Bird in the Belly spent 12 months recording songs and stories that have either never before been recorded or are rarely recorded - all set to contemporary folk music, in the hopes of reintroducing these songs back into the folk canon. The resulting debut album 'The Crowing' was released March 2018, to rave reviews:
Born out of a musical interest in both British folk and the transatlantic connections to new country and Americana, The Mile Roses are now fast gaining a reputation across the UK folk scene. Their original songs and close three part harmonies are accompanied by guitars, fretless bass, cittern, mandolin and fiddles.
Tim Dalling is a unique performer, songwriter and accordionist. His work has ranged from musical and theatrical clowning to serious songwriting for theatre, performance and recording. His style ranges from traditional folk to jazz and music hall and has been described as a cross between Ivor Cutler and Randy Newman
Over the past 12 years Port Erin have extensively toured the U.K. performing over 750 shows at some of of the U.K.’s most prestigious venues. They have made appearances at many UK & EU festivals including; Glastonbury Festival, played live sessions for BBC Introducing and their music has been aired numerous times on BBC Radio 6 (Guy Garvey & Tom Robinson). Since their formation, they have diligently been affirming themselves as one of the UK’s hardest working, most loved, unsung and underground DIY bands.
Micah Erenberg is a diversely talented multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer from Manitoba. His lyrics are a mosaic of stories, thoughts and reactions from small town, big ideas Canada; the land of few people and vast, flat, lake laden landscape. Erenberg’s music is charming, witty, and authentic. His full disclosure style of writing makes for captivating, poetic and gracefully heartbreaking songs that display an honesty and talent that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Davey Woodward fronted indie bands The Brilliant Corners and The Experimental Pop Band. His current band are called Karen. The Winter Orphans are a group of friends realising the potential of his solo songs. Davey lives in a tree house somewhere in Bristol. England.
Tenement and Temple is a new folk route for Monica Queen and Johnny Smillie. Monica plays her Martin guitar solid while Johnny creates some organised chaos on his Olympic. Together they weave intimate readings of songs spanning their career with new songs and classics. Their new route is a free,melodic and expansive harmonic domain in which dissonance exist with simple beauty and a sense of mischief wrapped in a cassock of spirituality.
Tenement & Temple’s eponymous debut LP was released on 29th August 2019.
“Album of the year contender from Glasgow’s best kept secret says Joe Whyte falling for the ‘gentle power, mystery and almost spiritual feel’ of the songs.” Louder Than War
"Sublime. An instant classic. Possibly one of the most heart-meltingly beautiful albums of 2019" The Ginger Quiff
Hailing from the North East of England, Nano Kino is the creation of Sarah Suri and Duncan Lloyd. Bonding over a mutual love of Cocteau Twins and early 4AD, their music's ethereal blend is majestic and entrancing. Sarah’s vocals complemented by Duncan’s guitars create an inimitable sonic panorama.
On bass, Andy Martin & Tom English plays drums, live, they bring together these intricate mystical soundscapes to form perfectly crafted songs
Since the release of Rose Tinted Spex, Robert has achieved critical acclaim as a talented, versatile guitarist and musician. He has worked with the horn section of reggae superstars UB40 (Brian Travers, Martin Meredith and Laurence Parry) on the track Cayenne Pepper, and is going from strength to strength asserting a new breed of instrumental rock,blues and funk music.
When Picturehouse Deluxe are support, you know that the headliners must be something special. Led by vocalist Louise Victoria and drummer Mark Whitlam, We Are Leif deftly spans the jazz sensibilities and harmony with the groove more associated with Neo-Soul, R'n'B and Down Tempo genres. If you like Massive Attack, Erykah Badu, Gretchen Parlato and Portishead, you'll probably like We Are Leif.
A founder member of seminal band, The Delgados, Emma Pollock has gone on to make a name for herself as a successful solo artist, her 3rd studio album ‘In Search of Harperfield’ earning Emma a nomination for Scottish Album of the Year 2016.
An American indie-rock musician from Detroit, Stef Chura first made waves in 2017 when her debut album ‘Messes’ received positive reviews from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and others. 2019’s follow up ‘Midnight’, produced by Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest, has seen Stef up her game to another level, earning rave reviews amid ‘album of the year’ talk from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, Paste Magazine.
Slurs are a DIY slacker-punk band from Newcastle upon Tyne, comprised of bassist and vocalist Mark Simpson, guitarist and vocalist Fintan Dawson and drummer Mike Smith.
"..punchy pop gems incorporating elements of Britpop, slacker rock and shoegaze to create a catchy, upbeat sound." - Narc April 2016
"Boasting a sound that’s chocker block with riveting guitar lines and baritone vocal lines...there is this true feel of all your favourite indie records" - The Pentatonic (May 2016)
Tchotchke's highly anticipated debut album 'Life Gets In The Way' , which they recorded at Sage Gateshead, will be released towards the end of 2019, with this gig representing the official album launch.
“Tchotchke produce gorgeous dream pop that’s brought acclaim from BBC Introducing amongst many others. Having opened this year’s Evolution Emerging on the back of their Lost & Found EP, Tchotchke might just be one of the most promising new bands in the region” – Endless Window
Hannah Rose Platt is an acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter, talented guitarist and storyteller. Originally from Liverpool, Hannah is a really engaging performer, her writing is beautiful and moving and this intimate performance space is an ideal place to catch her. Hannah is touring in support of her new album “ Letters Under Floorboards” , the follow up to her wonderful 2016 release “ Portraits”.
Molly Linen is a songwriter and guitarist taking influences from musicians such as Devon Sproule and Nick Drake. Through melody driven electric guitar and lulling yet fierce vocals she creates captivating and personal songs.
Cult Party are a Manchester collective founded by multi-disciplinary artist Leo Robinson. With perfect command over melody and rhyme, the outfit meld soaring acoustics and pastoral folk into a stark musical template. Over the years, they have gently ebbed and flowed, swelling into a rich tapestry of guitar, vocals, organ, cello, violin and percussion, with Leo’s baritone croon underpinning it all.organ, cello, violin and percussion, with Leo’s baritone croon underpinning it all
Wandering Monster perform intricately arranged instrumental jazz which draws upon the soundworlds and sensibilities of rock and world music. Made up of five crossover musicians highly active on the UK music scene, the group reach beyond what may be expected from the tried and tested line-up of the tenor saxophone/guitar quintet. An engaging live act, the band is able to pull off involved written material alongside moments of exciting, natural improvisation. The result is a sound that is intense and raucous, yet also dynamic, sensitive and spontaneous. The group released their eponymous debut album on London based label Ubuntu earlier in 2019 to much critical acclaim.
“The rolling keyboard notes recall those early Pink Floyd singles, while the sighing vocals are reminiscent of Tame Impala at their finest” Clash Magazine
“Fuzzing Ty Segall guitars with a wistful glance back to pop music past” Bristol in Stereo
“A cool yet inviting cocktail that errs on the hookier side of indie” Classic Rock
"Catchy as hell.” BBC Introducing in the West
A very popular Newcastle-based band return, with a new name. Fans will guess. The new name was once a song title of theirs. For the rest of you, you’ll have to wait a while to find out more.
Support comes from Cova Castle, purveyors of heavy riffs and melodic hooks, also from Newcastle.
“Dana Gavanski spins her heartbreaking solitude into beauty on 'One by One'.” – The 405
“Stately and wistful there’s’ a touch of class to Gavanski’s songwriting, the spindling hooks and her fantastic and dulcet vocal tones are framed with twinkling notes in the mid distance. – God Is In The TV
Black Sea Dahu are singer-songwriter Janine Cathrein and a gang of musical cohorts. Think: modern-day Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. But instead of dropping copious amounts of LSD and driving around in a VW mini-bus, they trip out on sound and studio-related cabin fever. They also make some of the most searing, contemporary, Urban Folk around!
Chosen for a BBC Introducing showcase at Band on the Wall in 2011 by tastemakers Gilles Peterson, Mike Chadwick and Kevin LeGendre, Roller:Trio subsequently won the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award and their eponymous debut album was nominated for the 2012 Mercury Prize. That same year they were also nominated for the MOBO Best Jazz Act and Jazz FM Best Newcomer awards.
“You could file Driven Serious under the banner of folk-rock; but they are so much than that. They have a vibrancy that you can virtually see thrumming off them when they play, passionate and with the handbrake well and truly off, and with a vibe that has had people likening them to The Levellers to The Pogues to The Smiths to The Wonderstuff…” – The Crack Magazine
Mouthful are a 4-piece a Capella vocal group who make innovative, exciting and original music using only the human voice as an expertly-played and finely-tuned instrument. Bex Mather, Dave Camlin, Katherine Zeserson and Sharon Durant create and perform a diverse range of vocal material inspired by gospel, funk, jazz and global folk traditions. Be prepared to have your preconceptions about vocal music blown out of the water by powerful and exciting original work, and sophisticated and unusual arrangements…
Indie folk pop duo based in Woodstock, New York.
“Vocalist and guitarist Devin Tuel’s flowy, spiritual voice is timeless, and its fluttering beauty will spark a lump in your throat. ”— Paste magazine
“The band have really hit their stride here, coming into an even more soulful folk style. ”— American Standard Time
A rare public outing for District Attorney, the band made up of luminaries from former great local bands such as Minotaurs, The Union Choir, Deadly Friend, The Dark Sky Singers and others. Joined for this gig by esteemed local producer and former The Railway Club frontman/guitarist, Martin Francis Trollope.
"One of the strangest, most gloriously original bands I’ve heard for a long time… like Jake Thackray writing lyrics for Crosby, Stills and Nash." Bob Fischer, BBC Tees
Duncan Lloyd is probably best known as the guitarist and musical driving force behind Mercury Music Prize nominated band, Maximo Park, but Lloyd’s frenetic outpouring has also seen him busy with various projects including Decade In Exile, Nano Kino, experimentalists Res Band, and solo work under his own name. It is his solo work which now calls for our attention, with the release of new album ‘Outside Notion’.
Playing as a trio (sans drums), Broken Levee are a stylish and charismatic blues band with a reputation for surging and full-blooded performances that reveal an impressive trove of original compositions. Their sound echoes the Great British and American blues acts but also delivers a unique and rich new take on the genre. The band are constantly drawing influence from an eclectic range of artists from jazz, funk, soul, rock and indeed the blues!
Newcastle Neo-soul, jazz and hiphop. Portraits offer their contribution to the UK music scene through improvisation, lyricism, arrangement and a strong focus on moving their music forward into unexplored territory.
Michael Cassidy is a Glasgow-based singer/songwriter whose brand of acoustic folk is characterised by his fragile, tender voice and intimate lyrics - all delivered in his distinctive Scottish brogue.
Pat McMahon Electric Band is a three piece combo which draws on a wide range of rock, Chicago blues and soul influences. The band comprises Pat on electric and acoustic guitars; veteran session keyboard/bass player, Ray Johns, and George Waters, on drums.
As well performing Pat’s original material, the band cover a fine blend of renowned artists, incl. BB King, John Mayer, Hendrix, Santana, Bill Withers, and Clapton.
Rachael Jean Harris is a writer and vocalist, combining folk, jazz and indie to create distinctive and emotive songs.
Playing 50% Lindisfarne, 50% The Happy Cats, 50% cover songs we all know and love, with a bit of the Irish thrown in for good luck!
150% 'FULL ON SING ALONG NIGHT OUT!!
Headclouds are a five-piece pop group from Newcastle-upon-Tyne
'Guitars drenched in a haze of drifting reverb intertwined with ghostly vocal harmonies' - The Line of Best Fit
‘I hear bands every week that try to do that jangly, mid-summer pop vibe… Headclouds are well above the lot of them’ - Phil Taggart, BBC Radio 1
When they draw the map of authentic Americana, historians may not previously have thought of using marker pins for the cities of Leith, Edinburgh and Dundee. Now they'll have to, to record the rapid rise of Roseanne Reid.
As a performer, Bridie is best known for her band, Bridie Jackson and The Arbour, a folk influenced trio based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. They achieved national recognition after winning the 2013 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, having beaten over 8,000 contenders to secure the prize of performing on multiple stages at the legendary festival.
In 2007. award-winning songwriter, Katie released her debut solo album. Bridges, to much acclaim, leading to her sharing stages with the likes of Karine Polwart, Kate and Anna Mpcgarrigle, and Ray Davies. She’s back, now with her Navigators and new album And Then.
Anarcho-Jazz-Hop innovators, Binbag Wisdom bring insightful lyricism to the forefront of their soulful and passionate live show. Downtempo Hip-Hop grooves flow effortlessly and combine with white hot punk energy to create a meaningful and powerful performance
Holy Now make indie pop music built around captivating melodies and heartbroken lyrics. Songs about an unwillingness to grow up and stagnate. Timeless pop music with intimate melodies, yelling drums and sprawling choruses. Jangly fuzz pop where euphoria meets insomnia.
Winner of 9 major awards in the U.S.A and 4 times nominated in the British Blues Awards. Sewell’s music has not only been recorded recently by several American artists but is also featured on numerous major compilations alongside legendary artists such as Robert Johnson, B.B King and Howlin’ Wolf.
A bona fide local legend, Nev lives near Newcastle and until very recently was a mental health nurse. He's been clarting around the local music scene for 26 years, and once supported Keith Emerson out of ELP.
Melbourne’s DIY indie outfit, The Stroppies, signed to Tough Love Records are set to release their debut album ‘Whoosh’ in March 2019. Championed by BBC 6 Music, the band’s Lexington, London gig has already sold strongly, and a UK tour will include dates in Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Brighton and Bristol.
