Updated with new names on 31 March: Hertfordshire Music Festival Folk by the Oak (Sunday, 16th July 2023) have already announced the legendary band The Waterboys, a first appearance at the festival, plus a welcome return for the remarkable and innovative indie-folk act This is the Kit. Today the Main Stage line-up is completed by the addition of Mercury Prize nominee and remarkable singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey.
Led by the dynamic and brilliant Scottish guitarist/vocalist Mike Scott, The Waterboys has been a source of musical joy to a legion of die-hard fans since the release of their self-titled album in 1983. On announcing this iconic band Festival Director Adam Slough said: “We always strive to bring an incredible live performance to close our Main Stage, and few bands have as great a live reputation as The Waterboys, so we’re thrilled that they are headlining Folk by the Oak 2023.”
Also making their first appearance at the one-day festival is Mercury Prize nominee Nick Mulvey. With an abundance of genres at his fingertips, Mulvey has created a sound that is both striking and unique, intertwining influences of great musicians such as Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits with a variety of African and Afro-Hispanic styles. “We are really excited to be completing our Main Stage line-up by announcing Nick Mulvey and are expecting a blissful and beguiling performance in our beautiful tree-lined arena!” says Adam.
Another beguiling act on the festival’s Main Stage is the remarkable This is the Kit. The Ivor Novello nominated musical project of the hugely gifted Kate Stables has a reputation for live performances as enthralling as their innovative song writing, as anyone who saw them perform at Folk by the Oak 2017 will no doubt agree.
Next to be added to the Hertfordshire music festival’s bill was Sona Jobarteh, Africa’s first female griot kora virtuoso and an exceptional composer whose ability to sell out venues worldwide speaks to her capacity to captivate audiences internationally while singing in her native languages and blending the traditional with the contemporary. Unusually for a kora player, Sona is backed by a full band of electric guitar, bass and two percussionists, and she herself plays percussion, bass, guitar, and cello as well as kora, so this promises to be a standout afternoon set at Folk by the Oak.
Also making their first appearance at the festival is The Longest Johns. Exuberant live shows layered with riveting story-telling and captivating harmonies have quickly made The Longest Johns a ‘must-see’ act on the UK festival circuit, their repertoire encompassing both the legendary folk songs that fuel the band’s passion for the genre, alongside thrilling original offerings, all paying homage to protest singers and folk luminaries through the years.
Returning to open the festival’s main stage are three hugely talented British folk musicians in the guise of Lady Maisery. “Since they last joined us in 2015 we have closely followed the artistic endeavours of this exceptional trio” says Adam, “and having recently enjoyed a live performance, featuring material from their new album Tender, we were in no doubt that it was time to invite this hugely talented band back to our festival. A simply beautiful way to open our Main Stage!”
Their latest album, Tender, was a Featured Album of the Month on Folk Radio.
While this may be their first studio album in six years, they have come back with their strongest collection of songs yet and instantly re-established themselves at the forefront of British folk music.
Thomas Blake, Folk Radio
Already announced to headline the festival’s Acorn Stage is Cut Capers, a band known for their energetic live performances and infectious sound that has won them a cult following on the British festival scene and make them a perfect fit for closing Folk by the Oak’s second stage.
Also announced for the Acorn Stage is Folk Radio favourites The Wilderness Yet, a trio that combines the acclaimed talents of folksinger Rosie Hodgson, traditional fiddler Rowan Piggott, and guitarist-flautist Philippe Barnes. Their latest album, What Holds The World Together, was a Featured Album of the Month on Folk Radio and was reviewed by Robin Denselow here.
The line-up may seem straightforward enough – a female singer backed by acoustic fiddle and guitar and violin – but there’s nothing straightforward about their subtle, gently rhythmic but thoughtful and emotional songs or the sheer quality of their playing and singing. Their new album shows them to be a band steeped in both the English and Irish folk traditions, but with a fresh, confident edge and a clear idea of what they want to achieve.
Robin Denselow, Folk Radio
Folk by the Oak have also just announced another new addition to the line-up – Nick Hart. For Nick’s third album, Nick Hart Sings Ten English Folk Songs, he shifted away from the stripped-back arrangements of his earlier albums; as noted by Richard Hollinghum, “his songs are accompanied by a surprisingly wide variety of instruments, including some homemade ones, and some impressively alluring multi-layered arrangements.” This was put into great effect on his excellent rendition of Dives and Lazarus.
Kim Carnie is the very latest line-up announcement. Kim released her captivating solo debut album And So We Gather last year which Billy Rough reviewed here.
And So We Gather is a confident and accomplished debut, celebrating the best of Gaelic song and stories which find a thrilling new voice in Carnie’s sublime vocals. Carnie’s velvet-tinged voice, light as a feather yet sharp as slate, is the real star here. There is a timeless quality to her vocals, so much so that it feels as though you have been listening to Carnie for years whilst simultaneously just discovering her for the first time. A rare trick. Carnie’s voice is one I hope we’ll be enjoying for many years to come.
Billy Rough, Folk Radio
Completing the Acorn Stage lineup is The Often Herd, a band that transcends the traditional boundaries of bluegrass music, and singer-songwriter Flo Perlin, a storyteller with a sublime and emotive voice.
Folk by the Oak 2023 Line-up
Main Stage:
The Waterboys | Nick Mulvey | This is the Kit | Sona Jobarteh | The Longest Johns | Lady Maisery
Acorn Stage:
Cut Capers | The Often Herd | Kim Carnie | Nick Hart
The Wilderness Yet | Flo Perlin | The London Youth Folk Ensemble
Date: Sunday 16 July 2023
Venue: Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 5NQ
Timings: Doors open 12.00 noon, finishes approx 10.30pm.
Tickets and more information: https://www.folkbytheoak.com/