KESTON COBBLERS CLUB

“Crossover potential written all over it” 4 Stars - MOJO

“Rambunctious folk and joyous elemental pop” The Guardian

“Furiously contagious….uniquely, charmingly British” Clash

“Ear-worm melodies” 4 Stars - Financial Times

“Wondrous….hugely accomplished” fRoots

“Could this 5-piece be your new favourite folk-pop group?” Digital Spy

Keston Cobblers Club will release their new album, ‘Almost Home’, in March 2017. Over the last few years, the folk-pop 5-piece has been steadily building a name for themselves and winning over an army of loyal fans. They’ve played some of the UK’s biggest festivals, including Glastonbury, Bestival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Wilderness and Green Man; sold out their own headline tours; been playlisted by 6Music and Amazing Radio; and been invited to perform live on BBC Radio by the likes of Dermot O’Leary, Steve Lamacq and Bob Harris.

Their last album ‘Wildfire’, won them huge praise everywhere from MOJO Magazine, The Guardian, The Independent and the Financial Times to Songlines, fRoots and Clash. Burberry asked the band to perform at their Menswear SS2106 event to a VIP audience. And after a triumphant UK tour including sell-out dates at London’s Lexington and Scala, the band were invited to open for Bellowhead on their farewell tour.

As fans will know, the Cobblers’ music isn’t just uplifting; it’s often a full-on celebration. Their live shows are displays of genuine warmth and dazzling musicianship. With brand new music on the way, the band continues to delight audiences across the country.

CC SMUGGLERS

“There are buskers that will make you cry, they’re so good”, according to cult Americana artist Andrew Bird. “And then there are buskers that will take you to a place where sound and energy merge to create a kind of spiritual ecstasy, a joyful affirmation of life itself.” CC Smugglers, who have made the transition from the street to the stage with consummate ease and considerable acclaim, exemplify the latter, and then some.

The band from Beds started out as “guerrilla buskers”, hijacking queues waiting to see other artists, or commandeering underground trains and escalators. They got their big break by playing outside every UK tour date of the two-time Grammy Award-winning Old Crow Medicine Show. Not even a severed artery on his finger could stop frontman Richie Prynne – he delayed surgery to lead the six-piece on the audacious escapade. So impressed were the Old Crow Medicine Show they invited them to share their platform on the remaining dates.

It was Richie who formed the band after busking alone for some years as a teenager. He enlisted the help of Dan Edwards (double bass) Ryan Thomas (lead guitar) and Sam Barrett (rhythm guitar and fiddle) who formed the Bedfordshire contingent of the band for several years. They were joined 18 months ago Joel Barford (drums) and more recently by Tom Seals (keys) both accomplished young jazz players “their influences have really allowed us to explore more contemporary challenging arrangements” said Richie.

Fast forward to now and CC Smugglers are selling out venues in their own right, and stealing the headlines at the Cambridge, Cornbury and Glastonbury Festivals.

They’ve also been playing further afield at some of Europe’s biggest festivals including sharing the bill with Bruce Springsteen at the prestigious Werchter Festival in Belgium followed by dates in The Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic and more..

A rapid rise that has elicited critical plaudits from the Sunday Times culture Section, bluesman Seasick Steve, roots guru Bob Harris (“just brilliant”) and BBC 6 Music’s Cerys Matthews, who describes them as “the best live band on the scene at the moment”