Folk Episodes

Tale 9… Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader has three BRIT Awards to her name, fronted punk outfit Gang of Four, harmonized with Annie Lennox touring with the Eurythmics, and topped the UK charts with Fairground Attraction. But when I caught up …

Tale 8… Karine Polwart’s edgy and evocative writing and vocal poise have been steadily winning her respect and affection in the UK and internationally over the past six years as a member of traditional groups Malinky and Battlefield Band. But …

Tale 4… Roddy Frame is an absolute delight. It’s rare for a performer armed only with an acoustic guitar to create a sound which could be mistaken for ten men and his charismatic stage-presence completely captivates any audience. This style …

Tale 1… There’s more to ex-Fairport Convention Vikki Clayton than excellent song writing, a haunting singing voice and musical talent. Beneath the quiet exterior lurks a passion for cats, a fetish for shoes and an empathy for mankind. This tale …

Emmy and Brit Award-nominated composer, Sarah Class, has become one of Britain’s most sought-after composers and is described as having the ‘Midas touch’ when it comes to creating music. She’s an accomplished musician and highly acclaimed at scoring for film …

Ian Anderson is the cat that walks by himself despite leading one of the most iconic, not to mention successful, bands of all time. Charismatic frontman, virtuoso flautist and composer, Ian has been steadfast through Jethro Tull’s many musical incarnations, …

My guest today is the hugely talented and critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine. The musician’s musician, Boo is widely regarded as one of the UK’s best singer songwriters and his cult band, The Bible, still excites passion amongst music lovers, …

In 1977 when singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke signed to Elton John’s Rocket label, she couldn’t imagine that over 40 years later she would still be performing. Her biggest success came a couple of years later with album Welcome to the Cruise …

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Martin Simpson is hailed as the hardest working man in folk music and, after years of relentless touring, has welcomed a little breathing space imposed by recent events. Widely acknowledged as one of the world’s finest …

Peggy Seeger is totally unique. A singer of traditional Anglo-American songs, she has carved a special niche for herself on both sides of the Atlantic and is considered to be one of the most influential folk singers of all time. …

South Londoner Ben was busking at Waterloo underground when Joan Armatrading happened to pass by. Immediately impressed, she invited him to join her on tour, supporting her at major venues across Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the UK and Ireland. Hailed as …

It’s exactly 40 years since John Otway’s now legendary appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test with Wild Willy Barrett with gymnastic antics to ‘Really Free’. It was this performance that shot John to fame but despite a financial backing …

I chat to John Jones of folk-rock band, Oysterband, at the Cherry Hinton pond at Cambridge Folk Festival as it celebrates its 50th Anniversary.

One from the vault! Critically acclaimed Folk/Americana singer-songwriter, Amy Speace has a velvety and achy voice reminiscent of Lucinda Williams. A former Shakespearean actress, she now lives in Nashville, but I caught up with her on one of her UK …

One from the analogue vault. Renegade Sharon. From her stints with the Waterboys, it seems that just putting an accordion in Sharon Shannon's hands makes her happy. Luckily for the soft-spoken Sharon, others are just as happy when she picks …