Saturday 22nd June 2024
We’re putting the final touches to our one-day mini fest, which will take place at Marsden Mechanics in Marsden near Huddersfield on Saturday 22nd June 2024. The event will feature performances from some of the finest roots music artists from both sides of the Atlantic, and we’re going to have singing and step dance workshops too! It’s going to be an absolutely fantastic day of live music. Check out the artist info below and and please bookmark and share the Facebook event here. Tickets are now available at Wegottickets.
Book your tickets now: Marsden Americana & Bluegrass Day ticket link
All our performing artists have now been announced:
Jake Blount Trio (USA)
We are very excited to announce our headline artist, Jake Blount! Jake is a rising star on the American roots music scene, a talented banjoist, fiddle player and powerful, soulful singer. He will be performing with his trio which also features double bass ace Nelson Williams and gifted multi-instrumentalist Gus Tritsch on electric guitar, banjo uke and fiddle.
“An uncommon talent.” – The Guardian
Jake was featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series in 2023, was nominated for Artist of the Year 2023 at Folk Alliance’s International Folk Music Awards, and won the Steve Martin Banjo Prize in 2020. He is an authority on the early folk music of Black Americans, and he has received huge acclaim for his 2022 album The New Faith, released as part of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings’ prestigious African-American Legacy Series. The album sees Jake adding new sounds and tones, incorporating electric guitar and percussion alongside banjo and fiddle. Featuring innovative new arrangements of traditional songs, including Black spirituals and Blues, The New Faith received glowing reviews from Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Telegraph and more. Jake has performed and collaborated with many roots music luminaries including Tatiana Hargreaves, Kaia Kater, Rhiannon Giddens and the Kronos Quartet. We previously hosted Jake’s band for Meltham and Sheffield gigs in 2022, and they were simply outstanding. This is American roots music of the highest possible calibre! We are thrilled to welcome the Jake Blount Trio as our headline artist.
Golden Shoals (USA)
We are delighted to announce USA duo Golden Shoals as part of our line-up. They blend old time Appalachian traditions with fine original songwriting and excellent musicianship on acoustic guitar, fiddle and banjo. They are fabulously entertaining, combining influences from bluegrass, folk, Americana, Cajun, old time country music and more!
“Rousing old-time-style music that’s fueled by acerbic modern-day wit.” – No Depression magazine
Since forming their duo in Boston back in 2013, Amy Alvey and Mark Kilianski have taken their blend of footstomping traditional tunes and memorable original songs around the world, touring extensively across the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and the UK. Formerly known as Hoot & Holler (changing their name in 2020 to avoid confusion with a similarly named band) they got a storming reception from our local audiences in both Meltham and Sheffield back in 2019. Golden Shoals have released several albums and an EP to date, and have a fun and lively stage presence to complement their impressive musicianship and glorious vocal harmonies. We’re really looking forward to welcoming Mark and Amy back to Yorkshire and to see them perform at our one day festival.
Jaywalkers (UK)
“Jaywalkers’ musicianship is both deft and impeccable but never soulless, while the players’ togetherness and interplay is mesmerising.” – Folk Radio UK
Cara Luft (Canada)
Another exciting artist announcement incoming! Hailing from Canada, Cara Luft is well known for her work with The Small Glories and The Wailin’ Jennys as well as her solo career. A talented guitarist and banjoist and a powerful singer, the JUNO award winner is also a gifted songwriter. Cara has a well-deserved reputation as one of Canadian folk music’s finest live performers, with an engaging, down-home style that comes wrapped in a warm and delicious sense of humour.
A co-founder of popular folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys, after leaving that band in 2004 Cara toured widely as a solo performer, releasing several solo albums and wowing audiences across North America and Europe. In 2012 she started performing with fellow Canadian singer-songwriter JD Edwards, forming The Small Glories, which has become a much loved fixture on the Americana and folk circuit over the last decade (including a sensational Sheffield gig we hosted back in 2018). The Small Glories released two albums and toured regularly around the world, winning Folk Alliance International’s 2020 Folk Artist of the Year Award. Born into a folk singing family, Cara has been steeped in folk and traditional music almost from birth – but like all the finest artists, she has always shown a desire to fearlessly stretch style and genre boundaries. The Small Glories’ decision to take a hiatus in 2024 has provided Cara with another opportunity for new adventures and collaborations, and we are delighted that she will be bringing her musical and personal magic to our mini fest.
Book your tickets now: Marsden Americana & Bluegrass Day ticket link
We would like to acknowledge the valuable Project Grants funding support from Arts Council England which has helped to fund our entire 2023-24 local live music series, including concerts, community outreach workshops and this upcoming one day festival. We also want to thank our sponsors for their contributions: our generous series sponsor Dark Woods Coffee, and our event co-sponsors, Eagle Music Shop and the British Bluegrass Music Association. We’ll be sharing more information about them very soon!
