Music / folk
Bristol’s month in Folk and Roots – April 2025
Is April the best time of the year? Everything feels just about ready to spring back to life, the sun is shining on the best bits of Bristol and there are a whole host of amazing gigs to enjoy. There’s even a bit of theatre and an exhibition too.
For all of the brilliant folk and roots music that is on in Bristol through April, one of the most extraordinary things that you will see this month is Shit Theatre: Or What’s Left of Us, which runs at the Old Vic from Tuesday 8 until Saturday 19.
is needed now More than ever
We saw it at the Edinburgh festival last year and it’s incredible. Using folk music to come to terms with grief, it’s a very beautiful sixty minute show that will definitely leave you in tears, Fortunately there will be a singaround in the bar immediately afterwards, to make everything better
Hannah Scott is a contemporary folk musician whose songs of human connection regularly moves people to tears
Downend Folk & Roots return to Christ Church on Friday 25 (a week later than usual, due to Easter celebrations) with singer songwriter Hannah Scott. She’s already a firm favourite with the Downend faithful and a fantastic contemporary folk voice. Support comes from dreamy indie-folkster Coruja Jones.
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Bristol’s very own Folk Choir, Heartwood Chorus, launch their debut EP on Thursday 3. Aside from their wonderful harmonies, the evening will include acapella duo Bowker & Morse as well as plenty of dancing from Heaps Morris and the Swanning Folk. Heartwood are celebrating being together for five years and, I reckon, they just keep getting better.
Enda McCabe studied traditional Irish music performance at the University of Limerick and is working actively to maintain the Bardic tradition – photo: Enda McCabe
There is so much great music tucked away half way up Park Street. Transatlantic folk trio the Magpies play on Sunday 6. They fuse Celtic folk with Bluegrass and folk music in its broadest definitions, and are simply brilliant live.
The following day, Monday 7, Whisky River bring their Cajun/Zydeco/Celtic folk loveliness to the cafe. Songlines Magazine described Threaded as ‘beautiful, refreshing and charming’, while Fatea reckon they are “dazzling”. They play folk music with classical and soundscapey influence on Thursday 10.
The duo that started the superb Filkin’s Ensemble play on Sunday 13. Filkin’s Drift are simply mesmerising, their mix of Welsh folk song, English tunes and gorgeous close harmonies just so good.
Daphne Chenel & Ollie Dixon play a co-headline show on Wednesday 23. Chenel is a French singer-songwriter while Dixon is an alt-folk artist from the West Country. Both are fabulous.
Dublin-born Enda McCabe plays in the cafe on Thursday 24 and, finally, the brilliant UK Country duo, the Black Feathers, are welcomed back to the Folk House on Sunday 27. If all of that wasn’t enough the Lore & Land exhibition runs from Thursday 3.
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Making sure that the Folk House doesn’t have a total monopoly on good gigs, there’s plenty at the Beacon too. Willy Vlautin’s Country-Soul band The Delines kick off April on Tuesday 1 in the Lantern Hall, with support from Peter Bruntnell.
Local folk rock band Folklaw launch their new album Catch the Sun on Wednesday 2. If you buy a ticket you’ll get a copy of the album too.
Alt-Country/contemporary folk duo Lilo play on the Western Stage on Friday 4, they’ve been compared to the likes of Laura Marling and Mitski.
Incredible Welsh trip harpist Cerys Hafana supports Charlie Cunningham on Tuesday 29.
The Eve Appleton Band played at St Dunstans in Bedminster and Outer Town festival on the Trinity stage last year – photo: Eve Appleton Band
Fearsome Country rockers Sarah Shook & the Disarmers play in the main room on Friday 11 with support from the Eve Appleton Band.
Then, incredible singer-songwriter NATI finds her way to the Exchange as part of her Golden tour. The last time I saw her, she was supporting the Longest Johns at the Beacon and (very nearly) stole the show. She has the most amazing voice and this show is going to be something not to miss.
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UK Country superstars Morganway play the boat on Friday 25 in support of their new album Kill the Silence. They are always brilliant live – SJ Mortimer’s voice is just one of the best around.
Over in Bedminster, Hartwin Dhoore & Ross Grant play on Wednesday 9. An accordionist and a fiddle player, they started to collaborate over lockdown and are two fine players. This duo gig is in an informal ‘bal’ setting so there should be plenty of scope for dancing.
The Wilderness Yet at Downend Folk & Roots club in 2023 – photo: Barry Savell
Another favourite of Downend Folk & Roots play at the New Room on Thursday 10. The Wilderness Yet are a trio featuring folksinger Rosie Hodgson, traditional fiddler Rowan Piggott and guitarist-flautist Philippe Barnes. They play beautiful, traditional folk music and their three-part harmonies are glorious.
The Canteen
Ma Polaine’s Great Decline are a bit tricky to define. Maybe pop-folk-Blues-Americana-speakeasy vibes would do the job? Whatever you choose, they are awesome live. They play the Canteen on Thursday 10 and it’s free to get in. Bargain!
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As ever, Rough Trade stretch the boundaries of folk and roots a bit but Holly Macve on Monday 7 and Hannah Rose Platt on Friday 25 are both incredible singer-songwriters, both are superb live and both have great new albums out.
Greenbank Folk Club, St Anne’s Church, Easton
In this latest show, Heal & Harrow pay a humanising tribute to the women that died in the 16-17th century Scottish witch trials, while also exploring historical beliefs in the supernatural and modern day parallels in our society – photo: Edinburgh International Harp Festival
Heal & Harrow are Rachel Newton (the Furrow Collective / Spell Songs) and Lauren MacColl (Rant). They are two of the most celebrated contemporary folk musicians in the country. Join them for an intimate evening of song and melody on harp, fiddle and viola, spanning the ancient to the strikingly contemporary on Wednesday 16.
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The usual Garden Folk Sessions, with Alex Garden, take place on Tuesday 1 and Tuesday 15.
Sarabeth Tucek’s latest album, Joan of All, has received rave reviews – photo: Sarabeth Tucek
Hen & Chicken in Bedminster continues to be the home of quality Americana in Bristol. Sarabeth Tucek plays an intimate, acoustic show on Friday 18 with her longtime producer Luther Russell. Expect tracks from the whole of her back catalogue, including songs from the latest album, Joan of All.
Sam Outlaw is a singer-songwriter from California, influenced by the classic Bakersfield Sound of the 60s and 70s Laurel Canyon. He plays on Monday 21.
The next day, Tuesday 21, Mark Eitzel, former leader of American Music Club performs solo songs and classics from his old band.
Finally, Niall McCabe veers away from the Americana into something a little more nu-folk. Having been the vocalist in Irish trad-fusion band Beoga, McCabe is now solo and brimming with soul.
As ever, the Cube goes for the experimental and the seriously interesting. Nick Hart & Linus Vandewolken play as part of the Song Has No Ending: Spring in April series on Sunday 13. Hart is one of the great modern interpreters of folk song while Vandewolken is a Hommel (a bit like a dulcimer) player and conjures drones and melody as well as vital primitivism.
The second part of the Song Has No Ending series takes place on Thursday 24 and features brilliant French vocal trio Tartine De Clous. They are supported by Aidan Thorne & Toby Hay. Both of these gigs should be quite extraordinary.
Something for May….
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Finally, a bit of a heads up. Bristol Folk Festival takes place over the weekend of May 2-4 at St George’s. The headliners are brilliant this year: Talisk (Friday 2), Filkin’s Ensemble, Katherine Priddy and Martin Simpson (Saturday 3) and Granny’s Attic and Catrin Finch & Aoife Ni Bhriain (Sunday 4).
There’s some great stuff at the Folk House too, including the Goblin Band (Sunday 4). The Folk Festival is always the highlight of the Bristol folky year and 2025 looks like a vintage line-up.
Main image: Eve Appleton Band
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