January 2022

Taken from her forthcoming EP “I Promised You Light”, Josienne Clarke dons her roller skates for her latest video ‘Workhorse’, one of her more experimental tracks, with Sharon Van Etten and Sylvan Esso being the song’s musical touchstones.

Brave Land is an otherworldly and, at times, serene album that seeps deeper into your soul with each unfolding listen; it marks Raine Hamilton as a unique voice and songwriting talent; this is quite literally a landmark achievement.

RTÉ Folk Awards winner John Francis Flynn is on tour in the UK now. Watch an incredible live performance of My Son Tim for Other Lives, taken from his solo debut album I Would Not Live Always.

The Light At The End Of The Line is unquestionably Janis Ian’s finest work in the 47 years since ‘Between The Lines’ and, if it is indeed her recorded swan song, she bows out on an unequivocal high.

Recorded in 1972 while on tour with Mike Seeger, The Old Church is a lost live recording of Roscoe Holcomb which finds him at his finest. “The recording itself is warm and mysterious, sounding like the room itself is alive with the spirit.”

Recorded during their first tour since coming out of Covid restrictions, watch Welsh trio ALAW performing Fill the House. It’s taken from their new album Drawn to the Light which will be launched with a run of live shows starting the end of January.

Across the 16 minutes of Rhona Macfarlane’s “Closing the Window”, she offers a much-needed moment of pause. Despite its themes of loss and regret, it looks to the future with a great sense of optimism and hope, a sentiment as comforting as it is timely.

Released on the 14th January via Olive Grove Records, watch a short film on the making of ‘Staring at Mountains’, the solo debut album from Adam Ross of Randolph’s Leap, which was filmed at Todhead Lighthouse and Kinneff Old Church in Aberdeenshire.

Rura announce collaborative EP ‘Our Voices Echo’ featuring Michael McGoldrick, Duncan Chisholm, Ross Ainslie, Hannah Rarity and Julie Fowlis. Watch their latest video for ‘Dh’èirich Mi Moch Madainn Cheòthar featuring Julie.

Taken from ‘Let The Light In’, watch the new video from Spell Songs for ‘Bramble’, led by Karine Polwart and also featuring Julie Fowlis demonstrating beautiful Gaelic birdsong mimesis as she speaks the voice of Smeòrach, the song thrush.

Our Song of the Day comes from Mexican singer-songwriter Silvana Estrada with ‘Te Guardo’, taken from her forthcoming album Marchita. “I sing my songs and I feel good. And the miraculous thing is that they make the people who hear them feel good too.” Very true.

Celtic Connections have announced that they will now also run a digital programme showcasing performances from some of the most exciting acts spanning traditional folk, roots, Americana, jazz, soul and world music.

Jim Ghedi announces a full-band tour for March and April 2022, during which he will be joined by Cinder Well. It’s a tour you don’t want to miss and it’s certainly not one you’ll forget.

Filmed at London’s Green Note, watch the new video from Kate Ellis for her brilliant upbeat new single Scars (out now), a love song with attitude, taken from her forthcoming album Spirals.