News

Newcastle-based singer songwriter Jake Houlsby returns revitalised with a stunning new EP Yannina. Watch his clever homemade new music video for ‘Fuel For The Fire’ and then feast your ears on his soul-searching pastoral title track. A very welcome return.

Clype is an exciting new duo comprised of pianist and singer-songwriter Simon Gall of Salsa Celtica and fidler Jonny Hardie of Old Blind Dogs. Listen to Now My Home, our chosen Song of the Day which also features the low whistle of Ross Ainslie.

We have a very special video premiere today from a Folk Radio favourite: LA duo ‘We Are The West’. Watch their wonderful new video for ‘Hold On’ which was filmed in Malibu, California. They head out on their US tour in July and wish them well.

To celebrate their 50th Anniversary the Oldham Tinkers are performing at Saddleworth Folk Weekend and in Manchester’s The Wonder Inn alongside English folk-rock band Hunter Muskett. Time to dig out those deep Lancashire songs, listen to Oldham’s Burning Sands

The legendary bluegrass band Hot Rize are heading to this year’s Purbeck Valley Folk Festival to join headliners which include Chris Difford, Justin Currie, Richard Thompson, Stornoway, Kathryn Tickell, Megson, Martha Tilston & the Scientists, Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin and The Moulettes. Watch their latest video for A Cowboy’s Life, performed live above New York City’s East River.

The Lake District Folk Weekend is a new family-friendly folk festival centred around Hawkshead Brewery’s ‘Beer Hall’. Kicks off with headling concert from Folk legend Tom McConville and support including Dan Webster. Concerts, sessions and rambles! Bring your walking boots, voices, instruments and your drinking heads!

Our Tune of the Day is from Will Pound and Eddy Jay as they perform a staggering version of Floating Candle. I’ve seen Will performing this tune with his full band but with just harmonica and accordion it becomes something all the more innovative and ear-catching as both musicians shine to their fullest!

Two well known names from the world of British folk music have made it to the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to folk music, namely Kathryn Tickell (OBE) and Ashley Hutchings (MBE).

James Varda, one of the most distinctive singer songwriters of his generation, has died. I interviewed James back in January and we spoke about his career and ‘Chance and Time’, widely hailed as his best ever album on which he ‘turned his songwriting talent to chronicling the experience of confronting illness and death, and in doing so, created a unique language and music of love and pain, family, landscape and …

With Cambridge Folk Festival getting closer the full line up for the festival has now been announced along with the Club Tent Showcases and Den Stage line-up which features many FRUK favourites. There are also some newly confirmed main-stage acts including the Jaywalkers and this year’s BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winners Talisk.

Our Song of the Day is the beautiful ‘Stay On My Shore’ by Joan Shelley. It’s taken from her forthcoming album Over And Even on which she is accompanied by guitarist Nathan Salsburg along with some help from some of her Kentucky friends in the form of Glen Dentinger, Rachel Grimes, Will Oldham and Dan Dorff.

Award winning contemporary Folk Duo Gilmore & Roberts have announced the release of their fourth album Conflict Tourism, watch their new album trailer and get their forthcoming European and UK Tour Dates.