Artist of the Month

Rónán Ó Snodaigh & Myles O’Reilly’s ‘The Beautiful Road’, is a calmative, a sonic balm in times of literal and metaphorical noise, but also a reminder of the verve and the life that can still exist in music. It’s an exceptional feat.

Amelia Baker, the singer, musician and writer behind Cinder Well, is disarmingly honest. But behind that honesty lies an intriguing depth and complexity. We chat with her about her new album ‘Cadence’; her Southern California roots and living in Ireland; and her influences and tastes, from Joni Mitchell to Lankum and Haruki Murakami.

Cinder Well’s ‘Cadence’ is something of a journey. Meandering, non-linear, but full of care and wisdom, it is an astonishingly powerful piece of work that seems to have been conceived in uncertainty but realised with the supreme assurance of one of the most consummate songwriters around.

We catch up with The Young’uns songwriter-in-chief Sean Cooney and chat about their new album ‘Tiny Notes’ – the songs and the stories behind them – and the growing appetite for folk music and songs.

When singing unaccompanied and in unison, The Young’uns make an elemental sound, and on ‘Tiny Notes’, it pins you to the wall; they have created an album that has the potential to become a benchmark classic in modern topical folk music.

After three decades as one of folk and traditional music’s leading fiddle players, John McCusker has plenty to look back on in our Artist of the Month interview in which he shares his musical heroes, memories and more.

John McCusker’s ‘The Best Of’ is an ideal introduction to the breadth and depth of one of the very best traditional musicians working today…a rare musician whose fiddle style and overall production sound is both distinctive and alluring.

The Bellowhead and Leveret fiddle maestro Sam Sweeney talks about the creative process of his new solo album Escape That, a deeply personal set that sees him at his most dynamic and liberated.

With Escape That, Sam Sweeney has made his most personal record to date. His playing has never been more confident or fluid and the accompaniments are also stellar in their subtlety. It is gorgeous, joyous playing, possibly his best yet.

We talk to Jake Blount, our current Artist of the Month, about his new album ‘The New Faith’, working with Smithsonian Folkways, the impact of climate change, the ethos of folk music and more.

Jake Blount’s The New Faith is an album rich with themes of hope, resilience and salvation. With a keen sense of tradition, Blount has cleverly delivered a bold, thought-provoking and judicious album…one which is also a thoroughly, staggeringly thrilling listen. Glorious.

We catch up with Luke Daniels to chat about The Cobhers, a project started in 2019 to help bring new audiences to folk and traditional music through covering classic hits alongside folk and traditional tunes from the UK, Ireland and beyond.

Everything on this collection from Luke Daniels and The Cobhers is attacked with such life-affirming urgency… These are songs that have cut across the eras, the sub-cultures and age restrictions, and now, they are hoping to knock down genre fences as well.

We chat with Hannah and Gabriel of Fritillaries, our Artists of the Month, about their self-titled debut album, how they met, their influences, Bristol folk scene, band names and more.

Touchingly poetic, Fritillaries is an enthrallingly scenic, tranquil and fruitful debut. Gorgeously produced, Pawson’s redolent and crystalline voice, accompanied by roots-inspired banjo and Wynne’s earthy mandolin, proves to be an intoxicating mix. A delightful listen.

We met with Jacob Johnson of the trio Son of John to discuss their wonderful new Each Second Footstep album, which showcases a broad and exciting new musical direction, plus the cementing of his new band lineup.

With an extended lineup and marking a significant leap forward, Son of John return with Each Second Footstep. Throughout this winning album, the band’s love of their craft shines through…an essential release.

The transatlantic banjo duo Damien O’Kane and Ron Block met with us to discuss Banjophonics, the splendid follow-up to their much-lauded debut Banjophony, plus musical personalities and the Mongolian nose flute.