HepworthLIVE new season starts October 2024. We will continue to bring you the best in live folk and roots music to Hepworth Village Hall.
Tickets are only available from WeGotTickets.
Next Show
Saturday 14th December 2024
Blue Rose Code
Doors 7:30 Start 8:00pm
We are thrilled to be welcoming back Blue Rose Code to Hepworth. Last here in March 2019 with his full band Ross performed one of our most memorable shows. This time it will be a duo show but again will be a brilliant show that you won't want to miss. We've seen Blue Rose Code three times in the last year both as the full band and as a duo and each time Ross has been superb with a show full of passion, energy and emotion. For this show Ross will be accompanied by Connor Smith, the go-to Americana session guitarist in Scotland having completed his apprenticeship at the heart of Nashville under the auspices of Creative Scotland. You'll see him touring with Vintage Explosion as well as a host of top jazz acts. Conor features heavily on the latest Blue Rose Code album Bright Circumstance and Ross is really excited to take the duo on the road.”
Ross Wilson aka Blue Rose Code writes songs straight from – and to - the heart. They address universal themes in a deeply personal way and seamlessly blend folk, Americana, jazz, soul and pop influences into something truly unique.
Bright Circumstance, the long-awaited sixth album, is the finest to date and was released in May 2024 to universally positive reviews:
“Jubilant, prayerful, compassionate, Caledonian soul maestro Ross Wilson’s latest iteration of his Blue Rose Code band sees his songs bursting with heart” ***** The Scotsman
“The songs and playing on this album are quite exquisite, emotionally involving, and have a real depth…without doubt an absolute classic.” Louder Than War
A magnetic performer who loves to connect with his audience, this special duo show is a rare chance to hear the songs in an intimate musical setting.
“A set of almost religious intensity and sincerity. Wilson makes widescreen soul in the spirit of Van Morrison, and was full of the holy fire of live performance." The Times
"One of the greatest live acts around right now...do yourself a favour and go." Americana UK
Friday 31st January 2025
The East Pointers
Doors 7:30 Start 8:00pm
We are delighted to have negotiated a return visit of one of our favourite ever acts to appear at Hepworth. These guys from Prince Edward Island, Canada put on an absolutely delightful foot stomping performance in January 2019. Following the sad passing of Koady, Tim and Jake have continued to perform around the world.
Fans of The East Pointers have Koady Chaisson to thank for being the kinetic force behind the JUNO-Award winning indie-folk trio since the group formed in 2014. The dancefloor-shaking, electro-trad glorious combination of folk/pop has brought so much joy to audiences around the world. And now, even posthumously, Koady’s energetic fire continues to blaze the musical trail onward.It was on January 6, 2022 that Koady Chaisson of The East Pointers passed away from an unexpected heart aneurysm at 37. Those who were lucky to have been influenced by his creative and generous soul felt like a black hole had suddenly formed where the supernova of Koady’s light had been.But before his passing, Koady, Tim Chaisson, and Jake Charron, had recorded most of the tracks for two new EPs. Unlike any of the The East Pointers’ material to date, these precious songs are shiny and melodic, nostalgia-flared, folk experimental pop but with the same driving trad hooks for which the band has become known and revered.The first EP, House of Dreams,was released in September 2022 and was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2023. The second EP, Safe in Sound, was released in November 2023.
Saturday 15th February 2025
Hannah Read, Michael Starkey, Vera Van Heeringen
Doors 7:30 Start 8:00pm
HANNAH READ, VERA VAN HEERINGEN & MICHAEL STARKEY
"Three unique musical voices unite to deliver a powerful yet intimate blend of Appalachian old-time songs and tunes, alongside a collection of beautifully crafted soulful originals."
Over recent years, Hannah Read and Michael Starkey have fast become one of the most sought-after fiddle-banjo duos on the UK acoustic music scene. Their richly dynamic take on Appalachian old-time music has seen them enthrall audiences up and down the country, both during their live shows and on their critically acclaimed debut duo album 'Cross The Rolling Water', released on Hudson Records. They bring a unique depth of expression to traditional music, looking forwards and reaching out whilst still finding an anchor in its timeless language. At the heart of their sound is the complex and driving rhythmic interplay between fiddle and banjo, which draws the listener in “the way lungs draw in air” (Songlines), as they shine a light on “the powerful essence of the music” (RNR Magazine). To complete their sound, they bring a range of old, contemporary and original folk songs, sung with charismatic voices that are “destined to be appreciated for a very long time” (Old Time News). On the tour they are also have a special guest in Vera Van Heeringen, an accomplished and highly acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. She was part of the brilliant comedic New Rope String Band for five years and has toured with several Cajun and old-time greats such as Eddie LeJeune and Dirk Powell.
QUOTES:
“So exciting to hear such a diversity of old and new tunes and depth of expression, all in the language of old-time music, but at the same time reaching out” - Bruce Molsky
“Gripping… all in all, it’s a foot-tappin’ delight, music and playing that draws you in the way lungs draw in air, the tunesmithery interspersed with fine balladry” - ★★★★ Songlines
“Wow! World Class.” - Andy Kershaw (broadcaster/journalist)
“Gem of a recording, an infectious, dynamic, richly layered album that's a timeless, irresistible and thoroughly entertaining treat” - Folk Radio UK
“Intimate and inventive musicianship… arranged and played beautifully” - Living Tradition
“Nothing has brought me as much pleasure as this record this week” - Ricky Ross, BBC Scotland
“Excellent” - Folk London
“Skilled players with a focus on the powerful essence of the music, their intuitive interactions draw every last nuance of sentiment in both the old and new” - ★★★★ RNR Magazine
“Outstanding performances, charismatic voices, well balanced instruments, great synergy between Hannah and Michael, admirable choice of tunes and songs, impressive musical virtuosity… destined to be appreciated for a very long time” - Old Time News
“There are so many joyful moments… Hannah’s fantastically rhythmic and widely varied bowing, linked with Michael’s five-string propulsion, is a case in point” - Tony Trischka
Saturday 15th March 2025
Sam Carter
Doors 7:30 Start 8:00pm
Midlands-born Sam Carter is a BBC Folk Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist renowned for his narrative-rich songwriting, which Uncut described as being “as penetrating as Richard Thompson’s best work”. For over 15 years, he has been stirring audiences from Camden to Canada, from major festivals to intimate clubs. Carter’s expressive fingerpicking led Jon Boden of Bellowhead to call him "the finest English-style fingerpicking guitarist of his generation," while Ivor Novello-winner Nitin Sawhney has praised his "killer voice."
With a discography that spans six solo albums and two releases with the folk-rock band False Lights, Carter’s music reflects a blend of traditional English folk, shape-note singing, and rock. Notable highlights in his career include a spellbinding performance on Later… with Jools Holland, where he played songs from his shape-note-inspired album The No Testament alongside renowned fiddler Sam Sweeney.
Carter’s latest release, the acclaimed Top 40 Folk Chart album Silver Horizon, has cemented his reputation as a skilful blender of ancient and modern. Produced by Andy Bell at the remote Red Kite Studios in Wales, the album's 11 indie-folk songs create a dreamlike soundscape, with guitarist Stuart McCallum (The Breath) adding lush, reverb-soaked textures. Carter says of this work, “I’m still dealing with themes of love, loss, and change... but sketching events in an impressionistic way gives the songs more room to breathe.”
Sam Carter’s live performances are nothing short of captivating, filled with the raw honesty, humour, and skilled musicianship that underscore his standing as one of contemporary folk’s brightest talents.
“Sam Carter is a brilliant guitarist and songwriter who combines the observational with social comment and personal reflection”
— Songlines
Friday 4th April 2025
Fara
Doors 7:30 Start 8:00pm
FARA
Filskit Fiddles Fae Orkney
(“Filskit, adj: frisky, high-spirited, exuberant; addicted to immoderate hilarity”)
SCOTS TRAD MUSIC AWARDS BEST LIVE ACT/BELHAVEN BURSARY NOMINEES 2019 BBC RADIO 2 HORIZON AWARD NOMINEES 2017
GERMAN CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARD WINNERS 2019
“Torch-bearers of a freshly reinvigorated tradition. . . one of the most exciting Scottish folk discoveries in recent years” (AllMusic)
“Gifted, imaginative, complex and engaging. . . a sound that just exudes joy” (FRUK) “Bring contemporary fiddle music to new heights. . . enthralling vocal arrangements” (Scotsman)
“From delicate, elegant and beautiful to full and rich and fiery. . . spellbinding” (Fatea)
FARA brings together four leading musicians at the forefront of today’s Scottish folk scene. Kristan Harvey, Jeana Leslie and Catriona Price’s three fiddles combine with Rory Matheson’s piano to produce a fiery sound rooted strongly in their upbringing among the music of Orkney. Their repertoire of self-penned tunes, their original songs using words by Orcadian poets, alongside the four member's diverse individual musical experiences, combine to produce an exciting and individual sound. They have performed their music to audiences around the world and in autumn 2022 release their long-awaited new album. ‘Energy Islands’, the band’s third studio album, is inspired by Orkney’s innovation at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution. With vibrant arrangements full of rich harmonies, energetic fiddle playing and driving piano, audiences are sure to be thrilled by this new body of work.