As we recoil in horror from the evil of Moscow’s war on Ukraine, and feel disgust at the hard-of-thinking whataboutery of Putin apologists in the UK, let us not forget conflict at home. Even what Mo Mowlam called, when Secretary... Read more →
John Prine was a compelling, combative, heart-in-the-right-place American singer-songwriter who died two years ago next Thursday at the age of 73. He had successfully fought two cancers but succumbed to the wretched Covid. This is how I recorded his passing... Read more →
Christmas 2021: out of the blue, a lot of visitors started to appear here from the Kate Rusby fans’ group at Facebook. It turned out that my mention of this piece had finally been published many months after being submitted.... Read more →
What is it about folk music that makes some folk or folksy artists want to disown it and smug rockers want to sneer? Think how many acoustic musicians and people associated historically with folk have sought to create distance. Briefly... Read more →
Merci Read more →
October 2021 update: when Salut! Live ran a mini-series to celebrate the life and work on Nanci Griffith, who died in August, one of the articles featured her partnership with the Chieftains to produce a gorgeous version of her song... Read more →
Who said Brexit would bring only pain once the euphoria of establishing sovrinty innit had worn off? The folk world has joined exporters, importers, student explorers and all manner of Britons in rejoicing at news of the world-beating trade deal... Read more →
