Stick In The Wheel‘s sound is a raw, fresh take on English Folk music. Their now-trademark abrasive delivery of both original and traditional tracks, is a voice linking now to then, spearheaded by Nicola Kearey’s fierce uncompromising vocal delivery, accompanied by Fran Foote’s harmony vo-cal and underpinned by sparse taut arrangements.
Stripped back to their bare components, the songs speak for themselves without ornament, telling tales of everyday life: carboot swindlers, lorry drivers and London rioters, sitting seamlessly against traditional songs of prisons, hammer-wielding blacksmiths and 18th century madhouses.
Fresh from their collaborative album project English Folk Field Recordings, Stick in the Wheel continue to explore what it is to be making English Folk music right now, in these interesting times.
“We play the music of our people. We sing in our own accents. We record in our kitchens and liv-ing rooms. This is our culture, our tradition”
This event is part of Manchester Folk Festival – a celebration of English folk in all its forms, from indie to traditional, familiar names alongside exciting new voices. From 19-22 October in and around HOME, the whole festival takes place in one area of Manchester over one weekend. The Festival presents an incredible music line-up, as well as craft workshops, film, a proper pub singaround, artists in conversation and a relaxed Festival Hub where you can watch the world go by. Friendly, inclusive and full of opportunities for discovery, it will have the spirit of a festival in a field, in the heart of the city.
