The Unthanks

Born in the north-east of England around sisters Rachel Unthank and Becky Unthank, The Unthanks belong to an English folk tradition closely associated with Northumbria, but they approach it with arrangements that also draw on chamber music, brass bands and contemporary song. Formed in 2004 as Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, the group first released Cruel Sister in 2005 and The Bairns in 2007, before adopting the current name in 2009 with Here’s the Tender Coming. With Adrian McNally, who also acts as the band’s arranger and producer, the ensemble has refined a sound built on vocal harmonies, restrained tempos and careful attention to textures, balancing traditional repertoire, original compositions and reimagined covers. The Unthanks have also developed several side projects, including The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & The Johnsons (2011), Songs from the Shipyards (2012) and The Songs and Poems of Molly Drake (2017). Over the years they have performed both on folk stages and in more crossover concert venues up to the Proms, while composing for film and television, notably for Worzel Gummidge. Notable albums include Last (2011), Mount the Air (2015), Lines (2019), Sorrows Away (2022) and In Winter (2024).