Martin Simpson on song collecting, Graham Coxon, the Watersons and the true definition of folk music.
Some call it intimacy, but in this case I’d call it honesty. It takes a very talented musician indeed to hold your attention over 14 tracks with no studio trickery to hide behind, and (let’s face it) there are fewer more talented musicians on the folk scene than Martin Simpson.
'Weird folk' seems to exist at the crossroads between traditional folk music, experimentalism, and psychogeography. James Hadfield explores.
Rounding up a collection of Spotify playlists dedicated to the tradition. Plus, the chance to tell you that 'Sing it Loud, Sing it Roud' exists, just because it's such a good title.
A new year dawns and we wipe the folkie slate clean. We asked around to find out what 2023 holds for folk events and album releases. Here's what the Tradfolk team are looking forward to.
A cohort of Martin Simpson fans pick the songs they think you ought to hear.
As Martin Simpson celebrates his 70th birthday (not to mention 58 years as a guitarist), we asked his admirers to pitch questions on a musical life very well lived.
Martin Simpson and Thomm Jutz gather together a group of stellar singers to investigate songs from Cecil Sharp's escapades in the Appalachians.
Martin Simpson and Thomm Jutz gather together a coterie of extraordinary musicians and bring to life the songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry.
From Paul Simon to Billy Bragg to Stewart Lee; from Peggy Seeger to Eliza Carthy to Anaïs Mitchell, some of Martin Carthy's biggest fans line up the questions...
From books to prints, from workshops to subscriptions, here's the Tradfolk list of Christmas gifts for that special folkie in your life.
Jon Wilks offers up vignettes from the best folk gigs he's seen this year as we ask you what your favourites were in 2023.