Tuesday Folk People Podcast: Recent Episodes
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3 Daft Monkeys are a dynamic splash of colour in today's folk world. Formed and forged by years of travel, of experiencing and digesting other cultural approaches to folk music that sits alongside their own Celtic roots, 3 Daft Monkeys have resulted in a truly unique sound and an explosive live show, crossing boundaries into the theatre with bespoke stage clothes, dances and themes.
Find out all about this and more in this interview where our host Maddy Leedham chats to Tim Ashton and Athene Roberts of 3 Daft Monkeys.
Featuring exclusive performances of their eccentric music.
With Tuesday Folk People on Tour just around the corner, we want you to get to know Norfolk-based group, The Shackleton Trio.
Described as “sparky, charismatic and intensely assured” by fRoots Magazine, the trio boast imaginative re-workings of traditional folk standards, which blend seamlessly alongside their own original numbers. Highly energetic and hard-working, The Shackleton Trio have been featured on Mark Radcliffe’s Radio 2 Folk Show as well as Radio 4, as well as appearing on the main stage at Cambridge Folk Festival.
For more information about Tuesday Folk People on Tour and to purchase your tickets, visit this website: https://www.home-stage.co.uk/tuesday-folk-people-on-tour
Students can attend the tour for free, check out our website to find out how!
The Ciderhouse Rebellion are truly a unique voice in today’s folk world. Adam Summerhayes's “intoxicating – virtuoso fiddle playing” (The Times) entwines with Murray Grainger’s subtly woven tapestries of sound and rises above his rampant and intoxicated accordion ‘bellowings’ in an unpredictable and powerful new look at old tunes. Profound and eloquent, epic and haunting, wild, dramatic and occasionally unhinged; a quest to create music in the moment, with no conscious thought between conception and playing, searching for unexpected magic and the possibility to create a deeper and perhaps more revealing narrative. This is traditional rebellion at its best.
Find out all about this and more in our podcast episode with The Ciderhouse Rebellion.
Katie flits from folk to country to Americana, anchored by a strong story and yet floating free, burrowing into our consciousness. Writing songs with the skill of a poet and the heart of a musician, Katie channels a more pragmatic approach as she records and produces her own album, building her own home studio, including a vocal booth fashioned out of an old doctor’s screen…!
Learn all about Katie and hear some of her self-penned masterpieces in this podcast episode.
“…it has all those classic magical singer-songwriter alchemies, with dreams as dark as molasses” - Andrew Darlington, RnR Magazine
With Tuesday Folk People on Tour just around the corner, we want you to get to know the charismatic young duo Good Habits who are joining us on the 23rd June at The Stoller Hall Manchester and the 25th June at the Cecil Sharp House in London.
With a sound that is innovative, exciting and unique, the pair describe themselves as ‘alt-folk’, using cello and accordion as rock bands use guitars and drums. Good Habits create musical tales with captivating lyrics married to their unique brand of instrumental virtuosity. Amanda from famed American duo The Dresden Dolls describes them as: "Good Habits wrap darkly witty lyrics in a delightfully old-world package that crash together the timeless sounds of cellos and accordions with knowing and warm vocals that make you want to wrap this little duo band around you like an old blanket".
We hope you enjoy this podcast episode, filled with warmth, humour and great music.
For more information about Tuesday Folk People on Tour and to purchase your tickets, visit this website: https://www.home-stage.co.uk/tuesday-folk-people-on-tour
Described as “One of the finest folk duos in the country” by Mike Davies (Alternative Roots), Harbottle & Jonas are on the cusp of taking the UK folk scene by storm. Already playing with the assurance and confidence of an act decades into their career, this likeable and hard-working duo combine fiddle, concertina, harmonium, banjo, and guitar to create a truly rich and deep bed of sound. The duo often features guests on their songs, including Annie Baylis-Gray and Tuesday Folk People alumnus Reg Meuross.
There is something familiar about Suthering's sound; the way they sculpt and shape their stories. Upon further listening, it reveals itself as the sun from behind a cloud: their voices, their harmonies, and their arrangements, all with a quality that's at the very top. The word 'Suthering’ means “the sound of the wind through the trees or under a bird’s wing," and true to their name, themes of nature and the elements run through most of the duo's music. Learn all about this and more in this podcast episode.
Even if the name Ray Cooper (aka Chopper) isn’t initially familiar to you, his achievements speak for themselves. Ray famously stood as a long-term member of British folk stalwarts Oysterband and is now carving out a successful solo career that has seen him repeatedly tour Britain, Northern Europe and Canada. Learn about all of this and more in our podcast episode.
Billy Mitchell is a name familiar to British folk fans. A stalwart of the folk scene, Billy has performed with numerous bands and outfits since the '60s, namely The Callies, Jack the Lad, Maxie & Mitch, and ‘Newcastle’s favourite sons’ Lindisfarne. All the while, Billy has stayed true to his roots, exploring the history and heritage of the North East through albums and collaborations with his fellow North East brothers-in-arms, including his album The Devils Ground and his collaborations with Bob Fox and the Pitmen Poets.
If folk music is all about truth, then Amelia Coburn is one of its brightest stars. A distinctive voice that embraces her roots – a tool that delivers her unique brand of musical storytelling. Drawing on European folk music and Tin Pan Alley jazz, Amelia’s wide-ranging influences truly make her stand out. Her own compositions are both haunting and delicate, yet unyielding in narrative-driven tales of vengeful widows, sleep paralysis and staying up all night in Dublin.
All in their final year at Leeds College of Music, Helian came together to blend classical instrumentation with contemporary folk sounds. Intimate, introspective and evocative, their music radiates an inviting warmth. From such seedlings, the promise of a bright new folk act grows. They wind and weave their way into people’s hearts and minds, growing with each gig, festival and session towards an undoubtedly bright and exciting future.
Seasoning his songs with sprinklings of Americana, he uses precise rhythms to push the music along, frequently employing a guitar played in tandem with a second guitar, mandolin or drum! Rodney Branigan’s music is more than spectacle, however, as tracks such as One Seed display. One Seed presents a tender reflection on nature and the randomness of life, with softly expressive vocals and mature finger-style guitar.
Formed in 2012 at a barbeque, The Longest Johns were quick to start posting videos to YouTube. Beginning with Haul Away Joe a week after they formed, they allowed their growth and success to open them up to an unlimited audience. In a few short years, they have gone from singing shanties in a kitchen to performing at international folk festivals, tours, TV appearances and an increasingly huge online following. This was displayed during their ‘Wellerman Community Project,’ which saw them invite people from all around the world to join in with their video, leading to a phenomenal 6500 singers and a video viewed nearly 3 million times. They released their new single The Workers Song in December 2021 (from their forthcoming album Smoke & Oakum), featuring Seth Lakeman.
Originally a trio with half-sister Jessica, all three original members had experience singing and recording professionally from an early age. The third generation in a family of musicians, Lily and Abigail often appeared on their Grammy award-winning father’s children's records. Their father, Tom Chapin, and their uncles, Harry Chapin and Steve Chapin (the former the singer of 'Cats in the Cradle' and the latter the writer of 'Let Time Go Lightly') made up the reputed trio the Chapin Brothers. Their grandfather, Jim Chapin, was a talented jazz drummer.
Relocating to LA in the early 2000s, the Chapin Sisters arrangement of Britney Spears’ 'Toxic' unexpectedly propelled them to nationwide radio play and attention. After the release of this initial critically-acclaimed EP in 2005, Jessica left the band, making the Chapin Sisters a duo. Albums followed regularly, including a full-length tribute to The Everly Brothers released in 2013 called 'A Date With The Everly Brothers.' To date, the duo has released 7 critically acclaimed albums and EPs, their most recent EP 'Ferry Boat,' released in 2018.
Hailing from Bradford, Bella often draws inspiration from her native county of Yorkshire. She threads it into her songs to become almost a character in its own right (her most recent single – Black Water – is about a local spot close to her hometown).
As well as winning the 2016 Danny Kyle Award, Bella was one of the first recipients of a Friends Of Towersey Festival Award for music developmental support and opportunities, which she acknowledges helped push her career forward.
Bird in The Belly has a sound that is raw and bare-boned with “distinctively contemporary and earthy vocalising” (R2 Magazine). But they also have a mission: to reintroduce songs and stories that have been forgotten, never recorded, or ignored and bring them back into the folk canon, reaching towards a new generation of music lovers, artists and storytellers.
Formed in 2008, Harp and a Monkey have established a loyal following via the old fashioned practice of relentless gigging. Regulars on the national circuit, the band have gained an enviable reputation for the excellent rapport they establish with their live audiences. Such is the strength of their reputation as a quality live act, they have twice been asked to perform at the English Folk Expo; the annual international showcase of the best of English folk and roots music.
Born in Les Cayes, Haiti, Germa lived for 14 years in the USA and now resides in Birmingham in the UK. Thanks to this, Germa is recognised for creating an ethereal tapestry of rich vocal and stringed harmonies, influenced by the overlapping identities of culture and musical styles.
Germa's recent songwriting and compositions are strongly rooted in her Haitian heritage. They possess original harmonies, a variety of world folk music, and classical and contemporary composition techniques.
Germa collaborates with various musicians, building common ground and celebrating their differences through unique composition and performance.
Staying true to her roots, Bróna lives in her hometown – a small village in County Down on the shores of Carlingford Lough where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea. In 2019 she performed with her trio at Dublin’s National Concert Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, London’s Kings Place and Womad festival. The singer-songwriter’s debut solo album We Are the Wildlife in 2018 set the bar high with a string of four-star reviews from Uncut, Mojo, The Guardian and The Independent. Her second album in 2020 continues to push the boundaries of the traditional folk idiom. The album was broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show by Mark Radcliffe, BBC6 Music by Iggy Pop and Gideon Coe, BBC Radio Ulster by Lynette Fay, as well as RTÉ Radio and internationally in Italy, The Netherlands, the USA, Canada and Australia.
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is funding her forthcoming digital wilderness performance project, the Mourne Mystery Tour.
Jon Boden has become the stand out performer of his generation of traditional folk artists, but one whose repertoire extends far beyond the boundaries of the genre.
Most recognisably he was the lead singer (and one of the principal arrangers) of the multi-award winning Bellowhead, one of the most exciting live acts of recent years. He has also performed with his own band The Remnant Kings, performing both traditional folk music and Jon’s own work featured on his second solo album Songs from the Floodplain. In addition, within the traditional folk scene, he has played in a duo with fellow Bellowhead member John Spiers for over a decade.
Chris Fox, singer-songwriter and self-professed ‘Loop-station chemist,’ has worked his way through the Cambridge music scene over the last few years. Each year he has increased his presence at ever-more stages and festivals, including Cambridge Folk Festival. His music reflects thought-provoking topics and humorous insights on life, with deep, powerful vocals and eclectic guitar styles that span the roots of Americana, folk, country and blues.
Seán is a performer, arranger, and composer of music from various folk and classical music traditions: Celtic, Baroque, Medieval, Arabic, French-Canadian, and Maritime. His music has been performed across Canada and the United States, and he has worked with the Festival du Monde Arabe – creating shows of Middle Eastern and North African music.
In recent years, Seán has been active in the sea shanty boom, providing a multitude of recordings for the game Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag. He has also created a YouTube channel, in which he not only records a ‘Shanty of the Week,’ but also talks about the meaning behind the lyrics and the history of the shanty as a song-form.
Son of folksinger Sean Doyle, Dublin-born John began life as a professional musician at the age of 16 with his stint in the folk band The Chanting House, alongside Susan McKeown. Following this, he united with Seamus Egan, John Williams, Karan Casey and Winifred Horan to form the Grammy-nominated band, Solas. Described as one of the most popular and influential Celtic bands to have emerged from the United States, Solas hosted sell-out national and international tours, appeared frequently on television and received 3 NAIRD awards.
Since Solas, John has continued to make waves on the folk scene with an array of different achievements. This includes acting as musical director for Joan Baez, composing for theatre and film, appearing regularly on radio and television, performing for former U.S. president Barack Obama, the entire U.S. Congress, current president Joe Biden and former Taoiseach Brian Cowen and receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Traditional World Album" for ‘Double Play’ by John Doyle and Liz Carroll.
Seasons Greetings! Join us for a very special Christmas Tuesday Folk People. We invited past Tuesday Folk People guests to record and submit their favourite Christmas song; either a traditional carol, an arrangement of a contemporary classic, or even an original. So grab a mince pie or two, wrap up warm and join us for a wonderful tour of the songs of the season.
Lilian’s voice and singing style often prompts terms such as ‘haunting’ and ‘rich’, alongside such praise as “Lilian performs with a humble elegance that entices the listener into the song and captivates her audience" (Bryony Griffith) and "One of the most exquisitely soulful voices I have heard in a long time. Lilian is a poetic and enigmatic storyteller; spellbinding and otherworldly- do not miss her!" (Rachael Sutcliffe – The Heathen Kings). She is passionate about carrying the torch of traditional folk music, ensuring the female voice endures and is sustained from her generation to the next.
Lilian has also released her debut EP, Death and the Lady, available on Wildboar Records.
Born from the Waterson:Carthy dynasty, the child of Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy, multi-award winning Eliza Carthy is an expert of the British folk scene, an innovative and highly talented musician. With powerful fiddle playing and her unique voice, Eliza masters whatever folk music she turns her hand to, whether it’s her own original or an arrangement of a traditional song. Embarking on projects spanning the British folk scene, Eliza has and continues to shape and cultivate British folk.
Eliza Carthy joined Home Stage for a half hour of intimate conversation..
Home Stage are thrilled to present an exclusive insight into the life of a key figure of the British folk scene. Known for her powerful soprano voice, evocative storytelling and social campaigning, we are delighted to welcome the one-and-only Frankie Armstrong.