Darren's music blog

Stray are possibly not the only band of a certain vintage to have played Hastings Pier in their 1970s heyday and then returned to play to an enthusiastic crowd at the Carlisle rock pub down the road some fifty years later.

From Kent, and an established member of the modern English folk scene, James Kerry is well known for his passionate, rhythmic playing rooted in folk dance tradition.

Originally commissioned by the organisers of the Folk By The Oak festival, the Spell Songs project was initially conceived as a one-off project but are now onto their third album.

As we headed towards our usual rendezvous point in a Banbury layby so that our assembled group could drive in together and set up camp next to one another, there were two niggles on my mind.

Dust in the Sun by Jon Loomes is presented as a ‘lost’ English folk album, recorded in the long hot summer of 1976.

Diamond Rainbows is the fifth album from the Julie July Band and their fourth album of original material.

I first came across the delightful Bity Booker supporting Green Diesel in Brighton last summer.

From the island of Grimsay, in Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Pàdruig Morrison is an acclaimed accordionist and composer.

Released: 12 June 2026 “In the 21st century it’s refreshing to know that there are still artists creating unique albums.

Released: 8th May 2026 “We were spellbound by her ability to highlight unique perspectives with her songwriting” – Maverick magazine “Duffy’s first-class writing shines through” – RnR magazine The double A-side ‘Lock Up Your Daughters’ / ‘He Wore Rose Oil…

John Paul Mason is a Scottish singer-songwriter whose debut album, Overstory, was released late last Autumn.