Episodes

  • Folk on Foot Classic: Duncan Chisholm at Sandwood Bay
    Jun 22 2025

    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.

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    Find out more about Duncan at https://www.duncanchisholm.com/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    43 mins
  • Simon Armitage and LYR on Cuckoo Day in Marsden
    Jun 12 2025

    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.

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    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/folkonfoot

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    Find out more about LYR https://www.lyrband.com/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    44 mins
  • Official Folk Albums Chart Show—3rd June 2025
    Jun 3 2025

    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.

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    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/folkonfoot

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    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.

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Goblin Band in the City of London
    May 15 2025

    Come with us on a fascinating walk in the historic City of London with rising stars of the folk world Goblin Band. From an ancient church ringing to the Castleton Carol, via an underground car park where the remains of the Roman Wall form the backdrop to “The Twa Corbies” and onto the banks of the River Thames for some mudlarking and a beautiful “Grey Funnel Line”, these talented young performers share their passion for passing on traditional music to a new generation of listeners.

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    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/folkonfoot

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    Find out more about Goblin Band at https://goblinbanduk.bandcamp.com/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    55 mins
  • Georgia Shackleton on the Norfolk Coast
    Apr 17 2025

    A violin made from the floorboards of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s home - a climb to the top of the Happisburgh lighthouse - and a song about whales stranded on the shore - just three of the highlights of this glorious sunny seaside walk with the Norfolk singer and fiddle player Georgia Shackleton. So kick off your shoes, roll up your trousers or hitch up your skirts and paddle along the beach with us.

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    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/folkonfoot

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    Find out more about Georgia Shackleton at https://georgiashackleton.co.uk/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    49 mins
  • Bonus Episode: Ashley Hutchings in conversation at Cecil Sharp House
    Mar 24 2025

    Bob Dylan described Ashley Hutchings as “The Godfather of English Folk Rock -he gave us a genre we couldn’t refuse”. Bass player Ashley was behind the formation of three great bands: Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band. As he celebrates his 80th birthday, Ashley joins Matthew Bannister on stage at Cecil Sharp House to look back on his life. He recalls the heady days of the 1960s, supporting Pink Floyd, being joined on stage by Jimi Hendrix, seeing Paul Simon play in a Soho folk club and inviting Sandy Denny and Dave Swarbrick to join Fairport. Then - following the road accident that killed Fairport’s drummer Martin Lamble and Richard Thompson’s girlfriend Jeannie Franklin - retiring to the country to come up with the first British folk rock album “Liege and Lief”. He also tells how he fell in love with the great singer Shirley Collins, but then was unfaithful and broke up their marriage. It’s a fascinating insight into the career of one of the great pioneers of British music.

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    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/folkonfoot

    Or just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfoot

    Sign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.com

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    Find out more about Ashley Hutchings at http://ashleyhutchings.co.uk/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    51 mins
  • Cole Stacey on Dartmoor
    Mar 14 2025

    Cole Stacey’s album “Postcards from Lost Places” was recorded in atmospheric locations around Dartmoor. In this episode Cole retraces his steps - taking us back to some of those places and performing the songs inspired by them. We hear about his journey into folk music, his partnership with Joseph O’Keefe in India Electric Co - and his experiences of touring with Midge Ure. But most of all we enjoy a spectacular cold and sunny day on Dartmoor.

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    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/folkonfoot

    Or just buy us a coffee: ko-fi.com/folkonfoot

    Sign up for our newsletter at www.folkonfoot.com

    Follow us on Facebook/Instagram/Bluesky: @folkonfoot

    ---

    Find out more about Cole Stacey at https://colestacey.net

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    50 mins