Nominated for Musician of the Year and for Best Album with Vagrant Stanzas at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014, Martin's shows are intense, eclectic, spellbinding and deeply moving. There is no doubt that after 35 years as a professional musician Martin is better than ever. Widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar players in the world, his interpretations of traditional songs are masterpieces of storytelling. Martin has been nominated an astounding 31 times in the 15 years of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards -- more than any other performer -- with 12 nominations for Musician of The Year, which he has won twice. 2008 saw an incredible five nominations for 'Prodigal Son' and two wins, whilst in 2010 he had an unprecedented six nominations for his CD, True Stories and a win for Best Traditional Track, 'Sir Patrick Spens'. Whether playing American old-time music, blues, a Dylan song or his own material, Martin Simpson is unpredictable, individual and a guitarist of immense subtlety.

These days, David Ford feels much more at home operating on the fringes of the music business, not trying to be famous, not trying to get rich. It might be an unconventional way to conduct a musical career, but this is not a conventional guy, as evidenced by his most recent album, Animal Spirits, a surprisingly accessible, even soulful collection of songs about economics. As an artist Ford still defies classification or comparison. Singer-songwriter doesn’t begin to cover it. He writes and performs with fluency across multiple genres, plays every instrument on the stage and even invents new ones to create truly unique recordings and performances. Every live show is different. Ford’s trademark one-man loop machine circus grows more complex and audacious every year, but then he is just as likely to show up with a six-piece band, a string quartet, jazz drummer or a choir and his most recent UK tour proved he can be equally compelling sat in an armchair, playing acoustic guitar and telling stories. The result is a live spectacle described by The Guardian as “unmissable”. As well as playing sold-out headline shows on both sides of the Atlantic, he has toured with and supported artists such as Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint, Ray LaMontagne, Aimee Mann, Sara Bareilles, Gomez, Aqualung, Richard Ashcroft, Suzanne Vega, Augustana, Ingrid Michaelson and Jakob Dylan.

Iain Matthews is back touring the UK by popular demand.... and this time he's bringing Andy Roberts. Thats half the legendary Plainsong live at Twyford Church on Thursday 30th October 2025. Singer-songwriter Iain Matthews was the original male singer in Fairport Convention, appearing on their first three classic albums, before leaving the band to form Matthews Southern Comfort. With the latter band, he scored a huge number one hit with an iconic cover of Joni Mitchell's Woodstock (which featured on the soundtrack to Daisy Jones & The Six). Next, he began his illustrious solo career (which continues to this day) and also formed the classic folk/rock/Americana band Plainsong with Andy Roberts... Singer, songwriter and lead guitarist Andy Roberts had his first taste of fame as a member of the legendary poetry and music collectives, The Scaffold and Liverpool Scene, before establishing himself as a solo artist, songwriter and highly in-demand session guitarist and forming Plainsong with Iain. Post Plainsong, Andy toured as a guitarist on the Pink Floyd The Wall Tour, backed Billy Connelly, written TV and film scores and even provided music and voice for Spitting Image! From having huge hits with The Scaffold, to touring with Led Zeppelin, via being on an album produced by Jimi Hendrix to hanging out round at Paul McCartney's house, you name it: Andy's done it! Expect fantastic harmonies, scintillating guitar playing and stories galore . Opening the show are the highly regarded midlands-based folk trio The Raconteurs.

Aynsley Lister is one of the UK's hottest contemporary blues guitarists. His unique brand of blues-based rock delivers contemporary song writing, fueled with heart and soul. With over 100,000 albums sold, lashings of critical acclaim and years of high profile touring, Lister's resumé speaks for itself and firmly secures his position as a leading light in the resurgence of British blues-infused music.

Courtney Marie Andrews is no stranger to introspection. From her humble teenage beginnings in the Arizona folk circuit, to her Grammy-nominated album Old Flowers (2020), to her place today as a preeminent voice and perspective in the American songwriting tradition, the celebrated singer-songwriter has always mined the depths of her experience and her sense of self, in order to cultivate a world reaching far beyond her own. Through stories of love, loss and the life lived in between, her work creates a place for others to feel heard and seen, a place for healing and growth of the human heart and spirit. Now emerging from a distinctly fertile creative period, Andrews is poised for her return to the public eye, wielding a new body of work that includes a wealth of songs, as well as the the August 26th release of her second poetry collection, titled Love Is a Dog That Bites When It's Scared. Will you follow her there

California-born but now based in Manchester, Jesca Hoop is what you’d call a musician’s musician. Discovered by Tom Waits, and brought on tour by Peter Gabriel to sing in his band, it was a phone call from Elbow’s Guy Garvey that saw her move to the UK.　 Her recent album "Stonechild", produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Aldous Harding, This is the Kit), received huge acclaim from fans and critics alike, and it’s easy to see why: her beautiful songs, rooted in the folk tradition are intricately detailed, acoustic-led pieces that teem with ideas.