The Oxted Sessions is honoured to welcome Bernard Butler. Bernard Butler has been noted as one of Britain's most original and influential musicians. In 1989 he formed Suede releasing the Mercury winning No.1 debut Suede and the era-defining Dog Man Star. His collaboration with David McAlmont on the anthemic Yes" provided an intriguing footprint across Britpop's otherwise jingoist landscape culminating in 2 albums and a sell out at London's Roundhouse in 2015. He released two solo albums on Creation, the acclaimed "People Move On" yielding the hit single "Stay", and "Friends and Lovers and a Brit nomination before moving into a celebrated period as producer and songwriter including seminal releases by The Libertines, Tricky, Black Kids, Kate Nash, Nerina Pallot, Teleman, The Cribs, James Morrison, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Frankie & The Heartstrings, Texas, Mark Eitzel, Mull Historical Society, Sam Lee, Oscar Lang and Paloma Faith. In 2005 he began a collaboration with Duffy spawning her five million-selling, Grammy and Brit Award winning debut Rockferry, whilst Butler won the Producer's Award at the 2009 BRIT Awards. He has played guitar live or on records by Pet Shop Boys, Bryan Ferry, Roy Orbison, Bert Jansch, The Libertines, Neneh Cherry, Robert Plant and Ben Watt with whom he toured extensively. Butler's group Trans released a series of EPs featuring tracks grown out of improvisational recordings made at Butler's own Studio 355. Butler acts as proud Patron to the Bert Jansch Foundation, hosts a radio show "BB & The King" on Boogaloo Radio, and spent 5 years as Lead Lecturer in Songwriting at BIMM University and the Abbey Road Institute. He composed the original score to BBC Horizons documentary "Back From The Dead" and collaborates in songwriting camps and workshops. He conducts audience-led PreProduction events around the country for the Musicians Union and is a Patron of the Music Venue Trust and Generator NE. In 2022 a celebrated collaboration with Oscar-nominated actor Jessie Buckley "For All Our Days That Tear The Heart" resulted in widespread critical acclaim and the shortlist to the 2022 Mercury Prize. He has recently completed a new record with celebrated folk pioneer Sam Lee, the debut from The Clockworks and a new solo album. Opening the evening is Tim Keegan. "One of the best songwriters we've got". Paul Heaton. Internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Tim Keegan has spent a quarter of a century wandering the scenic back roads of the western world's underground pop scene. Unmistakably English, but better known in France and the US, Keegan is a master craftsman of the thoughtful pop song. In the UK Tim is perhaps best known as front man of the acclaimed 4-piece, Departure Lounge, folktronic pioneers and darlings of the fledgling Bella Union label in the early 2000s. In February 2025 he released a third album under his own name, Vide Grenier (out now on Meek Giant) featuring the singles, Intensive Care Unit and Jamie's Going Snowboarding.

John Harold Arnold Bramwell, to give him his full name, is perhaps best-known for his time as the songwriter and frontman of Manchester three-piece, I Am Kloot. However, he also possesses an enviable back catalogue as a solo artist and continues to work on new material under the guise of his latest band, John Bramwell & The Full Harmonic Convergence. Bramwell’s first studio output appeared in 1989, when he was performing and recording as Johnny Dangerously and entitled You Me & The Alarm Clock, an album The Guardian referred to as one of the ‘greatest albums you’ve never heard.’ Following a stint as a television presenter and as a member of the band, The Mouth, Bramwell formed I Am Kloot, with two members of The Mouth. They went on to record six studio albums, including the Mercury-Prize nominated album, Sky At Night. Since 2016, Bramwell has reverted to being a solo artist and tours continuously, around the UK and Europe. A home-recorded solo album, Leave Alone the Empty Spaces appeared in 2018 and the follow-up, a more expansive affair, with a working title of The Light Fantastic, is now scheduled for release in 2022.