Finch and Blasucci seem to have a way of leaning into the sweet spots of each other’s work…while living in different cities, Mapache have found the musical moments that bind the two as a band. Swinging Stars continues to deliver sheer west coast magic.

Ballads of Seduction, Fertility And Ritual Slaughter is a wonderfully consistent, decidedly spooky re-imagining of The Wicker Man soundtrack. It is full of odd delights and is, almost certainly, best listened to sitting down. Shocks are, after all, so much better absorbed with knees bent.

What better way to celebrate the last days of summer than attending Martin Hayes’ Masters of Tradition next week in Bantry, West Cork. Featuring Sam Amidon, The Begley Clann, Luka Bloom, Steve Cooney, Crash Ensemble, Kate Ellis, Cora Venus Lunny, Mick O’Brien, Ultan O’Brien, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and more.

Welsh/English folk duo ‘Filkin’s Drift’ look to an ancient Welsh bardic tradition in a radical approach to sustainable touring. To coincide with their debut EP, they will undertake an 870-mile walking tour of the Wales Coast Path, performing 40 shows along the way.

Andy Smith of Harp & a Monkey shares the video for ‘An English Village’, the title track of his first solo album, which combines English folk music with abstract electronica and offers a playful and often tongue-in-cheek look at traditional English village life.

This week’s Folk Show includes a Claddagh Records showcase featuring Rónán Ó Snodaigh & Myles O’Reilly, ØXN and more. Plus we have plenty of other new folk music releases including Peatbog Faeries, Kathryn Tickell, Calum Stewart, The Routes Quartet, Grace Smith Trio, Filkin’s Drift and more.

On 29th September 2023, Claddagh Records will publish Real to Reel: Garech Browne & Claddagh Records by James Morrissey – a stunning new large-format hardback book together with a vinyl box set celebrating the life of Guinness heir Garech Browne and his quest to preserve Ireland’s musical and spoken-word heritage with Claddagh Records.

Singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid will be kicking off a 3-month, 59-show autumn USA and UK tour with high-profile hometown shows in both West Cornwall, England, where she’s lived since 2007, and Chicago, where she spent most of her childhood.

What turned out to be Rab Noakes’ final album, ‘Should We Tell Him: Songs by Don Everly’ is a genuine labour of love that should be embraced by fans of Noakes, Brooks Williams and The Everlys alike.

Glenn Kimpton has quietly carved out a niche as one of the most inventive, intuitive and accomplished guitarists in the business. His latest offering, ‘Ruminate!’, is beautiful, even slightly intoxicating…another assured instalment in Glenn Kimpton’s increasingly impressive catalogue.

Following the release of his latest album ‘Stand in the Joy’, and his debut appearance at this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival, William Prince returns to the UK & Ireland in November as part of his extensive European Tour.

Visual artist Jake Blanchard, well known for his album artwork, including Richard Dawson, James Jackson Toth, Elkhorn, Mike Gangloff, Pelt and more, has unveiled his new exhibition, Creatures, which runs until 27th August at Todmorden’s Studio 9a.