With music played solidly right through From Thursday to Monday, this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival will certainly not cease to tickle those musical taste buds of yours. Thursday brings us a lovely array of artists performing at both stages as well as the Club Tent.
First up we have Lucy Rose performing on Stage 2, and she is undoubtedly one not to be missed. With a solo career taking off following her appearance on Bombay Bicycle Club’s most recent two albums (‘Flaws’ and ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’), Lucy Rose has somewhat exploded in term’s of her popularity. Her gentle acoustic melodies create a hazy sound which leaves one feeling like they should be floating somewhere upon a fluffy cloud, and her debut album ‘Like I Used To’ certainly doesn’t fail to demonstrate her talent. See her perform ‘Night Bus’ with Watch Listen Tell, and be sure to catch her play on thursday.
Alongside Lucy Rose, Cambridge Folk Festival will also be treating festival goers to a promising performance by Willy Mason. Having disappeared for almost half a decade, Mason returned with incredible flair, releasing his latest album ‘Carry On’ last year. Following collaborations with Lianne La Havas, and a series of high-profile gigs with Mumford and Sons and Ben Howard, Mason has been more than successful in reclaiming his spot in the music scene. With his recent album containing everything from stark, stripped-back beautiful folk, to slightly more experimental 6-minute hypnotic dub beats ( see ‘Restless Fugitive’), FFS are particularly excited to witness what is to be a bloody good gig from Mason on CFF’s Stage 2. Check out Mason’s collaboration with Lianne La Havas; ‘No Room For Doubt’.
The Club Tent on Thursday also brings us the delightful Larkin Poe sisters. Having initially formed as a trio known as ‘The Lovell Sisters’, Larkin Poe was re-established in 2010 with just two sisters, Rebecca and Megan. With their fifth EP released last year (‘Thick as Thieves’), Larkin Poe will strike you with their crystal clear voices and melodies of banjo, fiddle and bottleneck guitar. Their shift in sounds with this most recent EP not only brought in a whole new legion of fans, but leaves them fitting perfectly with Cambridge Folk Festival’s already brilliant lineup.
Hailing from Cambridge themselves, FFS are very excited to see that The Willows are also performing in the Club Tent on Thursday. Describing their music as ‘folk-rooted’, their debut album ‘Beneath Our Humble Soil’ blends a beautiful mix of both traditional and more contemporary folk, allowing this fine collection of songs to reach a wide audience. Their predominantly acoustic sound, led by Jade Ward’s captivating vocals, fits the bill perfectly, so make sure you keep aside some time to catch these guys play.
This confirms the one’s to watch for Thursday’s line up, so be sure to keep and eye out for FFS recommendations for the rest of the weekend and Cambridge Folk Festival.
Words: Ellie Rumbold