The Folk Forecast: October 2022
The Folk Forecast: October 2022
Featuring Benji Kirkpatrick & Saul Rose, Martin Carthy, Sam Sweeney, Lizzy Hardingham, Ruth Notman and heaps more gigs and new releases this month.
Hello, and welcome back to The Folk Forecast!
After a heartbreaking month when we lost one of the folk scene’s greatest legends, Paul Sartin, there have been some beautiful tributes paid to him from the likes of Tradfolk, Folk Radio, The Guardian, BBC Radio 4’s The Last Word and lots more. My heart goes out to all who knew him. In the coming weeks, his bandmates from Faustus, Benji Kirkpatrick and Saul Rose, will be heading out to play a few of their planned dates. There will also be a livestream of the gig in Newcastle, so fans from far and wide can come together and celebrate his life and the music he loved.
Also coming up this month, there are online gigs from Martin Carthy, Lizzy Hardingham, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne and Ruth Notman; tours from folk greats including Bellowhead, Steeleye Span and Bob Dylan; and HEAPS of amazing new releases to fill your ears with. You can find all the details below - have a great month, and see you again soon.
This month’s playlist
This month’s playlist as usual takes some inspiration from artists mentioned in this issue, but I’ve also thrown in a few other tracks I’ve been enjoying lately. Hopefully you’ll find a few new earworms! Remember to support artists by buying a copy or going along to gigs if you can afford it, so they can keep making the music we all love.
The Folk Forecast has now been going for two years, and it’s taken a lot of hard work to keep going in difficult circumstances. If you fancy supporting what I do, you can make a small donation on Ko-Fi to keep things ticking over and bring a smile to my day. Thanks!
TOP PICKS: ONLINE
The Official Folk Albums Chart Show* — Tuesday 4 October, 7pm BST and watch/listen again afterwards
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.
Sam Sweeney: Escape That - Live Listening Party — Wednesday 5 October, 8pm BST and watch again afterwards
Hudson Records
Join Sam for a live and exclusive first listen to his new album, Escape That. There’ll be insights into demos and writing process, a listen through to the full album and time to ask Sam some questions about the new record.
Tickets £18 for the live listening party, or various prices if combined with a copy of the album.
Benji Kirkpatrick & Saul Rose* — Wednesday 12 October, 8pm BST
Live to Your Living Room
Following the sad loss of Paul Sartin, Benji Kirkpatrick and Saul Rose have chosen to go ahead with four of the original tour dates that were planned for Faustus this October, including:
7 Oct - Beehive Folk Club, Sheffield
12 Oct - The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle
15 Oct - Ripon Live Music, Yorkshire
17 Oct - Nettlebed Folk Club, Oxfordshire
The gig at The Cumberland Arms in Newcastle will be livestreamed by Live to Your Living Room. This is an opportunity to come together and celebrate Paul’s life and the music he loved, as well as supporting his bandmates at this difficult time.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Lizzy Hardingham* — Monday 17 October, 8pm BST
Live to Your Living Room
Lizzy Hardingham is set to release her new album, How Did We Get Here, on 19th October. Focusing on the link between music and mental health, the album features fragments of interviews with artists including Nancy Kerr, Blair Dunlop and Julie Matthews, as well as musical contributions from Lukas Drinkwater and Katriona Gilmore. I caught up with Lizzy on how the project came about, and you can read all about it here.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening — 21 October, 7.30pm BST
Wiltshire Live Music Centre
Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening’s inspiration comes from the wild, dramatic, weather-beaten countryside along Hadrian’s Wall in Northumbria. The band bring some of the oldest Northumbrian tunes and songs to life, intermingling them with new material and binding it all together with contemporary resonance and attitude.
Tickets £10. A recording of the livestream will also be available to watch again from 12pm the following day, for three days after the event.
Martin Carthy + support from Duotone* — 22 October, 8pm BST
Live to Your Living Room, Folk Arts Oxford & The Old Fire Station Oxford
For more than 50 years, Martin Carthy has been one of folk music’s greatest innovators, one of its best loved, most enthusiastic and, at times, most quietly controversial of figures. His skill, stage presence and natural charm have won him many admirers, not only from within the folk scene, but also far beyond it. This gig will be held at the Old Fire Station in Oxford, as well as livestreamed to wherever you are! Alongside Martin Carthy, there will also be support from Duotone, a fantastic cellist who has played with the likes of The Imagined Village and Eliza Carthy.
Tickets £10 / £15 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne* — Saturday 29 October, 8pm BST
Rosslyn Court
Described in The Living Tradition as ‘captivating, bold and striking’, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne is at the forefront of his generation of English folk musicians as both a powerful and commanding singer and a masterful player of the Anglo concertina and melodeon. Cohen burst onto the folk scene in his teens with the energetic and much-loved trio Granny’s Attic, and in recent years has embarked on a solo career alongside this.
Cohen’s solo repertoire is rooted in the English folk tradition, celebrating the age-old musical heritage of this broad and diverse land, with a particular interest in the music of the West Midlands, where Cohen spent many of his formative years. Traditional ballads, songs and tunes form the basis of Cohen’s material, but with a smattering of baroque, renaissance, ragtime, and music hall thrown in for good measure.
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.
Ruth Notman* — 1 November, 8pm GMT (after the clocks change!)
Live to Your Living Room
I first came across Ruth Notman when I stumbled upon her version of Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia many moons ago, and it was love at first listen. She first came to prominence as a finalist in the BBC Young Folk Awards aged 17, and her debut album Threads was acclaimed by the likes of The Independent, The Guardian and Mojo. She went on to release a second album, The Life of Lilly, before taking time off from music to go to university, finally returning with Changeable Heart, a collaboration with Sam Kelly and Damien O’Kane. Despite enjoying all three albums, I’ve still never seen Ruth play live, and there aren’t many chances to see her play these days so I’m really looking forward to this one! This gig has been rescheduled from earlier in the year, so if you got a ticket last time, it’s still valid.
Tickets £10 / £16.50 / £25 - one ticket per household; choose the price that suits you best.
Also online
Honey & The Bear are doing a livestream on 7th October at 8pm on their Facebook page, which is here.
The Tap Dance Research Network are hosting an event with step dancer Simon Ramsey-Harmer on 20th October, when he’ll be sharing images and footage from the Instep Research Team archives. Find out more here.
Rosslyn Court are still livestreaming the first half of most of their gigs. Upcoming artists include Winter Wilson, Lizzy Hardingham, Lucy Farrell, Bob Fox and more. See everything that’s in store here.
Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones were featured on Northern Drift on BBC Radio 3, alongside Barnsley poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan. Catch it on BBC Sounds here.
The Young Folk Club run by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) is on 17th October, with Finn Collinson as a special guest. This event is for young people aged 14-21. It’s free, but has to be booked in advance. Find out more here.
TOP PICKS: IN PERSON
Manchester Folk Festival
I’m really looking forward to heading to Manchester Folk Festival again! It runs from 13th to 15th October, and this year’s line-up includes Lady Nade, The Magpie Arc, Lady Maisery, Jackie Oates, Jim Ghedi, the Daoiri Farrell Trio, The Longest Johns and lots more.
London Roots Festival
London Roots Festival runs from 25th October through to 26th November, with events at venues across London. Artists include Laura Cortese, Mary Gauthier, The People Versus, Chris Cleverley and lots more.
Bellowhead
Bellowhead begin their tour on 10th November in Portsmouth, before heading on to Oxford, Cambridge, London, Brighton, Birmingham, Newcastle, Nottingham, Harrogate, Liverpool, Sheffield and Manchester. Some venues have already sold out, so if you’re thinking of going, best to snap your tickets up soon.
Steeleye Span
Steeleye Span have lots of dates coming up this Autumn, including Glasgow, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Cheltenham, Basingstoke and lots more.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s tour is coming up soon! He’ll be at The London Palladium for a few days from 19th October, before heading to Cardiff, Hull, Nottingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Bournemouth and Dublin.
Also on tour soon!
Fisherman’s Friends, Frank Turner, Gigspanner Big Band & Raynor Winn, Grace Petrie, Granny’s Attic*, Janice Burns & Jon Doran*, Jenny Sturgeon, Jim Ghedi, John Smith & Katherine Priddy, Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, Kris Drever, Salt House, Seth Lakeman, Show of Hands, The Unthanks, among many others!
OTHER NEWS
Amy Thatcher & Francesca Knowles: debut album kickstarter
Amy and Fran are an innovative duo based in Newcastle - you might know Amy from The Shee, or Kathryn Tickell and the Darkening. They’re raising funds to record their debut album together, and they’ve only got until 7th October to get to their target!
NEW RELEASES
30 September - Maddie Morris, Upstream*
Maddie Morris released her new EP, Upstream, at the end of last month, and it’s really stunning! Never afraid to tackle difficult subjects, Maddie’s strength is in the subtlety of her approach. Using traditional songs and ancient myths as a jumping off point, her skilful storytelling gets right to the heart of contemporary issues in a way that is powerful, yet inclusive. I particularly like Down By the Greenwood Side, her twist on The Cruel Mother, which looks again at the story from the mother’s point of view. It’s a compelling listen and was soon on repeat!
7 October - Angeline Morrison, The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience
British traditional music tells all sorts of stories about our social history, but rarely touches on the experiences of our black ancestors, leaving many stories untold! In this groundbreaking album, Angeline has made it her mission to address this, by researching those untold stories and telling them through new songs in a traditional style. The album was also produced by Eliza Carthy.
14 October - The Unthanks, Sorrows Away
Continuing the theme of sorrow (no idea why folk music has a reputation for being miserable…!), it’s Sorrows Away by The Unthanks. This is the band’s first full non-project-based record since their 2015 BBC Folk Album Of The Year, Mount The Air, so it’s safe to say it’s been very highly anticipated!
19 October - Lizzy Hardingham, How Did We Get Here?
As mentioned above, Lizzy’s new album is an exploration of the connection between music and mental health, which is more important now than ever, with the continued strain on musicians trying to make a living. The album was partly funded by Help Musicians, who have been focusing a lot on mental health recently with their campaign Music Minds Matter. It features snippets of interviews with artists including Nancy Kerr and Blair Dunlop, who opened up about their own thoughts on mental health. With artists across the industry starting to speak up about their own struggles with mental health, this album is well-timed and a great way to open up the conversation.
21 October - Sam Sweeney, Escape That
This is an album that really represents Sam as a musician and as a person, and he’s poured his heart and soul into it. It’s a big milestone for him as a composer, as he takes inspiration from all his musical tastes - pop, traditional folk and more - as well as linking in with his own emotional journey through lockdown, bringing all of this together to create music that is authentically his. As noted above, there is a listening party for the album on 5th Oct, which is a great opportunity to find out more about how it all came together. Sam will also be supporting Bellowhead on tour (so he’ll be very busy!)
28 October - Eliza Carthy, Queen of the Whirl
Eliza Carthy is celebrating 30 years as a professional musician, and this new release marks that milestone. It’s an album of new interpretations of fan-selected favourites from her previous albums, recorded with her band Eliza Carthy & The Restitution. I love Eliza’s work, so I’m really excited about this one!
RECORD OF THE MONTH
Record of the Month is No More the Green Hills by Janice Burns & Jon Doran, which is out on 28th October. Made up of primarily traditional material, the album is inspired by the living and breathing nature of folk songs, which constantly evolve as they pass from singer to singer, and place to place.
The defining themes of the album came together as the duo worked on an arrangement of False True Love. Whilst working with this traditional material, they felt a spark of connection, realising the enduring ties that connected its history with the present day. As they continued to gather material for the album, they realised more parallels between the songs they felt drawn to. These are songs of love, loss and the natural world, exploring the complexities of our relationships with each other and with the world around us.
The first single, False True Love, is out now, with the second (one of my favourites), The Corncrake, due out on 5th October - I’ll add it to the playlist as soon as it appears!
Disclaimer: I am Janice & Jon’s agent, but the reason I work with them is because I love them and their music, and I would honestly recommend it even if I didn’t work with them!
Support us
If you find The Folk Forecast useful, you can support us by making a small donation on Ko-Fi. Thank you!
Keep up to date - find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
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. Events where I have some involvement with the promoter, agency or artist are marked with a star for transparency. Although I have various affiliations, and will often include things I work on (because I love them), I strive to be as inclusive as I can and tell you about anything of high quality that I think you’ll enjoy!