With a win at the famous Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Trout Steak Revival place their best foot forward with their new album Brighter Every Day…it’s certainly looking that way.

For our latest ‘FRUK Presents’ Under the Apple Tree Session with Bob Harris we sent Tobias Ben Jacob & Lukas Drinkwater feat. Kelly Oliver to the studio. Together they performed a beautiful version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Boots of Spanish Leather’. Watch it here.

The Escape as an album already comes highly recommended and as the centre piece of a live gig it proved to be irresistible. UFQ have done it again, ensuring their live shows continue to provide top notch entertainment that really has to be experienced.

Our Song of the Day is from FRUK favourite Lorcán Mac Mathúna as he performs Filleadh thar claddach live with Raphael De Cock and Rémi Decker, a song which featured on the Northern Lights album Dubh agus Geal. The video includes some lovely footage of Galway hookers, a traditional fishing boat used in Galway Bay off the west coast of Ireland.

The gifted Donegal traditional folk singer, musician and storyteller Packie Manus Byrne has sadly died at the age of 98. A highly respected man who will be sadly missed but his stories and songs will of course live on.

The Mariannes are still considered to be something of a secret in their native Ireland. On the strength of this all-too-brief collection any attempt by the Dublin-based urban alt-folk sextet to expand their horizons beyond the Emerald Isle’s shores would be very welcome.

We have an exclusive live video premiere from Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting and Nancy Kerr performing ‘Seven Years’ from their forthcoming new album, plus an exclusive giveaway of 10 signed deluxe sets of Murmurs. Don’t miss out.

This summer sees the exciting new Tweed Project taking to the festival road featuring Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar alongside Scotland’s Mischa MacPherson, Innes White and Ali Levack. The combined skills and passion of this new project make them a highlight of any festival.

In their previous two albums Edinburgh-based duo Blueflint received plaudits for their unique form of Edinburgh bluegrass. Stories From Home sees the band develop their sound to incorporate elements of alt-folk and indie pop. The combination is truly special.

Fancy a festival that involves a complete escape? Ireby Festival is of the outskirts on the Lake District situated in a small farming village. A cosy setting for 600 festival goers and a top line-up including Cara Dillon, Police Dog Hogan, CoCo and the Butterfields, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, Jordie Lane, Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin, Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar and many more.

On Your Own is the new single from Aria & Mia which we’re very honoured to be premiering today on Folk Radio UK. It’s an exquisite and beautiful song that really makes their musical and vocal attributes shine through from the delicate combination of cello and banjo to their delicate harmonies. Taken from forthcoming new album.

With new album Emerald, Dar Williams really does live up to her tag as one of America’s best singer songwriters and with tour dates imminent there’s cause for double celebration. Emerald also includes several notable guest appearances to further enhance its credentials. It channels the heartfelt, the honest, the vital and and the poetic into one electrifying whole.