Gower Folk Festival 2025

Jack Badcock

(Saturday afternoon)

Singer and guitarist, Jack Badcock is a veteran performer, having toured extensively in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia predominantly as frontman and founding member of renowned world-folk band Dallahan. A previous finalist in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award, he released his debut solo album Cosmography in 2024 to critical acclaim. His solo material reveals astute songcraft exploring enormously wide-ranging subjects delivered with a musical sensitivity clearly influenced by American folk, funk and soul music as much as the traditional music of Britain and Ireland and all served with a healthy dose of storytelling and humour.

Culverake

(Saturday afternoon)

Culverake is a new traditional singing trio promising gusto and harmonies a plenty. The trio is made up of Seb Stone, Matt Quinn and Lizzy Hardingham, and together they breathe new life into timeless melodies. Matt is primarily a mandolin and duet concertina player but is also well known for his skills on the melodeon and as a singer. Lizzy sings songs that drive straight to the heart, giving audiences a chance for genuine connection and empathy. Seb is a traditional singer, whistle player and uilleann piper who draws on a varied repertoire of traditional English and Irish songs, focussing on the stories they have to tell, and their relevance to our modern world.

Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle 

(Saturday evening)

Combining the rich traditions of the Isle of Man with the varied sounds of synth pop and Euro folk, Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe (Fiddle) and Daniel Quayle (Bouzouki, Synths) have forged a sound that is both dramatic and compelling. Since the release of their debut album “The Coast Road” in 2022, the duo has been invigorating audiences, bringing their distinctive sound to festivals across Europe and beyond, while picking up new influences along the way. Whether they’re burning through reels or setting the scene for a meditative air, audiences are enraptured by their fresh new take on a musical tradition like no other. Their aim as a duo is to bring Manx music to the masses.

Lowri Evans & Lee Mason

(Sunday afternoon)

Lowri is blessed with a voice capable of wide emotional power, her songs taking their musical colours from a broad palette that includes Americana, Folk, Country and Blues, all beautifully knitted together through her innate musicality and heartfelt delivery. Blessed with “a voice so distinct and special that she sings as easy as one breathes”, Lowri has that rare ability to immediately bond with an audience, transporting them to the emotional heartland of every song she sings. Lee’s beautifully judged guitar playing and subtle harmonies have been integral to Lowri’s music from the outset.

Kantref

(Friday evening)

Take an accordion, guitar, four fiddles, mandolin and mandola. Mix well and add a touch of bass. Apply liberally to a tasty selection of French and Breton dance tunes. The perfect recipe for a full-flavoured Fest Noz! Ken and Karen will kick off the festival with a Beginner’s European Dance Workshop and they will hold a Dance Workshop on Sunday morning.

Leveret

(Sunday evening)

Leveret is a unique collaboration between three of England’s finest folk musicians. Andy Cutting (button accordion), Sam Sweeney (fiddle) and Rob Harbron (concertina) are each regarded as exceptional performers and masters of their instruments. Together their performances combine consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity. Leveret’s music is not arranged in the conventional sense and the trio rely on mutual trust and musical interaction to create new settings of their repertoire in the moment, with no two performances alike. Their playing is relaxed and natural, drawing audiences in and inviting them to share in music making that is truly spontaneous and yet deeply timeless.

The Magpies

(Saturday evening)

Yorkshire born trio Bella Gaffney, Holly Brandon and latest arrival Kate Griffin are one of the most exciting acts on the roots scene, combining first class musicianship with sublime harmonies and increasingly impressive song and tune writing. Here are themes of sisterhood and solidarity, tricky relationships and rueful reflection as they seamlessly switch between Anglo and American roots–traversing traditional folk, bluegrass, Celtic and Appalachian trails. It’s a rich melting pot of luminous, flawless music by three gifted young performers.

Rachael McShane and the Cartographers

(Sunday evening)

Rachael McShane is a renowned folk singer, cellist, fiddle, and viola player from the Northeast of England. She gained fame as an original member of the award-winning folk big band Bellowhead, recording five studio albums with them and winning a staggering 8 BBC Folk Awards. Rachael is the leader of The Cartographers, a band featuring the exceptional talents of guitarist Ian Stephenson, and melodeon player Julian Sutton. Their music is a powerful blend of traditional folk and contemporary sounds.The Cartographers have garnered a loyal following thanks to their impressive live performances and critically acclaimed debut album, When All Is Still.

Metheglin

(Friday evening)

Blanche Rowan, Mike Gulston, Pete Coleman and Clare Hines are Metheglin. They play dance rhythm-based tunes on weird and wonderful instruments:  Mandola, bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, bowed psaltery and percussion! Metheglin will be playing for the Festival dance evening on Friday.

Patakas

(Saturday afternoon)

Exceptionally talented brothers, Joe and Will Sartin, performing as ‘Patakas’(pronounced pa : ta: kus) are a skilful, innovative and assured acoustic duo bursting on to the folk scene. With Joe’s sublime voice and guitar playing and Will’s dexterous mandolin, the brothers beautifully and skilfully express the music-making and folk tradition that run through the very core of their family. They bring rhythms and innovative harmony to their fresh interpretations of traditional music and their own original tunes and songs.

Ben Robertson

(Sunday afternoon)

Ben Robertson is a UK-based finger style guitarist and singer who performs instrumentals and songs from across the Celtic and European folk traditions. Growing up in rural North East Wales, Ben spent his formative years on the Chester and North Wales folk scenes. His style is influenced by the likes of John Renbourn and Dick Gaughan, and he has been described as “a virtuoso guitarist in the making” and having “stylings and inflections that would please Renbourn fans”. In 2022, he released his latest album Rosewood, which received rave reviews and had airplay on BBC Radio 2’s Folk Show, amongst others.

Lou Shepherd

(Saturday afternoon)

A Bristol-based folk singer-songwriter who brings the powerful energy of the folk revival firmly into the world of experimental indie-folk, Lou Shepherd’s poetic lyrical perspectives, immersive soundscapes and commanding melodies have quickly positioned her firmly as one to watch. Brought up on the best of the British folk revival and folk sessions in the Southwest, her live performances have drawn significant attention. Lou’s enchanting solo performances have gained Europe-wide acclaim, having previously been at the heart of the Amsterdam folk scene. Now back in the West Country, Lou’s awe and wonder for nature shine through. A talented multi-instrumentalist, her lucent and effortless vocals have left a lasting impression with audiences

Grace Smith Trio

(Sunday afternoon)

Wielding the distinct voices of fiddle, concertina and double bass, the Grace Smith Trio brings together three like-minded musicians to create one dynamic and expressive musical dialogue. Acclaimed fiddle and viola player Grace Smith is joined by Sam Partridge (Concertina,Electric Guitar) and Bevan Morris (Double Bass) in this innovative ensemble, which offers a fresh take on folk. Drawing deeply from tradition, whilst also expanding their repertoire with new melodies of their own, the Grace Smith Trio explores the boundaries of what folk can be. Bellows, bow and bass come together to mesmerising effect, with music that will stay with you long after you finish listening.

Tightrope Moon

(Sunday afternoon)

Violin, viola and vocals entwine in celestial sounds and hypnotic melodies. From gritty re-imaginings of English, Swedish and American tunes to delicate compositions, Tightrope Moon’s electrifying groove-based tunes create a sound that is otherworldly, yet deeply rooted in tradition. Their songs spin out stories old and new, as haunting vocal harmonies float over pizzicato lattice work. Seth Bye and Cori Smith have performed at leading folk festivals and Seth was here at Gower in 2024 as half of Filkin’s Drift.

Steve Tilston with Hugh Bradley 

(Sunday evening)

Steve Tilston, the hugely talented award-winning performer presents an intimate set, featuring unique arrangements of popular folk songs alongside his own critically acclaimed material. Perhaps best known for his song-writing prowess, Steve is also a blinding, dazzling guitarist with a style echoing the elaborate rhythmic “folk baroque” of Bert Jansch and Davy Graham, but also drawing from classical, roots and the tradition to create a style that is typically Tilston. Steve is accompanied by bassist Hugh Bradley.

VRï

(Saturday evening)

VRï (Patrick Rimes, Jordan Price Williams, Aneurin Jones) are three young men from deepest, darkest chapel-going Wales who have mined the cultural upheaval of past centuries and drawn inspiration from the incredible story of a time when Wales’ traditional music and dance was suppressed by Methodist chapels, and, earlier, its language by the Act of Union. As audio archaeologists, VRï have unearthed long-lost nuggets that shed a new light on a vibrant folk tradition that harnesses the raw energy of the fiddle with the finesse of the violin, the beauty of chamber music with the joy and hedonism of a pub session. Their songs, sung with powerful vocal harmonies, tell stories of the people who struggled 200 years ago, just as many struggle today. It’s a wonderful and unique soundscape that connects across the centuries to give us a sense of belonging, of community, and a magical feeling of weightlessness and uplifting freedom