It’s rare, perhaps impossible, for a band to spring into life in complete isolation. There is always a web of connections, a network of musical friends and acquaintances which, taken together, form what we might call a scene. Sometimes one of these scenes coalesces into a microgenre or becomes a genuine movement or cultural phenomenon. That seems to be happening right now with experimental folk music in London. Groups like Milkweed and the Shovel Dance Collective regularly share stages and appear on each other’s recordings, contributing to an exciting cross-pollination of sounds and ideas. One important factor here is that these groups are inclusive, not just musically but socially and politically too. A casual observer might see something cultish in them, but really the opposite is true: where a cult thrives on control and homogenisation of thought, these musical collectives emphasise freedom of expression and safety from bigotry.
Goblin Band are prominent in this scene. They recognise that folk music is perfectly placed to uphold values of inclusivity, and foremost in their mission statement is the idea of a band as a queer space, a crucible where radical ideas are mixed and molded. The quartet of Alice Beadle (violin, recorder, vocals), Gwena Harman (pump organ, drum, vocals), Sonny Brazil (accordion, concertinas, vocals) and Rowan Gatherer (hurdy-gurdy, recorders, vocals) take inspiration from early and medieval music as well as traditional folk, and their ethos of DIY recording and leftist politics owes a debt to the punk movement. A Loaf of Wax is their debut, and it was recorded entirely live at Hackney’s wonderful MOTH Club over the course of a single evening last October.
They immediately establish their rabble-rousing credentials with opener Goblin Theme, in which Gatherer’s hurdy-gurdy and Beadle’s fiddle whip up a frenzied sandstorm of sound, a folk-punk banger of an instrumental that has the crowd whooping from the off. They follow it up with a stirring rendition of Rosin the Beau, its drunken, swaying chorus taken up by the whole band. It moves from raucous to delicate and back again with consummate ease: the subtle fiddle plays off perfectly against the impassioned vocals. Willie’s Lady begins in a more measured manner, but its slinky, agile melody soon accelerates into a satisfying foot-tapper, gathering pace and apparently catching everyone up in its growing maelstrom. Goblin Band clearly understand better than most the importance of kinetic energy and momentum in song, and they put this understanding to good use.
They also understand the intrinsic link between folk song, the seasons and the production of food (and drink). All Along the Barley sings the praises of the titular grain and is one of a number of seasonal songs in their repertoire. They also delight in the macabre tales that proliferate in traditional music: The Wild Wild Berry is a dark and droning tale of murder by poisoning and The Worms is a creepy and camp treatise on death and decomposition that gives the Pogues’ version a run for its money in terms of sheer gory glee. The Bitter Withy’s famous murder narrative (the infant Christ casually drawing three little rich boys and getting a spanking for his crimes) is delivered with a restraint and power that emphasises the weirdness of its events.
There are also a number of less well-known songs: Hard Working Boater is an old narrowboat song by David Blagrove, full of geographical detail and wonderfully specific vocabulary. Tuppenny Nudgers/Puddle of Newts shows that they can play with great sensitivity without sacrificing any of their punkish spirit. Perhaps best of all is closer Widecombe Fair, a ribald and joyous song that reminds us that folk music is, by its nature, a medium that thrives not only on shared space and collaboration, but also on shared feeling and companionship. Goblin Band are the best of all possible companions, and A Loaf of Wax is a stirring and often spectacular debut.
A Loaf of Wax (November 14th, 2025) Broadside Hacks Recordings
Goblin Band are currently on a UK tour with their labelmates Milkweed, Brown Wimpenny, and Spitzer Space Telescope.
Live Dates
Nov
5 – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff ♱
8 – HTL Church, Leicester ❀
10 – The Attic, Leeds ♱
12 – Gut Level, Sheffield ♱
13 – Halle St Michael, Manchester ☤
14 – Lansdown Hall, Stroud ♕
21 – London, Round Chapel (supporting Nora Brown & Stephanie Coleman) *
Dec
12 – London, Grand Junction♱ Goblin Band & Spitzer Space Telescope
♕ Goblin Band, Milkweed & Spitzer Space Telescope
☤ Goblin Band, Spitzer Space Telescope & Brown Wimpenny
❀ Goblin Band, Milkweed, Spitzer Space Telescope & Brown Wimpenny
* Spitzer Space Telescope