Having just returned from a New Zealand tour Emily Smith has a busy time ahead with a mini German tour, a full UK Tour, a new collaborative show for Edinburgh’s ‘Tradfest’ and a performance on a new BBC Radio 4 programme called ‘Folk of the Pennines’ which will also feature Kate Rusby and Bella Hardy.

Bellowhead continue to go from strength to strength having picked up their 3rd Best Group nomination from the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. They also embark on a major tour with support from Kings of the South Seas, they have a new single due for ‘Roll Alabama’ for which they also have a new video.

As part of our ongoing partnership with Bob Harris’ Under The Apple Tree sessions we select an artist to go and visit Bob & Co to perform a session. The latest was the wonderful Devon-based Jess McAllister who is joined by Lukas Drinkwater on double bass, that man gets around.

Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, better known to us as The Milk Carton Kids have announced the release of their third album Monterey which will be released on Anti- Records in May. Listen to the title track here.

Our Song of the Day is via the way of an entertaining new video from Lail Arad for Milo. The first official single from her forthcoming new album The Onion. The PR describes it is an explosion of je ne sais quoi. This is an earworm you won’t be able to shake off or indeed forget Lail’s bicycle skills!

Singer and songwriter Samantha Whates has announced the details of her new single Trees & Gold / Icicle which is scheduled for release on Melodica Recordings on 13th April. Samantha worked with Will Powers and Joseph Eckworth to produce the accompanying video for Trees & Gold, watch it here.

Like other albums that have been wrought from painful experiences, Carrie & Lowell is disarmingly beautiful and uplifting because of its origins, not in spite of them. Stevens has managed to do that rare thing which many artists strive for: render a personal experience in all its richness and ambivalence in a way that feels vivid and universal.

C.W. Stoneking is bringing a brand new band to Europe and the UK this May/June to promote his new album, Gon’ Boogaloo. Gone are the sepia-toned tales of marooned adventures in the tropics of his last release, Jungle Blues, this time replaced with the latest invention in the world of C.W. Stoneking, electricity!

Our Song of the Day is from Kitty Macfarlane with a beautiful cover of Tim Buckley’s Song To The Siren. Kitty recently made it to the semi-finals of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and is also performing at our next Levels Collective evening this Friday supporting Alasdair Roberts.

Eliza Carthy has teamed up with Tim Eriksen to release a new album called ‘Bottle’ which will be released via Navigator Records on May 18th. Hardcore ‘Americana’ with hardcore ‘Anglicana’. We can’t wait, got to be one of the most highly anticipated folk album releases of 2015.

Welsh band Allan Yn Y Fan not only continue to go from strength to strength but have also grown. They have just announced their first line up change since 2008. The original four band members – Geoff Cripps, Chris Jones, Lind Simmonds and Kate Strudwick are to be joined by by lead-singer Catrin O’Neill and fiddler Alan Cooper.

Jim Moray and Sam Carter of False Lights provide FRUK with a great Show and Tell video interview in which they share their influences with us which range from Sam’s love of Sacred Harp singing to their shared love for Nic Jones and Radiohead. It’s a fascinating insight into what makes them tick. Watch it here.