The Folk Forecast: November 2022
The Folk Forecast: November 2022
Featuring Bellowhead, Calan, Lady Maisery, Ninebarrow and lots more gigs and new releases this month.
Hello, and welcome back to The Folk Forecast! It’s been a busy few weeks for me, including a trip to English Folk Expo (where I met a couple of you!) and various gigs, including a ‘secret’ Lady Maisery gig last night before they head out on tour, which was a lovely reward from their Kickstarter! I’ve got some cracking gigs to look forward to in November as well, including Bellowhead and Eliza Carthy & The Restitution, both of whom are touring widely, so look out for them near you!
With the cost of living biting, it feels like a particularly tough time for gigs at the moment, with each one that goes ahead feeling like a success against the odds. If an artist you love is on tour, and you can afford it, do book in advance if you can, as it might just help to ensure the gig goes ahead. Wondering what to go to? Well, I might have a few suggestions…
Thanks for reading, and see you again soon!
This month’s playlist
As usual, this month’s playlist includes some of my favourites from artists mentioned in this issue. Have a listen and maybe you’ll discover something new.
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
Lucy Farrell — 3 Nov, 7.30pm GMT
Rosslyn Court
Lucy Farrell is carving out her own unique niche in the folk world. Expect unconventional melodies, sophisticated songwriting, crystal clear vocals and flawless accompaniment on tenor guitar and viola.
Hybrid gig. The first hour of the performance will be livestreamed free of charge (donations encouraged). The second half will be exclusively for the in-person audience.
Gilmore & Roberts* — 9 Nov, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Contemporary acoustic duo Gilmore & Roberts combine award-winning songwriting with astounding musicianship and their trademark harmonies to create a powerful wall of sound. 2022 marks 10 years since the release of their acclaimed album The Innocent Left, and this show will feature the album played from start to finish in celebration of this, plus new songs from their forthcoming sixth release!
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Bob Fox — 10 Nov, 7.30pm GMT
Rosslyn Court
Influenced by the industrial folk songs prevalent in his native County Durham, Bob Fox has honed his craft over the last 40 years to become one of the most iconic voices on the British folk scene today. Bob is highly renowned both as a solo artist and in his many collaborations, including a duo with Billy Mitchell (Lindisfarne) and The Pitmen Poets. Some of you may also know Bob as the Songman from War Horse.
Hybrid gig. The first hour of the performance will be livestreamed free of charge (donations encouraged). The second half will be exclusively for the in-person audience.
Ninebarrow livestream by Candlelight at 'The Cathedral of Purbeck’ — 12 Nov, 7pm GMT
Ninebarrow
Join Ninebarrow for a candlelit concert from St James' Church, or 'The Cathedral of Purbeck' as it's known locally. The church is a magnificent building with absolutely incredible acoustics - you might recognise it if you’ve seen their episode of Folk on Foot! Snuggle up at home, light some candles and enjoy.
Tickets £12.50 for a single viewer or concession, or £25 for a family.
Steel Songbirds* — 12 Nov, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Steel Songbirds are Marilla Homes (ex-Melbourne) and Emily Eastwood (ex-Birmingham). The a capella duo formed in 2017 while both living in Sheffield, when they wrote their first song together, T’Internet Dates. Hilarity has been a key part of their performances ever since. They released their debut album Sheffield Made in March 2019, a mixture of songs both poignant and comic; originals, covers and traditional songs including local history and strong female protagonists.
This is a hybrid gig held at Live at Sam’s in Sheffield, so you can also buy in-person tickets here.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Granny’s Attic* — 19 Nov, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
With exceptional musicianship and boundless energy, Granny’s Attic are going from strength to strength. Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne (melodeon, anglo concertina, vocals), George Sansome (guitar, vocals) and Lewis Wood (violin, vocals) have honed their skills touring the UK and Europe since 2009. Though grounded in tradition, they are keen to push new boundaries by exploring fresh approaches and writing their own compositions. Their latest album, The Brickfields, is an instrumental collection that sees them reach new heights both as performers and composers.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
EFDSS: The Young Folk Club — Monday 21st November, 5.30pm GMT
English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS)
The Young Folk Club is run for young people aged 14-21. This month, they’ll be joined by award-winning fiddle player, banjoist, songwriter and theatre-maker Rowan Rheingans, who will lead a workshop about music and storytelling.
Free to attend, but you need to pre-book your place.
Janice Burns & Jon Doran — 24 Nov, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Janice Burns & Jon Doran are an Anglo-Scottish duo who came together after discovering a shared love of traditional music. Their songs tell vivid stories about the nature of life and our place in the world, and these stories are brought to life through their beautiful harmonies and accompaniment on mandolin, bouzouki and guitar. This gig is part of the launch tour for their debut album, No More the Green Hills.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Calan — 26 Nov, 7.30pm GMT
Wiltshire Music Centre
Prepare for an exciting performance with bigger drums and even more attitude than before, as Calan continue to redefine Welsh traditional music – this time with brand new album Kistvaen in tow. Singing in both Welsh and English, the band will perform a selection of new songs that were written in lockdown, bringing them to the stage where they belong.
Tickets £10. You can watch the livestream for 3 days after the event.
Ellie Gowers — 30 Nov, 8pm GMT
Live to Your Living Room
Ellie Gowers is a songwriter and guitarist from Warwickshire. Bringing to the stage a strong voice full of expression and maturity, her songs are written with sociological, ecological, and personal themes in mind. This gig celebrates the launch of Ellie’s debut album, Dwelling by the Weir, which is an exploration of the folklore, stories and people of her native Warwickshire.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Also online
The Official Folk Albums Chart Show* was broadcast this week, featuring the latest chart additions, interviews, music and a run-down of what’s on this month. You can catch up on YouTube or listen to the podcast.
The next Folk on Foot Front Room Gig* is on 20th November with Martin Simpson. This gig is a reward for those who sign up as Folk on Foot Heroes on Patreon. Just 10 people will get to join Martin on Zoom for the gig itself, giving the opportunity for an intimate setting for music and chat. The recording will then be available to everyone who is signed up as a Hero. Sign up as a patron by 7pm on 9th November for a chance to be one of the lucky bunch to meet Martin.
Rosslyn Court are continuing to livestream their concerts on YouTube, including the gigs listed above. Find out more about everything that’s in store here.
Rowan Rheingans composed and played the music for a new Radio 4 drama, Miss Nobody, which is available to listen to on BBC Sounds. It also features accordion by Hannah James. Listen here.
A new episode of The Old Songs Podcast is out now, featuring Emily Portman and Rob Harbron. Find out more here.
Jo Freya* is running two online courses in November - a singing course to teach Coope, Boyes and Simpson songs, and an instrumental one looking at tunes from Blowzabella’s album ‘Two Score’. Find out more here.
TOP PICKS: IN PERSON
Bellowhead
Bellowhead are heading out on tour again at last, starting on 10th November in Portsmouth, before heading on to Oxford, Cambridge, London, Brighton, Newcastle, Manchester and more. It’s been years since the last Bellowhead tour, and we don’t know if or when they’ll tour again, so take the chance to see them while you can!
Eliza Carthy & The Restitution
Eliza Carthy and the Restitution have just released a new album, Queen of the Whirl, celebrating Eliza’s 30 years as a professional musician. They’re off on tour from 23rd November, with dates including Masham, Diss, Leeds, Ludlow, Sheffield, Birmingham and more.
Scots Fiddle Festival
The Scots Fiddle Festival will be taking place in Edinburgh from 18-20 November. The festival is a celebration of all things fiddle-related, with workshops and ceilidhs as well as evening concerts from artists including Heisk, Session A9, Tom Moore & Archie Moss, Mairi Campbell and more.
Also on tour soon!
Bella Hardy, Calan, Cara Dillon, Ellie Gowers*, Fisherman’s Friends, Gigspanner Trio, Granny’s Attic*, Janice Burns & Jon Doran*, John Smith & Katherine Priddy, Kris Drever, Lady Maisery*, Martin Simpson, Oysterband, Seth Lakeman, Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes, The Ciderhouse Rebellion, The Furrow Collective and The Trials of Cato, among many others!
OTHER NEWS
TradFolk on Discord
TradFolk have been busy doing all sorts of great stuff to help spread the word about folk events and keep us connected. As well as listing gigs, reviews and news on their website, they’ve recently moved onto Discord, a platform which is great for gathering likeminded people together to chat. Click on the invite link below if you fancy joining!
NEW RELEASES
4 November - The Magpie Arc, Glamour in the Grey
The Magpie Arc features some familiar faces - Nancy Kerr, Martin Simpson, Findlay Napier, Alex Hunter and Tom Wright - branching into new directions with folk-rock. Up until now, they’d just released EPs, so this is their first full-length album together, which is really exciting!
4 November - Owen Spafford & Louis Campbell, You, Golden
I first saw Owen and Louis supporting Sam Sweeney, and then again at Manchester Folk Festival last month. They’re an incredible pair of instrumentalists who met as part of the first cohort of the National Youth Folk Ensemble, and they’ve achieved a lot since then, including being nominated for a BBC Young Folk Award. This is their first album together, so it’s a real milestone.
4 November - Living (film soundtrack)
Music by Lisa Knapp is on the soundtrack for a new film entitled ‘Living’, which has a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro and stars Bill Nighy and Aimee Lou Wood. Lisa was requested by the film’s Director, Oliver Hermanus, to do a version of the traditional scots song The Rowan Tree. This is such exciting news, and I hope it helps more people to discover Lisa’s amazing music!
4 November - Chris Cleverley, Broadcast the Secret Verse
This is the first new music from Chris in nearly three years, and it ushers in a bold new era for him, as he combines influences from a wide range of genres to create something entirely new.
18 November - Hushman, Hushman
Hushman is the new project from renowned folk musician, singer & songwriter Ewan MacPherson, whose work has been likened to that of Ben Howard, John Martyn and Nick Drake. The album takes some inspiration from the Scottish Highlands where it was recorded, with the landscapes (and the weather!) permeating the music.
25 November - The Trials of Cato, Gog Magog
This is the first album from The Trials of Cato since their change of line-up, and it’s ridiculously good! While many claim to bring a contemporary approach to folk music, few succeed as The Trials of Cato have with this album. It’s fresh, it’s funky, and it’s destined to be on repeat in my house.
RECORD OF THE MONTH
Record of the Month, somewhat unsurprisingly, is tender by Lady Maisery* (although it had some fierce competition this month!) For those who’ve followed the newsletter for a while, you’ll probably know that Lady Maisery rate very highly in my book, and one of the things I love about them is their constant motivation to strive in new creative directions. With tender, the trio have evolved in a new direction once more, moving away from traditional ballads and instead celebrating contemporary songwriting by women. The album largely includes songs written by the band themselves, along with a few by songwriters who inspire them, including Björk, Tracy Chapman and the late Lal Waterson. The version of Hyperballad by Björk is a particular standout, punctuated by some impressive body percussion and performed as always with heart and passion. As well as being a standout musically, the album also touches on some big issues - from climate change to dementia - and the result is a record that is at once in touch with the world, and able to transport us from it.
The band are launching the album with a 20-date tour, which I’ve been helping to spread the word about! They’ll be heading to London, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Colchester, York, Halifax, Bristol, Falmouth, Exeter and more, so do catch 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), and individual artists including Jo Freya and Lady Maisery. 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!