Midlands-born singer-songwriter and guitarist Sam Carter has released his new single, “Tubal Cain” (out today), ahead of an autumn tour kicking off on September 12th. The track is an arrangement of a traditional poem by Scottish writer Charles MacKay (1814–1889).
“Tubal Cain is a trad song, and the cool thing is that I don’t think anyone has ever recorded this one before,” Carter shared. The video for the single was shot at the Old Band Room in Sheffield, a location significant to Carter as it’s the home of the Sheffield Carols and the new Royal Traditions folk club.
The song’s story, based on a biblical figure, immediately resonated with Carter. He shares:
“A while back, I was looking for a kind of traditional counterpart to my song The Forge, and this one stood out. I found Tubal Cain on a broadside in the Frank Kidson collection, and it turns out it’s by Charles MacKay, a Scottish poet (1814–1889). The poem tells the story of Tubal Cain, a biblical figure mentioned briefly in Genesis as “a forger of all instruments of bronze and iron” — in some translations, the first ever blacksmith.
“At first, Tubal Cain enjoys the fame and fortune that come from making weapons. But he’s eventually horrified to realise that his creations are being used for violence and destruction. He stops working, and – during an excellent ‘third act’ verse – falls into despair. He only returns to his forge when he realises he can turn his hand to making ploughshares instead. What strikes me most is that, when Tubal Cain sees the damage caused by his creations, he doesn’t shrug and say, “swords don’t kill people, people do!” He takes responsibility – and stops making them. I’ll leave you to consider the contemporary parallels here.“
Out on 29th August 2025 via Captain Records. Stream links: https://captainrecs.lnk.to/TubalCain
Renowned for his intricate fingerpicking and narrative-rich songwriting, Carter has been praised by his peers. Jon Boden of Bellowhead called him “the finest English-style fingerpicking guitarist of his generation,” while Ivor Novello-winner Nitin Sawhney lauded his “killer voice.” “Tubal Cain” follows his acclaimed 2024 album, Silver Horizon, which earned a spot on KLOF Magazine’s Albums of the Year list.
With a captivating blend of raw honesty, humour, and skilled musicianship, Sam’s autumn tour is set to be a must-see for fans and newcomers alike.
Tour Dates
Sep 12 – West End Centre, Aldershot • westendcentre.co.uk
Sep 14 – Bristol Folk House • bristolfolkhouse.co.uk
Sept 17 – Willows Folk Club, Lancs • thewillowsfolkclub.co.uk
Sept 21 – Priston Festival, Somerset • priston.org.uk/festival
Oct 2 – Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham • kitchengardencafe.co.uk
Oct 5 – The Live Room, Saltaire • theliveroom.info
Oct 10 – The Cube, Malvern • malverncube.com
Oct 18 – Indoor Folk Festival, Settle • settlevictoriahall.org.uk
Nov 14 – Saffron Hall, Essex • saffronhall.com
Ticket Links: https://samcartermusic.co.uk/gigs