Martin Simpson

Born in Scunthorpe, in Lincolnshire, Martin Simpson has over the decades established himself as a distinctive voice of British folk, at the crossroads of English, Irish and North American traditions. A guitarist, banjo player and singer, since the 1970s he has developed a precise acoustic style, often in fingerpicking, with an approach that blends traditional ballads, rural blues, instrumental tunes and personal compositions. Martin Simpson began solo with Golden Vanity in 1976, after frequenting English folk clubs, then worked with the Albion Band and with June Tabor, with whom he notably recorded A Cut Above in 1980. Based in the United States from the late 1980s, first in Indiana and then in Ithaca, New York, he further broadened his repertoire and collaborations, notably with Wu Man on Music for the Motherless Child in 1996, then with David Hidalgo and Viji Krishnan. His solo discography includes The Bramble Briar (2001), Righteousness and Humidity (2003), Prodigal Son (2007), True Stories (2009), Vagrant Stanzas (2013), Trails & Tribulations (2017), Rooted (2019) and Home Recordings (2020). Martin Simpson also recorded Murmurs in 2015 with Andy Cutting and Nancy Kerr, then A Selection of Ever Popular Favourites with Dom Flemons in 2016, continuing a career where English folk constantly dialogues with blues, Americana and acoustic narrative forms.