The Owl Service

The Owl Service’s “Tied to the Land” is their first album in a decade, a lineup change bringing Dorothy Chappell and Rebecca Lievers alongside bandleader Steven Collins for a joyous rendering of traditional songs, instrumentals and an adaptation of a Cornish folk tale. It’s a potent brew that supercharges the album’s 10-year-overnight success.

The Owl Service delivered a stunning and unforgettable 45-minute set at Leigh Folk Festival, during which they were joined by special guest vocalist and regular collaborator, Alison O’Donnell.

The Owl Service return with ‘Rise Up Rise Up’ a veritable treasure trove. There are more ideas and influences packed into these six tracks than many artists manage in a whole album.

Originally released in 2007 as a CD compilation by Mark Coyle, John Barleycorn Reborn: Dark Britannica has been re-issued on gold vinyl by Burning World Records. Ft. Sharron Kraus, The Owl Service, Pumajaw, The A Lords, The Kitchen Cynics and more.

Sproatly Smith celebrate spring again with the return of Weirdshire Weekend featuring guests from the psychedelic folk scene including Sharron Kraus, Trappist Afterland, Alula Down, Mark McDowell, Bird Radio and many more. Check our special preview.

Our Song of the Day comes via a new video from The Owl Service for Living By The Water, a great cover of Anne Briggs’s darkly visionary opus which features on their latest album ‘His Pride. No Spear. No Friend’.

From the opening track The Owl Service offer a triumph of execution against expectation if ever there was one, and a challenge that sets the bar for the remainder of the disc. Invigorating, bold, uncompromising and honest! If this is their final release then it’s a fitting one.

Our latest mix features some of the best new folk music out there today and the majority of the tracks are very new releases. Alongside some well know artists are also some relative newcomers. Enjoy and share!

The Owl Service announce the release of their third full-length studio album, their first in over 5 years. His Pride. No Spear. No Friend. is released the end of this month. Listen to The Widows Lament, our Song of the Day.

Our Song of the Day is from a recent limited edition EP release from The Owl Service. Come Back features the wonderful vocals of Nancy Wallace.

The Owl Service have compiled a mix titled ‘Modern Folk is Rubbish’ featuring some great music from the likes of Shirley Collins, The Pentangle, The Watersons and lots more. Listen here.

Michael Raven & Joan Mills 1972 lost folk classic “Death and the Lady” finally gets released on CD. We delve into their past and look at their influence on bands like The Owl Service.

Stone Tape Recordings release a four-track album for Samhain. A Grove of Bleached Bones (Four songs for Samhain) is available via bandcamp, listen to it here.

We interview Steve Ashley one of British folk’s finest singer-songwriters. This year marks his fiftieth year since he started singing in folk clubs, read about his influences and his career…in his own words.

The Northwestern Series is a new independent record label based in Manchester, England, a sister label of Folk Police Recordings. Their first release is Adam Leonard – Nature Recordings. Get a taster here.

The Owl Service have a new EP due out on Rif Mountain titled There Used to be a Crown. It contains 4 great covers of the legendary US psych folk band Pearls Before Swine.

We interview Rif Mountain artist Jason Steel and talk about his musical inspiration and his new single ‘I Lost My North’.

Welcome back to the Friday Folk Music Club. This week we have videos from: Jason Steel, James Yorkston & Big Eyes Family Players, Sharon Shannon, Townes Van Zandt, Julie Fowlis, Nathaniel Rateliff, John Martyn , A Hawk And A Hacksaw and Nancy Elizabeth! Plus audio tracks from The Owl Service and downloads from Spiers and Boden, David Gibb, Cathal Clohessy and Eamonn Costello, Martin Carthy with Dave Swarbrick and The …