Official Folk Albums Chart Show — 5th August 2025

Matthew’s guest on this month’s show is the singer/songwriter Kellie While who is chair of the judges for the newly announced Folk Album of the Year Award. She shares the thinking behind the award and offers some advice if you’re considering entering. There are also 6 new entries in the chart and a new number one. We’ll have music from Amelia Coburn, Spafford Campbell, The Swaps, Skerryvore, Gaz Brookfield, Yoshika Colwell and the New Eves.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Bluesky/Facebook/Instagram: @folkonfoot---Subscribe to the Folk Forecast to explore all the gigs and album news we ran through in the show: https://thefolkforecast.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enjoy this classic episode from July 2020.Kitty Macfarlane is known for her pure voice, poetic song writing and passion for the natural world. On this unexpectedly sunny January walk, she and Matthew Bannister climb the historic Burrow Mump Hill. Here she sings a song inspired by the view, “Man Friendship”.  As they walk along the nearby river, Kitty stops to sing her song about migration: “Glass Eel”. Then it’s off to her favourite bird sanctuary where they observe many different species and she sings her song about witnessing a murmuration of starlings.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Bluesky/Facebook/Instagram: @folkonfoot---Find out more about Kitty at https://www.kittymacfarlane.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Trembling Bells bandmates Alex Rex and Lavinia Blackwall take us first to Govan Old Church in Glasgow to see ancient Viking burial stones - and sing in unaccompanied harmony in the glorious acoustic. Then its off to the hutting community at Carbeth in the countryside outside the city where residents lovingly decorate their wooden homes. Alex shows us the hut he’s curating in memory of his younger brother Alastair who sadly died, while Lavinia introduces us to her partner in life and music Marco Rea as they perform songs from her new album in her hut. A fascinating and poignant insight into the lives and inspiration of two creative spirits.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Facebook/Instagram/Bluesky: @folkonfoot---Find out more about Alex at https://alexrex.bandcamp.com/ and Lavinia at https://laviniablackwall.bandcamp.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month’s show features music from Billie Marten, Poor Creature, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Allo Darlin’, Ann Liu Cannon, California Irish, Bonnie Dobson & The Hanging Stars, Me Lost Me and Ruth Lyon. Lucy Shields has the album preview – and Matthew will be announcing the next episode of Folk on Foot.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Bluesky/Facebook/Instagram: @folkonfoot---Subscribe to the Folk Forecast to explore all the gigs and album news we ran through in the show: https://thefolkforecast.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enjoy this classic episode from September 2020.In our first post lockdown episode, actor and musician Johnny Flynn takes Matthew Bannister for a walk on the Hackney Marshes, a huge expanse of public land which has no fewer than 88 football pitches alongside a nature reserve which has grown up in disused gravel pits. As well as singing his distinctive, haunting songs, Johnny relates his near miss with a bear on the Camino to Santiago, reflects on discovering the music of Bob Dylan as a teenager and talks about his friendship with the nature writer Robert Macfarlane.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Bluesky/Facebook/Instagram: @folkonfoot---Find out more about Johnny at https://johnny-flynn.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where does Chris Packham want his ashes scattered after he dies? Find out as he takes Martin Simpson and host Matthew Bannister for an enlightening walk in sun-dappled woodland near his home in the New Forest. He points out a goshawk on her nest and other glorious flora and fauna and is delighted when Martin sings his songs “Ken Small” and “Skydancers”. The most emotional moment comes when Martin sings “Ridgeway” under the special tree where Chris wants his ashes scattered (along with those of his dogs Itchy and Scratchy). Listen for beautiful music and spellbinding stories of nature, history and the indomitable human spirit.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Facebook/Instagram/Bluesky: @folkonfoot---Find out more about Chris at https://www.chrispackham.co.uk/ and Martin at https://martinsimpsonmusic.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month’s show features music from Quinie, Odette Michell, Haress, Lavinia Blackwall, Sam Kelly, Chloë Foy, The Wandering Hearts, Will Varley and Jacob Alon. Lucy Shields previews forthcoming releases and has the gig news and Matthew announces the next episode of Folk on Foot.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Bluesky/Facebook/Instagram: @folkonfoot---Subscribe to the Folk Forecast to explore all the gigs and album news we ran through in the show: https://thefolkforecast.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enjoy this classic episode from August 2019.Sandwood Bay, at the far North Western tip of Scotland near Cape Wrath, is one of the most beautiful beaches in the UK. This wild, isolated place inspired the Scottish fiddle player and composer Duncan Chisholm’s album “Sandwood”. He takes Matthew on the four-mile walk from the nearest road to experience the stark beauty of white sand, ancient rocks and rolling waves, telling stories of storms, hauntings and the remains of a Viking longship hidden under the beach. Then it’s out with the fiddle to hear some of the music inspired by Sandwood.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Bluesky/Facebook/Instagram: @folkonfoot---Find out more about Duncan at https://www.duncanchisholm.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and his band LYR perform poems and music inspired by the stories told by the people of the West Yorkshire Village of Marsden, where Simon grew up. It’s all part of the annual “Cuckoo Day” festival in the village, celebrating the myth that local people thought they could keep the spring going all year round if they could only capture a cuckoo. Amongst the poetry there are outbreaks of morris dancing, organ playing and the emotional story of a mangle.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Facebook/Instagram/Bluesky: @folkonfoot---Find out more about LYR https://www.lyrband.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The great Peggy Seeger is Matthew’s guest on this month’s show as she prepares to celebrate her 90th birthday later this month. She says her current tour and album will be her last, so what will she miss about performing? Has her lifetime of protesting secured progress? And does she feel that time is running out for her? There’s also music from Kate Rusby, Skinny Lister, Merry Hell, Màiri Morrison, Alasdair Roberts and Pete Johnston, Iona Lane and Capercaillie.---We rely on support from our listeners to keep this show on the road. If you like what we do please either...Become a member and get great rewards: patreon.com/folkonfootOr just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfootSign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.comFollow us on Bluesky/Facebook/Instagram: @folkonfoot---Subscribe to the Folk Forecast to explore all the gigs and album news we ran through in the show: https://thefolkforecast.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.