Mon 4th December | 8pm
Tickets: £8 Earlybird, £11 First Release, £14 Second Release
Highly acclaimed multi-instrumentalist folk duo who play traditional and original storytelling music of the British Isles.
Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith are one of the finest duos to have emerged onto the British folk and acoustic scene in recent years. Their combination of outstanding vocal work, sensitive instrumentation, and a powerful social conscience has brought them widespread critical acclaim.
“To be a great folk singer, you have to be a great storyteller, as Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith are clearly aware. The duo are both fine singers and multi-instrumentalists.” (The Guardian)
The songs themselves are always given centre stage but they are brought to life with stunning musical arrangements and vocals. There is an integrity that shines through their performances and a common thread of political struggle, resistance, and justice.
Their critically acclaimed second album ‘Night Hours’ was released in December 2016 on Fellside Recordings. Described as ‘exhilaratingly diverse and full of impeccably crafted songs’, it has cemented the duo’s reputation as two of the most exciting musicians and social commentators on the scene.
“Making common cause between antique songs and present circumstances is one of the grails of modern folk, one this young duo pull off impressively…Rousing stuff.” (The Guardian)
‘Everyone at fRoots is certainly pretty excited about Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith, and for good reason. Their honest and arresting songs manage to speak with tender nostalgia whilst civilly calling for change. When you listen, prepare to feel the heat of empathy and the kindling of resistance.’ (fRoots)
Anna Kissell is a singer songwriter whose music marries a tender openness with a fierce soul. Hushed and dark, her folk-lullabies unfold slowly with melodies that linger long after the song’s end.
Born in the village of Eye, then thrust into the London suburbs, Anna’s childhood was a series of musical awakenings. Beginning with the violin she found her own, deeply expressive way of playing at a young age. Later she discovered singing during a torrid teenage rebellion spent in rowdy churches. Having devoted her voice and violin to accompanying various folk and acoustic artists over the years since, Anna has now turned her hand to writing her own material.
Anna lives in Bristol and is in the process of recording her debut album. She remains busy writing, performing and collaborating with other local artists. In her live performances, Anna is often joined by friends whose voices make up ‘The Unsung Chorus’. Her own voice rides naturally over hypnotic guitar picking, drawing listeners into otherworldly dreamscapes, inviting them to lie down, stretch out and forget time.