The Longest Johns

On 23 September 2026, The Longest Johns bring their Bristol-born sea songs to Debaser Strand in Stockholm. Rooted in maritime folk, the quartet began as an a cappella outfit before broadening their sound with understated percussion and acoustic textures, keeping the focus on close-knit harmonies and chorus-led storytelling. Their catalogue moves between traditional shanties and original writing shaped by life at sea, from Written in Salt and Between Wind and Water to Cures What Ails Ya, which introduced fan favourite Bones in the Ocean, and Smoke & Oakum.

On stage, the group leans into the collective pulse of work-song rhythms and call-and-response, drawing the room into the refrains without losing the rough edges that make these songs travel. The buzz around their take on Wellerman in 2021 opened the door to a wider audience, but the heart of their set stays anchored in voices that blend, verses that tell, and arrangements that lift without crowding the melodies. Expect a voyage from rolling shanties to quieter ballads, with just enough instrumentation to carry the swell while the singing leads the way.