Music / folk and roots
Bristol’s month in Folk and Roots – September 2025
Bristol’s Folk and Roots scene is back with a vengeance in September.
While the new students find their feet, the rest of us have everything from exciting folky experimentation to gorgeous singer-songwriters, from a shanty festival to a Folk Walk and a brilliant bit of theatre too.
Sarah McQuaid – photo: St Anne’s Arts and Community Centre
After a well-deserved summer break, Downend folk club returns with wonderful singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid on Friday 19. Her voice is deep and lush, sometimes reminiscent of June Tabor. She is supported by long time Downend favourite, Mike Weaver.
There is, of course, plenty of good stuff just off of Park Street. Sunday 14 sees the return of Sam Carter. He is, simply, one of the finest folk guitarists around, writes fantastic songs and is promoting his new single, Tubal Cain.
There’s a Ceilidh on Saturday 20, featuring the Brewery Band, then UK Americana should-be-superstars the Black Feathers play on Sunday 21 – they are always so good live, Sian Chandler just has the greatest voice.
Aaron Catlow, who heads up longstanding festival favourites Sheelanagig, is a blistering Bluegrass player – photo: Shambala
A brand-new, monthly Traditional Irish Music Session starts on Monday 22; it’s free and you’ll be welcomed whether you’re there to play or listen.
Finally local (ish) favourites, Brooks Williams & Aaron Catlow are back on Sunday 28. Catlow is the fiddle player with Sheelanagig, Williams has played with the likes of Boo Hewerdine and they make a glorious jazzy, bluesy, Bluegrassy, Americana noise.
Canadian Bluegrass and Country singer-songwriter Jake Vaadeland plays on Friday 5. His latest album, Retro Man…More and More, is a mix of trad country, Bluegrass and 50s rockabilly. It is, therefore, great.
The latest buzzy Irish band Kingfishr play two shows on Saturday 6. One is a matinee show, both are those ‘live and signing’ things, both are sold out. They are back in Bristol in December though (at the O2).
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Detta Kenzie plays as part of the latest Rising Stars series on Tuesday 16. About to release her debut EP, Kenzie is a fabulous storyteller with a voice to match. She is joined by Chris Cleverley.
Welsh duo Zervas & Pepper bring This Flight Tonight, The Songs of Joni Mitchell to the main hall on Saturday 20. Expect a brilliant tribute to some of the finest songs ever written. The first half will be Mitchell’s classic album Blue in its entirety, while the second half pulls on her staggering early catalogue.
Özcan Ateş – photo: the Dovetail Orchestra
Things are nicely eclectic over at the Beacon in September. Bristol-based artist Anna Colette gets all country-tinged on Thursday 25 as she launches her debut single on the Weston Stage. Not only will there be a full-band performance but there’ll be a screening of her “cinematic black-and-white Sapphic Western” too.
If you like your folk music from the Turkish and Kurdish traditions, then Özcan Ateş is in the Lantern Hall on Sunday 22. He is an absolute master of the long-necked lute and has played with the Dovetail Orchestra.
Possibly the most exciting folk gig of the month is at Strange Brew on Friday 19. Poor Creature are made up of bits of Lankum and Landless, they make psych folk with blurry, ghostlike edges; loops and harmonies take trad folk into new, and eerie, places.
If the album, All Smiles Tonight, is anything to go by, this is going to be amazing.
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Equally amazing is master of the Scottish smallpipes Brighde Chaimbeul, who plays this lovely place on Thursday 18. The Guardian say that she is “Simultaneously ancient and modern, profound and direct”.
At the start of the month (Tuesday 2), the Spooky Men’s Chorale are back in Bristol for the first time in ages. They are, as ever, not to be missed.
OAK Choir will meet at St Ambrose Church in Whitehall on Wednesday evenings, 7-9pm, for eight weeks from September 3 – photo: Rachael Dadd
Celebrating some comfy new chairs, The Wardrobe on Old Market has awesome folk-pop from Rachel Dadd on Monday 22. This set promises to be all new, a bit more jazzy than previous and features the OAK Choir – a joyful community choir that Dadd leads.
The Fleece
Jake Xerxes Fussell plays at the Fleece on Tuesday 2. Fussell is one of the greatest modern interpreters of American folk song; he was brilliant at Strange Brew a couple of years ago and is one of those artists that manage to sound new and old at the same time.
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St Catherine’s Child is described as “softly stunning, mesmerising country-tinged indie” and she is one of the rising stars of the America indie-folk/Americana scene. She plays in the Chicken Shed on Tuesday 16. T
he Hen and Chicken Studio welcomes Australian rootsy singer-songwriter Nigel Wearne on Monday 22. He is part Tom Waits, part Nick Cave, part Van Morrison and steeped in noir-folk, Americana and Blues.
There is, as ever, a whole load of wonderfully inclusive stuff over in Easton this month.
Alex Garden hosts their regular Folk Sessions on Tuesday 2 and 16. There’s a Ceilidh on Friday 12 (also hosted by Garden) and then the quite remarkable multi-instrumentalist/composer/instrument maker, Malin Lewis, plays the Greenbank Folk Club on Wednesday 24.
Lewis is a bagpiper, a fiddle player and maker of some of the most incredible instrumental folk music that you’ll ever hear. Their latest album, Halocline, is superb; ground breaking Celtic music from the Scottish tradition.
Other things and other places
Just beneath the M32 flyover, the latest Stories in the Shavings night takes place at Bristol Tree Craft on Thursday 4. Queer Folk duo, Lucy & Hazel, weave trad folk with glorious harmonies and an eye for story-telling.
The next night two of the South West’s most vibrant alt-folk artists, Anna Ling and Aellin, play Circomedia on Friday 5.
Saturday 6 sees a bit of a clash, as English singer-songwriter Connie Talbot plays the basement of the Exchange and brilliant soundscapey multi-instrumentalists Eleven Magpies are at the Tobacco Factory.
Dreamy songwriters Flyte play Trinity on Thursday 11 – their latest album is being compared to the Jayhawks and Elliot Smith – and, on the same day, three of Bristol’s finest fiddle players play at Cafe Kino. There are only 30 tickets for that one but Fiona Barrow, Joe Mansfield and Dan Weltman will be incredible.
Windmill Hill folk quartet the Town Gardens play St John on the Wall on Saturday 20 and, finally, Canadian-Serbian singer-songwriter Dana Gavanski is at the Cube on Tuesday 23.
And if that wasn’t enough…
A shanty festival takes place by the harbour this September – photo: the Underfall Yard
Underfall Yard hosts the Bristol Shanty Shout on Saturday 20. Celebrating some of the best shanty singing in the city, the line-up features Harry Brown’s, Jolly Grogsters, Poole Me Hearties and the Rusty Tubs. Proceeds go to the rebuilding of the Underfall Yard and the Somerset Prostate Support charity. It’s going to be a raucous sell-out and a damn good time.
Wander Gather are staging a Folk on Foot event on Sunday 7 where they will walk from Pensford to Stanton Drew. There will be foraging along the two-mile walk, as well as music from banjo player Alex Horsley. It will start at 13:00 and end, in the Druid’s Arms, at about 15:30.
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One of our massive highlights from a few days up at the Edinburgh Fringe was seeing the brilliant, new musical experience Ohio. Fortunately, it makes its way down to the Old Vic from September 2 to 13.
It’s performed by folky duo the Bengsons and explores faith, loss and tinnitus with huge bursts of joy. Take tissues because it will definitely make you cry.
Read more of Gavin’s thoughts on folk, music and life at tallfolk.substack.com
Main image: Wander Gather
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