The Folk Forecast: July 2024
Featuring Ninebarrow, The Wilson Family, Georgia Shackleton, festival highlights and the latest podcasts and new music.
Hello, everyone!
After a bit of a break, I’m back this month with all the latest folky news. There’s lots to look forward to wherever you’re based this summer, with online gigs from Ninebarrow, The Wilson Family, Georgia Shackleton and more, plus plenty of radio shows and podcasts to keep you busy, heaps of festivals throughout the summer and lots of new music to fall in love with.
Check it out below, and do let me know if you find anything new here that you really enjoy - it’s nice to hear when people have found it useful. Happy reading, and maybe see you in a field somewhere this summer!
Lucy
This month’s playlist
This month’s playlist includes a variety of the artists mentioned in this issue, including some brilliant new releases! If you like what you hear, do support the artists if you can, to help them make more amazing music 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
Stanley Sibande — Thursday 4 July, 7.30pm BST
Rosslyn Court
Stanley Sibande is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Zambia. In 2019, he decided to relocate to South Africa with nothing but a guitar on his back in search of a better life, and he hasn't looked back since. Now based in Cape Town, he’s heading over to the UK to tour, and this online gig is being livestreamed from Rosslyn Court in Margate.
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. The first hour will be livestreamed (donations encouraged). The second half will be exclusively for the in-person audience. Also available to watch on demand afterwards.
The Wilson Family — Saturday 6 July, 8pm BST
FolkScape Live
The Wilson Family have been singing and performing a cappella folk songs together since 1974. This North East folk group is seen by many as the benchmark for powerhouse unaccompanied singing. This year, they’re marking 50 years of singing together with the release of their latest album, Sibling Revivalry. This gig is being livestreamed from The Glasshouse in Gateshead, and will be available to watch live or on demand after the show.
Tickets from £15
Georgia Shackleton with Aaren Bennett — Tuesday 11 July, 7.30pm BST
Rosslyn Court
Having recently released her debut solo album, Harry's Seagull, to critical acclaim, Georgia Shackleton is currently touring solo material across the UK and Europe. The album is a celebration of East Anglian traditional music. Georgia works with fiddle, voice, tenor guitar and drones to create crisp arrangements of old songs and new compositions. She’ll be accompanied by Aaren Bennett on guitar.
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. The first hour will be livestreamed (donations encouraged). The second half will be exclusively for the in-person audience. Also available to watch on demand afterwards.
Martin Simpson Q&A — Wednesday 12 July, 7pm BST
Patreon
Martin Simpson is hosting a live online Q&A for his Patreon members on 12th July at 7pm UK time. He posts lots of exclusive content on Patreon throughout the year, so check it out to be one of the first to hear what he’s getting up to!
Patreon membership for £10 / month
Ninebarrow — Thursday 13 July, 7pm BST
Ninebarrow
As listeners might know, Ninebarrow recently became dads to a new baby, and they won’t be hitting the road again until 2025. However, they’ve compiled highlights from gigs they’ve recorded since 2020, and they’ll be broadcasting them for everyone to enjoy on 13th July. They’ll be introducing each track live, as well as doing a Q&A after the show.
Free to watch, with donations encouraged.
Sam Brothers and Daniel Del Valle — Thursday 25 July, 7.30pm BST
Rosslyn Court
Folk singer Sam Brothers (UK) and Daniel Del Valle of the indie-folk band Sleepwalkers Station (Germany/Italy) met whilst performing at the Gwangju Busking World Cup Finals 2023, held in South Korea. Bonding over a love of folk music, travel and world cuisine, the two quickly became friends and “Around The World In 80 Minutes” was born. The show is a folk music odyssey, taking you on a journey through over 10 different countries and every continent on earth, based on both musicians' experiences of performing across the world.
Hybrid gig, so you can also go along in person. The first hour will be livestreamed (donations encouraged). The second half will be exclusively for the in-person audience. Also available to watch on demand afterwards.
Also online
This month’s Folk on Foot Official Folk Albums Chart Show* features an exclusive interview with Richard Thompson, as well as music from Linda and Teddy Thompson, Bernard Butler, Katherine Priddy, Lankum, Landless, Blair Dunlop and Sir Bryn Terfel. There’s also news of the next episode of Folk on Foot, featuring writer Melissa Harrison, which is out on Friday 12th July. Catch up on the Chart Show here.
Katherine Priddy recently appeared on the Standard Issue podcast, with the appropriately named issue, ‘Priddy interesting’. Listen here.
Lately, I’ve been enjoying listening to Paris Paloma. She recently appeared on Later… with Jools Holland, and you can catch that performance here, as well as a track in this month’s playlist.
Karine Polwart has a new radio series on BBC Radio 3 called Forever Songs. As you might expect with anything Karine produces, it’s thought provoking and utterly beautiful. You can catch up on the first episode here.
As mentioned last issue, Matt Quinn has launched a new podcast called In the Roud, which explores traditional folk songs in the Roud Index. You can catch up on all the episodes so far here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
If you haven’t seen them already, there were a few folky highlights at Glastonbury this year, including The Mary Wallopers and Lankum. You can catch up on BBC iPlayer here for the next month (you’ll find Lankum and The Mary Wallopers in the ‘Hidden Gems’ section).
TOP PICKS: IN PERSON
Festivals
We’re at the height of festival season now, so I’ve picked out a few highlights below.
Underneath the Stars Festival has announced that this will be their final year, so it’s the end of an era! The festival takes place from 2nd-4th August, and the line-up includes Kate Rusby, Blazin’ Fiddles, The Feeling, John Smith, O’Hooley & Tidow, Katherine Priddy and Bill Bailey.
Always a highlight of the year, Sidmouth Folk Festival* is coming up from 2nd-9th August. With the festival running for a whole week, the line-up is absolutely huge, with highlights including Kate Rusby, Karine Polwart, Martin Simpson, Spiers & Boden, Melrose Quartet, Steve Knightley & Friends, The Breath, Sea Song Sessions (featuring Jon Boden, Seth Lakeman, Ben Nicholls, Emily Portman and Jack Rutter) and LOTS more, including possibly the best ceilidhs you’ve ever been to.
From 8th-10th August, we’ve got Cropredy and it’s their 45th year, with a line-up including Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, Eddi Reader, Spooky Men’s Chorale, Ranagri and more.
Saltburn Folk Festival* is coming up from 9th-11th August. This one’s close to my heart, as I’ve been working with them and it takes place up in the North East where I’m based. The line-up includes Kris Drever, The Rheingans Sisters, Jack Rutter, Tarren, The Wilson Family, Janice Burns & Jon Doran and lots more, including a Queer Folk Showcase. I’ll be running some Meet the Artist sessions again on the Friday, which I’m really looking forward to.
Broadstairs Folk Week runs from 9th-16th August, and it’s looking brilliant, with music from Oysterband, Le Vent du Nord, Daphne’s Flight, Jim Moray, Kathryn Tickell and the Darkening and lots more.
Purbeck Valley Folk Festival takes place from 15th-18th August, with artists including The Longest Johns, Le Vent du Nord, O’Hooley & Tidow, John Smith, the Sam Kelly Trio, Michael McGoldrick & Tim Edey, Kíla and more.
From 16th-18th August, it’s time for FolkEast. This is one of my favourite festivals, and it’s their last year at their current site (but fear not - they will be continuing elsewhere!). There’s a great line-up including The Gigspanner Big Band, the Dhol Foundation, Angeline Morrison & The Sorrow Songs Band, Melrose Quartet, Rhythms of Migration (featuring Freedom to Roam and Ballet Folk), and a new project from Awake Arise - a collaboration between Lady Maisery and Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith - which I’m very excited to see.
Whitby Folk Week is another firm fixture in the folky calendar. This year’s festival runs from 17th-23rd August, and there’s music from Melrose Quartet, John Tams, Reg Meuross, Miranda Sykes, Janice Burns & Jon Doran* and more, as well as loads of workshops, dance displays and epic ceilidhs.
Up in Scotland, Mull of Kintyre is coming up from 21st-25th August, with a line-up including Trail West, Dougie Maclean, Katie Macfarlane, The Canny Band and lots more, including workshops, sessions and even distillery tours.
Over in Wales, we’ve got Between the Trees Festival from 22nd-25th August, where you can catch Rachel Sermanni, Joshua Burnside, Honey & The Bear, The Wandering Hearts, The Gentle Good, the Sam Kelly Trio and more.
Cornwall Folk Festival runs from 22nd-26th August, with a line-up including Lady Maisery, Tarren, Daphne’s Flight, Reg Meuross and more.
Towersey Festival is coming up from 23rd-26th August, and they’ve announced that this will be their final year, so make sure you catch it one last time! There’s an amazing line-up including Billy Bragg, The Staves, Oysterband, Seth Lakeman and more.
Shrewsbury Folk Festival takes place from 23rd-26th August, with an eclectic line-up including Le Vent du Nord, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Lady Nade, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Peatbog Faeries, Spiers & Boden, Suntou Susso, Ward Thomas, The Wandering Hearts, The Longest Johns, The Magpies and lots more.
Moseley Folk Festival runs from 30th August-1st September, just outside Birmingham. On this year’s line-up, you can find Belle & Sebastian, Levellers, Flogging Molly, Kate Rusby, The Staves, Katherine Priddy and more.
This is just a selection of the amazing festivals out there this summer (I’d be here all day otherwise!), but you can find lots more at UKFolkFestivals.co.uk (such a useful website). With some festivals coming to an end, it’s really highlighted the challenges of running live music events these days, so if you’re thinking of going along to a festival, do book early to support them if you possibly can.
OTHER NEWS
Oysterband farewell tour
After 45 years on the road, Oysterband have decided to take the tour bus out for its last ride. This is sure to be popular, so check out upcoming gigs at the link below.
Rhythms of Migration fundraiser
Ballet Folk is collaborating with Freedom To Roam to create an original folk ballet interpretation of The Rhythms Of Migration. They’ve created a fundraiser to help make this happen - find out more at the link below.
NEW RELEASES
7 June - Bonny Light Horseman, Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free
This is Bonny Light Horseman’s most vulnerable release to date. It explores every unpolished facet of what it means to be human - love and loss, hope and sorrow, community and family.
7 June - M G Boulter, Days of Shaking
M G Boulter continues his exploration of modern suburbia with this album, but this time he ventures beyond reality to consider rumours and mysteries, urban myths and magic - from UFO sightings, to ghostly dreams. He’s joined by Lucy Farrell, Harriet Bradshaw and Neil McSweeney to bring this vision to life.
This is the second album from the Irish quartet, Landless. It’s produced by John ‘Spud’ Murphy, who is known for his work with artists such as Lankum and ØXN. Some of these songs are centuries old, and others more recent, but Landless bring a timelessness to them all, with their spellbinding arrangements.
7 June - Flo Perlin, Clay
Clay is the third full-length album by contemporary singer-songwriter, Flo Perlin. Flo is a Londoner with Iraqi and Belarusian heritage, and she draws from a wide range of musical influences. The album title, Clay, is a metaphor for the human capacity to adapt and change shape.
21 June - Linda Thompson, Proxy Music
With Linda Thompson now unable to sing, she and her son Teddy handpicked artists to record a new set of her songs by proxy. Proxy Music contains performances from Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Eliza Carthy, The Proclaimers and more, as well as Linda’s children Teddy and Kami, and her ex-husband Richard Thompson.
21 June - Simon Care and Gareth Turner, Two’s Up Two
27 years ago, two of the country’s leading squeezebox players - Simon Care and Gareth Turner - recorded an album called Two’s Up. They always planned to do a second album, but never imagined it would take so long. In the summer of 2022, they finally found the time, enthusiasm and material to head to the studio. Gareth was going through some very serious medical procedures at the time, but still found the spirit and the strength to record. Sadly, Gareth passed away in 2023, so this is a beautiful reminder of his life and music.
5 July - Laura Jane Wilkie, Vent
Laura Wilkie is a fiddle player from the highlands who’s known as a member of Kinnaris Quintet, among other things. Her new album, Vent, is centered around waulking songs – ancient work songs which were sung for hundreds of years primarily by women in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Laura has studied these songs and adapted them for the fiddle. The album explores not only the melodies but the sense of community these songs brought to those who sung them.
12 July - Steeleye Span, Now We Are Six (50th Anniversary Edition)
Now We Are Six was the sixth studio album from seminal British folk band Steeleye Span. It was a milestone record, with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull brought in to assist with production, and even a guest spot from David Bowie on the saxophone. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the album’s release, it’s now been remastered from the original tape transfers and re-released, with additional material from rarely heard BBC sessions.
RECORD OF THE MONTH
Record of the Month is Sealladh by Rachel Newton, which began its life as a commission for the National Galleries of Scotland, celebrating over 80 years of live music programming in the galleries.
Each track on the album is based on a painting, drawing on the mythology, language, history, culture and landscapes that originally set the scene for these artworks. What’s even better is that Hudson Records have produced a beautiful book to accompany the album, so you can explore the visual art at the same time as the music and really appreciate the interconnection between the two.
I’m a big fan of projects that bring multiple art forms together, so this was a really exciting project to explore. With so many details contained within the paintings and the music, it’s a rich source of wonder to revisit time and time again.
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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, currently including Live to Your Living Room, Folk on Foot, Fancourt Music (Granny’s Attic, Janice Burns & Jon Doran and The Wilderness Yet), Calstock Arts, Saltburn Folk Festival and Sidmouth Folk Festival. 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!