One of Ireland’s most loved and leading artists, this extraordinary spinner of song weaves his soulful melodies through half-remembered moments and dreams long-treasured. Larrikin and poet, his songs are infused with wit, the yearning of history and the patience of mortality; the balm of tenderness and the breath of hope. His debut album, “Since Kyabram” was nominated for three Meteor Awards, including “Best Male Artist”, “Best New Album”, and “Best Folk/Trad Artist”, and achieved double Platinum. A prolific writer and story-teller, his song-cycle entitled “Chronicles Of The Great Irish Famine” is a landmark masterpiece. His latest album “Arrivals” (April 2021) sees O’Rourke present the most emotionally raw and affecting album of his career.
“A timeless troubadour with a voice that breaks through all your defences and gets to the heart of the matter.” ~ Glen Hansard.
Winners of the BBC Folk Award for “Best Duo”, Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin combine hauntingly beautiful vocal harmonies, astonishing instrumental virtuosity with genre-bending material telling tales of myth, history and legend.
Hailing from Lancashire, Phillip Henry is one of the UK’s best dobro and harmonica players. Having immersed himself in the music of the British Isles, America’s deep south and Indian classical music he specialises in lap slide techniques, drawing together these diverse influences to create a unique and captivating voice. His innovative harmonica style combines country blues with beat-boxing.
Hannah Martin is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Devon. Writing on fiddle, viola and banjo, her songs weave folklore and legends around beautiful melodies and haunting harmonies .
“Subtle, atmospheric and bravely original.” ~ The Guardian (UK)
This Czech duo is a two person dance party. Quirky and mysterious, their music is a fantastical collage of pop, kitchen beat box, tango, circus, electronica and radio noise, wrapped around lyrics written in their own imaginary language. Their new album Nipomo won “2015 Album of the Year” at the Vinyl Music Awards. Operating in a creative microcosm, DVA have forged their very own idiosyncratic sonic lexicon – “pop for non-existing radios” or “folklore of non-existing nations”. In Czech, it takes two “dva” to tango – Bára Kratochvílová and Jan Kratochvíl, have carved out a niche with their rich sonic landscape.
“Absolutely amazing blend of off kilter electronics, homemade percussion and traditional instrumentation. Wow!” : BBC.
This Chicago-based blues and roots music duo makes an unforgettable impression. Their jaw-dropping virtuosity creates more layers of sound and feeling than can be summoned by most full bands. Joe Filisko and Eric Noden are ultra-rhythmic performers with a wonderful synergy on stage. Their high-energy live shows are both dramatic and subtle. Their story-telling with harmonica, voice and resonator guitar is charming, moving and hilarious. Drawing on 1920s-40s American styles of blues, folk and ragtime, and influenced by blues legends Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, Sonny Boy Williamson and Big Bill Broonzy, Joe and Eric’s captivating performances continue to delights audiences across the USA and Europe.
JUNO and four-time Canadian Folk Music Award winners Kerri Ough, Sue Passmore and Caroline Brooks are each immensely talented vocalists and songwriters in their own right. Together, their interwoven voices create powerful and pure, organic and inspiring harmonies that elevates the Good Lovelies from impressive to peerless. Over the course of more than a decade they have recorded eight albums and charmed audiences across the globe with their vocal harmonies, winsome song-writing and comedic banter. Touring their new album “SHAPESHIFTERS”.
Rory McLeod is a British folk singer-songwriter. His career has included fire eater and circus clown, and his performances include storytelling in the tradition of the traveling minstrel or troubadour, and playing a wide range of instruments including guitar, harmonica, trombone and his personally-made stomp box. WOMAD UK have said: “With Rory McLeod, you get the music of the world in one suitcase… You can hear flamenco, calypso, blues and Celtic influences in his music, all wrapped together in an inimitable style”. Winner of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for “Best Live Act”.
Transforming tradition with vigour, curiosity, humour and spark, this trio from Prince Edward Island wielding bodhrán, acoustic guitar and violin plays seamless, polished, barrel-drum-tight, rhythmically innovative and wildly entertaining music. Singing in both French and English, they were awarded “World Music Recording of the Year” (2015) by East Coast Music Association, been nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards, and received “Roots-Traditional Album of the Year” (2012) from Music PEI. Their new album “Auprès du Poêle” (2016) weave old-school Acadian roots (Franco-Canadian) with Breton, Irish and Scottish tunes, filled with wicked grooves and cunning quirks, featuring both traditional and original songs.
