New names announced for 2017 Folk Festival

Wednesday 15 March 2017

The latest names have been announced for Cambridge Folk Festival 2017, including legendary folk singer and respected song collector Shirley Collins, who recently returned to recording and performing after 38 years; a Festival exclusive from multi platinum selling Indigo Girls, whose celebrated and influential career spans almost four decades and chart-topping, English country twin-sister duo Ward Thomas, all part of a completely female line-up on Main Stages 1 and 2 on the Friday.

International superstar and multiple Grammy Award-winner Olivia Newton-John, originally from Cambridge, Grammy nominee Beth Nielsen Chapman and SOCAN Award-winner Amy Sky bring their unique collaboration ‘Liv On’ exclusively to the Festival on Saturday evening. Acclaimed US singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, promises another awe-inspiring Festival performance on the Sunday.

A line-up that sees a welcome return for Festival favourites plus innovative debuts will feature Irish accordion virtuoso Sharon Shannon; enchanting chanteuse Cara Dillon; Fay Hield and The Hurricane Party, described by Mojo as "One of folk music's most pre-eminent modern voices"; sonically audacious and lyrically bewitching Admiral Fallow; Coven, featuring three of folk’s most formidable female acts O’Hooley & Tidow, Lady Maisery and Grace Petrie; the Isle of Tiree’s Skerryvore; exhilarating live performers CC Smugglers; folk-jazz pioneer and favourite of Ewan McGregor Blue Rose Code; UK Americana Emerging Artist winners 2017 Wildwood Kin; Jamie Smith’s Mabon, blending world music and Celtic roots; BBC Radio 2 Folk Horizon Award nominees Fara; the aptly named Beoga (Gaelic for ‘lively’) and bluesy, indie Americana from William The Conqueror.

Adding to an eclectic bill bringing together the best in folk and roots music are: The Furrow Collective, featuring Rachel Newton, Lucy Farrell, Emily Portman and Alasdair Roberts; singer and harpist Rachel Newton; electronic Celtic fusion from Niteworks; Belshazzar’s Feast merging folk, classical, jazz, pop and music hall; fiddle singers The Rheingans Sisters; hotly tipped Americana band Orphan Colours; Southern gothic singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah; 2015 BBC Young Folk award winners Talisk; folk noir and gypsy jazz from The Eskies; Brian McNeill, leading the Festival Session; one of Liverpool’s most exciting new groups She Drew The Gun; up and coming folk-country duo Worry Dolls; Mawkin, described as a modern-day Fairport Convention; Roxanne De Bastion, at the forefront of the new singer-songwriter generation; ukulele-playing singer Amelia Coburn, famous for her remarkable cover versions; 12 strong female shanty band She Shanties; The Urban Folk Theory Ceilidh, where superb musicianship meets technology; the only UK performance this year of Chris T.T. Sings A.A. Milne and Anglo-Indian singer-songwriter Alluri.

This year’s prestigious Club Tent Showcases, awarded to artists the Festival sees as stars of the future like previous picks Newton Faulkner, Seth Lakeman and The Staves, go to: Liverpudlian singer-songwriter Robert Vincent; contemporary Scottish folk band Tannara; Australian singer-songwriter Juanita Stein and Canadian troubadour Michael Bernard Fitzgerald.

These new names join previously announced Jake Bugg, headlining Sunday night with an acoustic set, Oysterband (Sunday), Lau, featuring Kris Drever, Martin Green and Aidan O’Rourke (Saturday) and Hayseed Dixie (Sunday).

Guest Curator Jon Boden will perform over the Festival weekend with The Remnant Kings to preview his autumn 2017 album as well as guest curating elements of the line-up.

There will be further names announced over the coming months.

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