Green Note

Kihaya Blues has been brought together by Kyazi's love of music, friendship, and good vibes. Kyazi Lugangira UK Based Tanzanian Singer Songwriter, Guitarist, Performer, Band leader of 'Kihaya Blues' has emerged as a creative composer with music that blends Soul, Blues, Funk, Jazz, Latin and Hip Hop, with Roots coming from Tanzania, Congo, Madagascar, South Africa, Cape Verde, Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, America and London. Throughout the course of their musical careers, the Kihaya blues family have jammed, travelled and performed globally, supporting each other with dedication and recording their first studio album in 2019. Feel free to reach out to learn about how to collaborate or book some Kihaya Blues for your event.

Celebrating 27 years ‘on the road’ the CADILLAC KINGS have built a huge reputation for entertaining audiences with a unique mix of self-penned rhythm & blues, roots rock & roll, boogie and swing. They have played at well over a thousand different venues and festivals across the UK and Europe, from the Canary Islands to the Arctic circle, from Manchester’s Band on the Wall to London’s Albert Hall. They have appeared alongside or opened shows for the late John Mayall, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Rod Piazza, Lazy Lester, Magic Slim, Louisiana Red, Larry Garner, L’il Ed & His Blues Imperials, Little Feat & Delbert McLinton among many others! The band’s popularity on Youtube has resulted in videos receiving views in the millions, with their original song ‘Betty Lou’ (bought her last pair of shoes!) fast approaching five million hits, & two more band originals ‘Left Handed Woman’ and ‘Cadillac Shake’ approaching a million apiece. Their sixth cd release ‘Crash & Burn’ (2024) received unanimous praise and 5 star reviews from roots & blues music magazines across the UK, USA & Europe and from radio programmers across the world. The album was recorded and mixed by veteran Decca engineers Dave Williams and Richard Manwaring (Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Eric Bibb, Fleetwood Mac). In 2024 the Blues Matters Magazine UK chose ‘Crash & Burn’ as one of their records of the year and the UK Blues Association included the band in their final list of nominations for ‘live’ band of 2024 (and did so again in 2025!) “One of the nation’s finest bands in ANY genre. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face.” Grahame Rhodes, The Liverpool Echo “A wonderfully tight blues, roots and swing outfit – even better they’re home grown!” John Clarke, The Times, London “Think the Fabulous Thunderbirds crossed with the best West Coast USA blues acts and you might begin to get an idea of just how accomplished and entertaining these guys are” Darren Preston, Blues Matters magazine UK “Joyous hot rockin’ rhythm and blues – superb!” Norman Darwen, Blues & Rhythm magazine UK “In our opinion the CKs are right at the top of the UK’s rhythm & blues scene” Blues Blast Magazine USA The Cadillac Kings are: Mike Thomas – vocals, harp, guitar Mal Barclay – lead guitar, vocals Tim Penn – piano, accordion, vocals Paul Cuff – bass Jason Reay – drums

Elsie Franklin sings and plays acoustic country-blues, ragtime and jazz on her trusty National resonator. She is a rising talent on the UK blues scene, playing all over the country. Learning from her father (renowned blues guitarist, Adam Franklin) and good friend Steve James, Elsie is often praised for her authentic, yet unique take on early blues and jazz, drawing influence from legendary female blues artists such as Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith. Elsie is joined by Francesca Shaw on double bass and Roni Reeds on drums and washboard

Sound of the Sirens are a singer-songwriting duo based in Exeter, Devon comprising of Abbe Martin & Hannah Wood. Honing their craft over the past decade, Martin & Wood have cemented themselves as firm favourites as “one of the UK’s finest folk acts” not only on the Westcountry scene, but nationally, and internationally too. Their status, and fast-growing fan-base is not only testament to the pair’s prowess as songwriters and musicians, but as people too. Martin & Wood are two of the hardest working musicians on the scene and wear their hearts very much on their sleeves in terms of their songwriting. The pair glide gracefully through laments of past relationships, and life experiences, as well as highlighting the important topics of the day, namely mental health awareness, and homelessness. Without being pigeonholed into any stereotypical genre, the instrumentation of the band is vast, and varied. Martin (stage right) plays acoustic and high-strung (Nashville tuning) guitar, mandolin, and bass drum, while partner in crime Wood (stage left) plays acoustic and electric guitar, tambourine, snare drum, and the piano. The pairs’ musical and vocal dexterity dovetail beautifully on the co-written songs, which range from beautiful, emotive ballads, to up-beat, foot stomping, hands in the air, sing-along anthems. The dynamic duo and their musical creations translate very well onto recorded media, but it is in the live arena where the pair truly excel. There is a certain majesty about their live performances that simply cannot be put into words. It is this “je ne sais quoi” that keeps their loyal fans returning from far and wide to see these two perform. It is not just nearly two hours of high-quality live music you get for the entrance fee, a Sound of the Sirens show is much more than that. The onstage chemistry, camaraderie, and banter is worth the ticket price alone. "Beautiful and emotive. Duo Abbe Martin and Hannah Wood of Sound of the Sirens solidify their status as one of the UK’s finest folk acts with their brand new album, ‘Damage Control’." Findyoursounds "Stunning vocal harmonies, Damage Control showcases the band’s dexterity and finesse for songwriting." Building Your Own Nashville "Their harmonies are absolutely stunning and their vocal styles complement each other beautifully, as well as being excellent musicians who really know how to bring their songs to life." Entertainment Focus

Ella Spencer is a British-American singer-songwriter based in London. A natural storyteller, Ella performs live solo on guitar, piano and banjo as well as with her new band. Ella’s clear, expressive voice and honest songwriting have earned her showcases at the UK’s Americana Week and internationally at Folk Alliance, as well as festival appearances at The Long Road and Red Rooster festival, with her latest singles landing on BBC Introducing. Raised by British- American parents in the English countryside, Ella grew up surrounded by musicians after her father started the UK’s first Americana festival. Sitting in with artists like Terra Lightfoot, Andrew Duhon and Jerry Joseph instilled a deep respect for live music and the rich storytelling traditions of Americana music, while developing her own taste for alt-country, indie-folk and indie-rock. A fan of contemporary artists that blur the lines between Americana and Indie-Rock like Brown Horse, Wednesday and Big Thief, Ella’s upcoming EP Pandora’s Box is a bridge across both worlds. Recorded and produced internationally between Portland's Panther Studio and RYP Recording in London, ‘Howlin’ Wolf’ (October 30th, Right Track Records) marks Ella’s first release of the year and offers a first taste of her forthcoming debut EP Pandora's Box, due in early 2027. Drawing on the influence of acclaimed artists and collaborators Jerry Joseph, Steve Drizos and Michael Smith, the EP finds Ella developing a distinctive sound that bridges Americana, Folk and Indie rock, while retaining the intimacy and storytelling at the heart of her songwriting.

Jovana Backovic is a Serbian born composer and a vocalist performing traditional music from all over the Balkan region: songs in which young maidens speak to birds and flowers, love lost on the battlefield, waiting for dear ones to return and feeling of nostalgia for the country one has left. This performance will weave together songs from Hungary, Serbia, ex-Yugoslav Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria as well as old Sephardic melodies.

Drawing on their shared history as keyboard players with Dead Can Dance, Astrid Williamson and Jules Maxwell, join forces to create an evening of evocative folk-infused electronics and neoclassical elegance. Performing songs from Williamson’s acclaimed album Shetland Suite (voted #1 folk album of 2024 by Mojo Magazine) and Maxwell’s instrumental Nocturnes album (described by Brendan Perry as “A beautiful work of reflective, sophisticated elegance”), Williamson and Maxwell create a mesmerising, deeply moving sonic space where haunting melodies, cyclical rhythms and cinematic depth collide. Astrid Williamson rose to prominence in the early 1990s as part of indie trio Goya Dress and over a thirty year career has collaborated with John Cale (Velvet Underground), Johnny Marr & Bernard Sumner (as part of Electronic), Arthur Baker, Stereophonics, Leo Abrahams, This Mortal Coil/ Hope Blister originator Ivo Watts- Russell, and Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance/Hans Zimmer). She appeared in Rob Newman’s BBC comedy series The History of The World Backwards as musical director, song arranger and performer and her songs have featured in films including Bill Forsyth’s Gregory’s Two Girls. Jules Maxwell composed songs for Le Mystére des Voix Bulgares 2018 album “Boocheemish” and for the 2025 album “Terra Mãe” by Portuguese Fado singer Lina Rodrigues. He created two albums with Lisa Gerrard - “Burn” and “One Night in Porto”. His theatre work includes National Theatre productions of “Mother Courage” directed by Deborah Warner and “Love the Sinner” directed by Matthew Dunster. At Shakespeare’s Globe he composed for "The Merchant of Venice” starring Jonathan Pryce and “Boudica” starring Gina McKee. He has created modern dance soundtracks for Wayne McGregor, Cathy Marston, Bern Ballet, Skanes Dansteater Malmö, Jasmin Vardimon and Candoco Dance Company and in 2024 his debut full length opera “The Lost Thing” was presented by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

THE VAGABAND's soulful, rustic approach to their music makes their extraordinary blend of Americana, toe-tapping folk-jazz and soulful rock a unique proposition in an age where music is often presented in a way that is too studied, too knowing and somewhat safe. Their musicianship means that consummate band-leader José McGill can rely on the band for sturdy backing as well as stellar improvisation for the fantastic home-grown repertoire and the inspired cover versions too. The Vagaband are designed to be lapped up in huge gulps by an audience that likes to have all their musical needs satisfied and their dancing shoes cajoled into action as well. They are nigh-on impossible to dislike. Heroes in their home town, walk with them as they take on the world. "The Vagaband - proof that the devil doesn't always have the best tunes...stunning." - Q Magazine

"Somewhere in the heartlands, in a town called 'Americana USA,' nestles a particular variety of singer songwriter. Someone who views a melodic sensibility through the bottom of a whiskey glass. Canadian songstress Lynne Hanson could run for mayor of that town." R2 Magazine Too tough for folk and too blues-influenced for country, Lynne Hanson’s brand of porch music with a little red dirt can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue sky ballad to a full on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp from one song to the next. Her hard living music has garnered her the nickname “Canada’s own Queen of Americana.” And while her deep, bluesy croon has drawn comparisons to Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, it’s the poetry of her lyrics that really sets her apart. “A contemporary blend of both mainstream hip & retro musicality … Her voice potentiates popular music with modern sensitivity that’s effective & assertive … Lynne Hanson is that good an artist.” - Americana Highways A two-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner, Hanson is known for her high energy, roots guitar driven live performances. She has an uncanny way of connecting with her audience with an authenticity that is as entertaining as it is disarming. “On stage Hanson has a wonderful charm and disarming sense of humour … a spontaneity and honesty that enchants.” - Americana UK Hanson has released ten studio albums along with two books of poetry over her 20 year solo career. Along the way she’s won two Canadian Folk Music Awards, as well as the Colleen Peterson songwriting award. She’s toured extensively across North America, Europe and the UK, and appeared at leading international festivals including Take Root (Netherlands), Glasgow Americana (Scotland), Maverick Festival (UK), Kerrville Folk Festival (US), and Winnipeg Folk Festival (Canada). She has also toured as support for Grammy-nominated artists like Gretchen Peters, Steve Forbert and Albert Lee. “That performance from Lynne Hanson was worth waiting for. It was different, yet mightily satisfying for those hooked in the magnetic appeal of songwriters sharing their valued craft. It underlined the versatility of this Canadian who you feel could grace any arena in a folk, country and rock scene.” - Three Chords And The Truth (UK) Lynne Hanson released her tenth album Just A Poet in May 2024. “Just A Poet” was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Album of the Year.

Prolific Scottish songsmith Tommy Ashby has spent his career refining a natural talent for capturing the innate beauty of everyday moments in a dulcet combination of ethereal sonics and hushed vocals. His fascination with the human relationship to sound saw him complete a PhD in Psychoacoustics, knowledge of which Tommy deftly utilises throughout his songcraft to illuminate the beautiful minutia of life, nature, and relationships. As his first self-produced effort, sophomore album ‘Mantis’ is understandably Tommy’s most introspective and personal work yet. A self-confessed over-thinker, Tommy uses the record to examine the anxieties and fears that arise through isolation and how our emotional connections and relationships to others can support us at our most vulnerable moments “The album name Mantis comes from the song of the same name, which is about the fear of making a real connection with someone. I liked the weird metaphor of a mantis, known for decapitating its potential mate. The idea is that we exaggerate the risks, and they hold us from doing what we should. The worry that if we put ourselves out there, our flaws will be on display for all to see. But opening ourselves up, even only a tiny bit, is the only way we make connections with others. This song moves from the fear of being rejected to the happiness that comes with connection.” ‘Mantis’ arrives Friday 6th June 2025 via Dance To The Radio. Tommy’s previous works have amassed over 30 million streams across Spotify and seen him tour with the likes of Skinny Living, Banners, Tom Speight, Turin Brakes, Luke Sital-Singh, Jamie Lawson, and Nina Nesbitt as well as receiving continued support across Spotify Editorial mood playlists, and a multitude of syncs at mainstream media including Grey’s Anatomy, Atypical (Netflix), Love Island, The Innocents (Netflix), Found (NBC) and across various placements on advertising and film.

Chloe Matharu: "A voice of milk and honey” - Anaïs Mitchell "Superwoman enigma... incredibly talented " - BBC Scotland Chloe Matharu is a Scottish Indian singer songwriter, harpist and harmonium player based in the Outer Hebrides. She is an independent, multi-award winning, internationally touring, musician and draws on her experience of sailing the world as a Navigational Officer in the Merchant Navy to lend a voice to the modern day seafarer through music. Bringing back to life the folk tradition of narrating working conditions and traditions, she uses her lived experiences, storytelling, and music to reel audiences into her watery world. Live, Chloe performs in English, Scots, and Gaelic interlinking modern and historic maritime themes through song. Solo, Matharu accompanies her singing with either her Celtic Harp or her Punjabi grandfather's Harmonium. Her performances are deeply personal and unique. She also performs as the Chloe Matharu Trio (voice/harp, guitar, flute); the Chloe Matharu Band (voice/harp, guitar, flute and fiddle) or as Chloe Matharu and the Celtic Deep (voice/harp, guitar, flute, fiddle, percussion, keyboard) the latter offering a mix of more upbeat songs alongside Chloe's original repertoire. You may have come across Chloe in her TV and radio features such as on BBC Scotland's Island Crossings, BBC Woman's Hour, BBC Loose Ends, features in The Times and The Sun, amongst others. She is the only artist to have won Celtic Music Radio’s Album of the Year twice; she's also received the Danny Kyle Award at Celtic Connections amongst other awards and nominations including MG Alba Awards Scots Singer of the Year Nominee. She's a Live Music Now musician and is involved in her local community. When not performing music Chloe spends her time riding her horses, long distance sea swimming and running her croft on Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland. "A beautiful dynamic movement that carries the listener along." - Folk Radio UK Theo Dussek: Theo Dussek ‘Pirate Troubadour’ is an acoustic folk singer-songwriter - a nomadic, romantic soul from simpler days of sailors and sweethearts, whalers and horse carts. He finds himself in the 21st century with an endeavour to keep alive the troubadour’s tradition of serenading, whilst being ever-influenced by the oceans and rivers that call to his heart. Theo places poetry and storytelling at the heart of his craft. Fingerstyle guitar playing, tender melodies and deep lyrics; let the music hook you in - and you’ll be a fan forever. His latest album Written in the River is a personal map of healing, identity and serendipitous meetings; an offering to the queer folk canon as evidence of hope. If you’ve ever loved - Theo’s got your back. Theo is awaiting his invitation onto Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior as the ship’s official artistic chronicler; funding has yet to be allocated. In the meantime he continues to perfect a machine that travels time - his voice-activated Compass Yamaha Guitar. “The songs…a celebration of love and joy to which we can all relate” Folk London “More [of his] happy song[s]!” Theo’s 4-year-old nephew “There is a frank and earnest sincerity to Theo’s lyric style…he sings with clarity and feeling, straight from the heart.” Folk and Honey

Friends since the early 2000’s, American folk singers Anna Vogelzang & Raina Rose are thrilled to embark on a tour to the UK in early 2027. The pair will share stories, swap songs, and collaborate across an intimate evening peppered with humor, musical prowess, and close knit harmonies. Both of the singer-songwriters will cross the pond with new albums in tow, and captivating songs & stories to share. Raina Rose Internationally touring artist Raina Rose has been a pillar of the folk music scene in Austin, TX since taking up residency in the Live Music Capital of the World in 2007. Raina toured relentlessly for the better part of fifteen years, supporting such acts as Allison Russell, John Craigie, & Jill Sobule. You will find her annually at the Kerrville Folk Festival; she has been booked at SXSW, Folk Alliance International, High Sierra Music Festival, Vancouver Island Music Festival, Fayetteville Roots Fest and more. Raina works as a writer, herbalist and traveling folk singer. Her forthcoming album, Foxglove, was community funded and will be released in 2027. Anna Vogelzang Anna Vogelzang believes in the power of songs. Since 2004, the Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist has independently released 7 award-winning albums and toured extensively throughout the US, sharing the stage with a wide range of acts from Gillian Welch to Sara Bareilles to Watkins Family Hour. She has been a featured performer at Evanston Folk Festival, The Fretboard Summit, SXSW, Folk Alliance International, & more. Atwood Magazine says her songwriting is “beautifully visceral”, exuding “the kind of storytelling ability passed down through decades of folk tradition - it walks the line between the modern and the nostalgic”. Her voice has been described as “an ethereal, lucid thing” that “nets melodies like it’s catching monarchs”. Her most recent return to indie folk, Afterglow, was community funded and released in June of 2025.

M G Boulter has been quietly working at creating rich and evocative story songs since 2013. Garnering praise from reviewers like Uncut describing his work as "gorgeous in a word" and R2 listing him as "a weapons grade songwriter", M G creates vignettes of suburban lives and is a contemporary voice in the long tradition of the singer-songwriter. Often referred to as the artist's artist M G has been a much sought after collaborator in the folk and Americana scenes, having significant tenures in the Simone Felice Group, The Duke and the King, Emily Portman's Coracle Band, Blue Rose Code and Jon Boden's Remnant Kings. He’s signed to Sheffield based label, Hudson Records.

Dana Gillespie’s incredible 60 year career is a star-studded musical adventure. In the 1960s she was a folk-pop troubadour signed to Decca Records, rubbing shoulders with Dylan and the Beatles. In the 1970s she collaborated with the likes of Rick Wakeman and David Bowie, with Bowie writing her hit song ‘Andy Warhol’, and producing her 1973 album ‘Weren’t Born a Man’ (RCA Records). Through the 1980s, while signed to Ace Records, she began to establish herself as the queen of the blues that she is today, writing and recording prolifically. With a remarkable back catalogue of music and wealth of tales from the golden age of music, she continues to charm and enthral audiences across the world. Her creativity and passion show no signs of relenting. Within just the last five years alone she has released her autobiography to great acclaim from The Times, The Spectator and The Daily Mail, released a new studio album (Deep Pockets on Ace Records), and recorded a new live album (Live at TAM). All the while she has continued to perform across the UK, Europe and South East Asia, also travelling to Texas to play at the famous SXSW festival in 2023, and selling out two nights downstairs at Ronnie Scotts. In 2024 she released ‘First Love’ a collaborative album with Mark Almond (Soft Cell). "It's an index of Gillespie's empathy with her material that the originals blend so seamlessly with the classic covers... that's no mean achievement...[she] literally beats the pants off anything done by a British bluesman these last 10 years." Charles Shaar Murray

Zoë Nicol believes songs can do more than tell stories; they can also build worlds. Her creative life is shaped by a fascination with both the landscapes around us and those within us. Drawn to ideas of sustainability, mindful living and environmental responsibility, she is equally interested in the inner worlds we inhabit: the stories we tell ourselves, the experiences that shape us, and the ways creativity can help us make sense of them. Inspired by the conversations found in podcasts such as On Purpose, Feel Better, Live More and The Minimalists, Zoë’s songwriting is informed by a curiosity about what helps people, communities and the wider world flourish. A singer-songwriter from Kent with Liverpudlian and Irish roots, now based in Liverpool, Zoë is best known for her work with Worry Dolls, the acclaimed duo who performed alongside artists including Robert Plant and Mumford & Sons, were nominated for Single of the Year at the AMA Awards, and received The Drake YolanDa Award. Career highlights include Bob Harris’ Under The Apple Tree sessions, Glastonbury Festival and performances on the main stage at Cambridge Folk Festival. Whether through songs, stories, therapy, conversation or the quiet practices that shape everyday life, Zoë’s work is guided by the same question: how can we care more deeply for the world around us, and for the worlds within us?

Swilkie is the new album from Highlands-based songwriter Iona Lane. Charting at #23 in the Official Folk Album Charts, Swilkie weaves ecology, conservation, islands and folklore into poetic songs and contemplative melodies. Written during three residencies on the Isle of Eigg, Isle of Mull and Sanday in Orkney, sense of place and landscape are at the core of these songs. From basking sharks to lighthouses, lichen to vanishing islands, curlews to tree planting; the album was recorded in a boathouse on the West Coast of Scotland and the eager listener may even hear the lapping sound of the tide murmuring through the album. Iona’s connection to places by the sea is translated through these songs with evolving vocal melodies, subtle guitar and droning shruti box. “It stopped me in my tracks when I first heard it… Haunting, touching, atmospheric, loving it!” – Mark Radcliffe BBCR2 “Swilkie is a masterful album full of heartfelt emotion and breathtaking songwriting” – KLOF Mag “Swilkie is evocative of coastline, nature & history, much like the sound of wind & sea reflecting Iona’s airy, light & gentle voice.” – RnR

Bad ideas, VCRs, crumbling factories, hairy dogs, questionable tattoos…all are fair game for funeral director-turned-songwriter (and newly-minted 2026 Canadian Folk Music English Songwriter of the Year) Terra Spencer. And the songs are good ones, judging from the accolades her four albums have received, and the caliber of collaborators like Matt Andersen, Dave Gunning, and David Francey, who welcomed Terra as a co-writer and performer on his JUNO-winning album ‘The Breath Between’. Cinematic storytelling is a hallmark of many great Canadian folk songwriters, but in Terra’s case, it is charged with the wood-paneled ’70s warmth of Elton John, Karen Carpenter, and Jackson Browne. As a fun-loving and fearless solo performer, Terra has played some of Canada’s most renowned festival stages, including Mariposa, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, and Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, where her Maritime waltz “Lunenburg Moon” has become an unofficial anthem. Think Steve Poltz and Carole King’s East Coast cousin. Terra grew up as an only child on the banks of the Avon River with the world’s highest tides, surrounded by country music. As a shy teen, she took refuge in her grandparents’ basement where she played Broadway show tunes on a battleship upright piano, learning guitar in secret from her granddad’s Chet Atkins records. Her passion for songwriting came much later, after being hired on as a backup singer while scooping ice cream at a festival by country performer Ryan Cook. Their travels set the stage for Terra’s solo debut in 2018, blooming into a career that quickly overshadowed her funeral ambitions, taking her across Canada and to the US, UK, and Germany. Her solo fourth album ‘Sunset’ was named the 2024 Penguin Eggs Album of the Year (alongside Julian Taylor’s ‘Pathways’) and 2025 Music Nova Scotia Folk/Roots Recording of the Year, and garnered her a CFMA nomination for 2026 Solo Artist of the Year. It features guests from East to West, including Matt Andersen and Stephen Fearing. Although her butterscotch voice, deft fingerstyle guitar, and gospel-charged piano make her a formidable musician, it’s her onstage ease, spirited spontaneity, and crackling East Coast wit that make each show feel like a knee-to-knee conversation in a room of 5 or 500, on either side of the Atlantic. “The real deal.” – Ron Sexsmith

Mando maestro Andrew Collins finds himself – through no actual fault of his own – at the epicentre of Canada’s burgeoning acoustic/roots music scene. He didn’t invent it – but he's certainly been a contributor, having co-founded seriously noteworthy Canadian bands like the Creaking Tree String Quartet, the Foggy Hogtown Boys and, more recently, his namesake Trio. That’s not to mention the fact that this prolific, robust performer – comfortable on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, mandola and mandocello – composes, produces, arranges, writes and teaches across multiple genres, including a popular collision of folk, jazz, bluegrass, celtic, and classical. As Collins gathers up innumerable JUNO nominations (5) and Canadian Folk Music Awards (7) won by his various ensembles, he’s zeroing in on the work he does with Trio-mates: fellow string guru Adam Shier, whose versatility shines through on guitar, mandolin, and vocals, and in-the-pocket James McEleney holding it down on the bass, mandocello and vocals. Showcasing a dizzying number of styles and instruments on stage, Collins and Co. appear to live by the old adage, “idle hands are the devil’s workshop”, likely keeping them just ahead of his grasp. Bending and blending genres, these musical shape shifters land somewhere between the re-imagined worlds of Béla Fleck and Newgrass invader, David Grisman. In 2024, they released The Rule of Three, which received much acclaim including three more 2025 Canadian Folk Music Award nominations. True to his form, Andrew hasn't allowed himself to rest on his laurels. The Trio have a new release on its way. Retro, a retrospective look back at Andrew's 25+ years composing and performing his own music, explores and reimagines some of his favourite pieces that predate the trio's existence. Keep your eyes and ears out for the 2025 release.

Hailing from the country music capital of New Zealand, Jenny Mitchell is an Aotearoa Music Award Winner and 4 x Australian Golden Guitar nominated songwriter, who weaves folk and country influences around stories of family, nostalgia and connection to the land. Following a 32-date Australian tour supporting the iconic Kasey Chambers, the release of her breakthrough album Forest House and an opening slot for global superstars The Lumineers, Jenny has emerged as one of the most moving new voices in country music on both sides of the Tasman.

“Campbell is a powerhouse on the banjo, not flashy or virtuoso, but with a natural feel for this music. It courses through her veins.” – Roots World Murphy Campbell is a ballad singer and old time banjo player with deep roots in Western North Carolina. Having just released her debut EP “Murphy Campbell” last year and her upcoming album Revenant set to be released this winter, she is a fast rising star within the traditional community. A contemporary clawhammer banjoist rooted in the influences of the Toe River valley, Murphy has developed a playing style that speaks to those familiar and unfamiliar with old time. With a bold but memorably sweet voice that demands the ear listens, Murphy has preserved countless ballads from her family tree. Murphy’s debut album Revenant is an act of preservation; over a dozen ballads from her ancestors recorded within a historic Mitchell county church under a mile from where her family settled hundreds of years ago. Performed with complete love and admiration for those who came before and complemented by her signature low tuned gut string banjo, it demonstrates that Murphy’s age of 19 is not the age of her soul. Murphy has played Scruggs Fest, FolkFest, MerleFest and has opened for the likes of Molly Tuttle and Chatham Rabbits. || Debut Album “Revenant” to be released late 2026. || “Murphy Campbell is on a mission to preserve the sound of Yancey and Mitchell counties. It’s also the sound of her family.” – Blue Ridge Public Radio