News

Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968 is an especially enjoyable read for anyone who has ever lived in or around Boston. It’s an entertaining tale, with lots of juicy anecdotes, that truly gives you the feel of a major American city in a turbulent time gone by.

In the aptly titled Tsunami of Suits, the latest single from Tom Bright, he tackles the gentrification that is stripping originality out of cities for the growing carbon-copy rows of chain stores.

Our Song of the Day is ‘Butterfly’, delivered by the exquisite vocals of Hadley McCall Thackston, taken from her eponymous debut album and one that’s sure to win the hearts of many on first listen. 

Listen to Over My Head, the beautiful and enchanting new single from Swedish/Icelandic singer-songwriter Freyr Flodgren. Taken from his first solo project which he’s been recording this past year in Bergen Norway.

Watch James Patrick Gavin performing Lady O’Dreams live at London’s Union Chapel for the album launch of his superb album ‘Chewing the Fat’. The song is named after a pub that once stood in the Angel, Islington, called the Lady Owen Arms.

The legendary American folk singer Michael Hurley is in the UK and Ireland on tour during June including two nights at London’s Cafe Oto as well as gigs in Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cork, Dublin and more.

Freedom Girl was shot in the Haizhu District of Guangzhou, China, during the Chinese New Year Flower Festival and brings to life the cover and protagonist of Liv Lombardi’s Freedom Girl EP. The ‘singer’ is actually Liv’s identical twin sister, Ariana, who lives and works in China.

We have a ticket giveaway for Folk by the Oak festival on Sunday 15 July featuring Amy Macdonald, Billy Bragg, Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band, Julie Fowlis, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita, The Young’uns and more

Listen to the late John Renbourn performing The Cuckoo and Banks of the Sweet Primroses on a hot night in a Kyoto coffee house from 1978. From Live in Kyoto 1978, out on June 22 via Drag City.

Folk Radio has been selected as an official finalist in the 2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards. This year there is a Listeners’ Choice Award, which will be chosen by the public. If you’ve enjoyed our shows then please vote for us.

Arcadia is a new film from Scottish director Paul Wright. Using over 100 archive film clips from the last 100 years and a score by Adrian Utley (Portishead) and Will Gregory (Goldfrapp) it explores the beauty and brutality, magic and madness of our changing relationship with the land and each other.

A bespoke tartan carpet transformed Glasgow’s Buchanan Street today, Wednesday 16th May, to unveil the headliners of this year’s Piping Live! Glasgow International Piping Festival and The World Pipe Band Championships, which both return to the city 13 – 19 August 2018.