It’s been a shamefully long time since I posted here – my excuse is that there’s been plenty of news over at my True North Music site, but even so…anyway, 2017 has been a really busy year for me and my music, in all sorts of ways. The early part of the year saw me working with fabulous duos Compton & Newberry and then Evie Ladin & Keith Terry as booking agent for their UK tours. I’ve also promoted gigs by Evie & Keith, Foghorn Stringband, Sierra Hull and Tony Furtado so far in 2017. True North Music is gathering momentum and I’m building a growing reputation as a promoter and booking agent of first class Americana and roots.

Meanwhile I’ve been trying to carve out time for my own music-making! I had an awesome time at Sore Fingers bluegrass & old time camp at Easter, including rehearsing and performing with a scratch band – we had enormous fun working up Front Country’s Lonesome Town as well as Down in the Willow Garden, for the Thursday night student concert. In May, my real band The Reckless Abandoners performed to a great reception at both Orwell Bluegrass Festival in Suffolk and the inaugural Crossover Festival in Cheshire, a really cracking nrew event which happens to be organised by our very own double bassist and fiddler, Julie and Eleanor! After a bit of a summer break while we’re all busy with other projects, this September the Abandoners will be reconvening at Didmarton Festival to rehearse together for our upcoming shows at Gower Bluegrass Festival in South Wales and at Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in Dumfries & Galloway. We’re really looking forward to our first time on stage at these two friendly festivals!