highlights include Kate Rusby, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys and Catrin Finch & Cimarron.
Wickham Festival - 3-6 August - Based in Hampshire, this year’s festival has an amazing line-up, including The Proclaimers, Fisherman’s Friends, Afro Celt Sound System, Show of Hands, Martyn Joseph, Eliza Carthy & The Restitution, Skerryvore, Peat & Diesel, Merry Hell, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, Lady Maisery and more.
Underneath the Stars - 4-6 August - This boutique festival in Yorkshire is run by Kate Rusby and family. Alongside Kate of course, the line-up will include Scouting for Girls, The Shires, The Longest Johns, Skerryvore, Molotov Jukebox, Angeline Morrison, Lady Maisery, The Often Herd and more.
Sidmouth Folk Festival* - 4-11 August - This week-long festival in Devon is always jam-packed with the finest music on the folk scene today. This year’s line-up is far too long to list, but includes Fisherman’s Friends, Barbara Dickson, Show of Hands, The Unthanks, Le Vent du Nord, The Young’uns, Seth Lakeman, Skerryvore, Saltlines, Grace Petrie, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, Cara Dillon, Lindisfarne, the Eliza Carthy Trio, Talisk, Peat & Diesel, Lady Maisery, Angeline Morrison and LOTS more.
Fairport’s Cropredy Convention - 10-12 August - Fairport Convention’s famous festival in Oxfordshire! Alongside Fairport, this year’s festival features Fisherman’s Friends, Strawbs, Peat & Diesel, Merry Hell, The Young’uns and more.
Saltburn Folk Festival - 11-13 August - This lovely seaside festival takes place in the North East, so it makes a nice change for me to have a festival just down the road! This year, I’ll be trying my hand at some MC-ing and Q&As with artists, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck in. The line-up includes Lady Maisery, Kathryn Williams, Katie Spencer, The Wilson Family and lots more, including a Queer Folk showcase which I’m really looking forward to.
Broadstairs Folk Week - 11-18 August - Another week-long festival, so you can fully immerse yourself in all things folk, down on the Kent coast. The line-up this time includes Seth Lakeman, Lady Maisery, Angeline Morrison, Jon Wilks, Granny’s Attic* and lots more, including plenty of ceilidhs, workshops and morris dancing.
The Magpies Festival - 11-12 August - This lovely festival takes place near York. Artists this year include Rachel Sermanni, Edward II, Laura Cortese, Gilmore & Roberts, and of course The Magpies.
Purbeck Valley - 17-20 August - Based on the beautiful Jurassic coastline, this year’s festival features Seth Lakeman, Sheelanagig, Lady Nade, Maz O’Connor and Filkin’s Ensemble (read on below for details of their new EP!)
Green Man Festival - 17-20 August - Held in the Brecon Beacons in Wales, Green Man is an incredible festival encompassing not just music but comedy, literature, science, all forms of art and life in general! This year’s line-up includes First Aid Kit, Self Esteem, Lankum, Rozi Plain and Lady Maisery, plus lots more.
Beautiful Days - 18-20 August - Beautiful Days is the Levellers' family music festival, based in Devon. Alongside the Levellers, this year’s festival features greats including the Proclaimers, Oysterband, Dervish and Spiers & Boden.
Folk East - 18-20 August - Folk East is a gorgeous festival based at Glemham Hall in Suffolk. It feels like a real community, and always has very imaginative programming and some surprises in store! This year’s line-up includes Lindisfarne, Capercaillie, The Young’uns, Spooky Men’s Chorale, Martin Simpson, Angeline Morrison, Hack-Poets Guild, John Smith & Katherine Priddy, and the amazing Boss Morris.
Folk Camps
If you’re looking for something a bit more relaxed than a full-on festival, Folk Camps offer family-friendly holidays with workshops, activities and entertainment, as well as a chance to meet likeminded people. There are a few events coming up in August, including week-long camps in Suffolk and weekend breaks in Cumbria and Hampshire.
The Nest Collective Campfire Club
Campfire Club events will be taking place in London and Sheffield over the next few weeks, with artists including Baque Luar, Polly Paulusma, Saied Silbak, Chris Wood, Tarren, Touki and Project Smok. These intimate gigs are always really magical, so I highly recommend you check them out if there are any events near you.
OTHER NEWS
Folk on Foot Big Walk*
Matthew Bannister, the host of Folk on Foot, has announced that he’ll be doing his biggest walk yet this summer, as he heads from Wickham Festival in Hampshire to Folk East in Suffolk in aid of Help Musicians. This 180 mile walk will take two weeks (from 4th to 17th August), and Matthew will be meeting musicians in pubs each night for some songs along the way. This will then be made into a special episode of Folk on Foot.
Musicians taking part include Rowan Piggott & Rosie Hodgson of The Wilderness Yet*, Steve Knightley & Johnny Kalsi, Eliza Marshall, Jon Wilks, Martin Simpson, Janice Burns & Jon Doran*, Kirsty Merryn, Honey and the Bear, Megson, Sid Goldsmith & Danny Pedler of Tarren, Bird in the Belly, Katie Spencer, Knight & Spiers, Bella Hardy and The Young’uns.
Matthew is also happy for people to join him for part of the walk, if you fancy it (or perhaps just join him in the pub!). To find out more about the route and how to donate, head to the link below.
The Hidden Fires: A Cairngorms Journey with Nan Shepherd, by Merryn Glover
Some of you might be familiar with Nan Shepherd’s book, The Living Mountain, which inspired an album by Jenny Sturgeon, as well as an episode of Folk on Foot*. This new book by Merryn Glover is a chance to revisit the same landscapes and themes once again through fresh eyes.
NEW RELEASES
1 June - Filkin’s Ensemble, Live from 'The Folk'
I love everything I’ve heard from Filkin’s Ensemble so far. If you haven’t come across them yet, it’s a folk big band made up of Filkin’s Drift, Ellie Gowers and a whole host of other artists. They’ve shared a couple of fantastic videos online (like this one!), but I haven’t managed to catch them live yet, so it’s great to have this EP to keep me going till I can see them in person. I particularly love the last track, Arthur McBride - stunning!
4 July - Various artists, The Endless Coloured Ways - The Songs of Nick Drake
This landmark collection features new versions of Nick Drake songs recorded by over 30 incredible artists, from a broad range of musical backgrounds. The artists taking part included Stick in the Wheel, Emeli Sandé, Karine Polwart & Kris Drever, Katherine Priddy, Self Esteem and many more. Despite being a lifelong folky, I’ve never really dived into Nick Drake’s music much, so in my case, I feel like I’ve been discovering the album almost backwards, with the new versions leading back to the discovery of the original versions of the songs. Overall, the album serves as a fantastic tribute to Drake’s legacy and the generations of artists he’s gone on to inspire.
7 July - Seth Lakeman, The Somerset Sessions
This new release features original, unreleased session recordings from Seth’s visit to the Bert Jansch Studio in Frome back in late 2020. He’s joined by Ethan Johns on drums, Jeremy Stacey on keyboard, John Smith on guitar and bouzouki, Nick Pini on bass and Alex Hart on vocals. Although recorded in Somerset, the album still has close ties to Seth’s native Devon, with the opening track, The Giant, telling the story of a whale that was rescued off the Devon coast.
RECORD OF THE MONTH
Record of the Month is Conversations We’ve Had Before by the Eliza Carthy Trio, which was released on 4th July. Eliza is an artist who has always reinvented herself with each new project, but as the album title suggests, this feels like a return to familiar ground, and in the best possible way. As a fan of previous releases such as Rough Music and Red Rice, this for me is Eliza Carthy at her best, as she brings bittersweet ballads to life with each sweep of her bow.
Top track: Knife in the Window
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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 currently 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 and The Grace Smith Trio. 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!